Oil rinsing is when you apply oil to your hair after shampooing but before conditioning. Some people rinse the oil out before conditioning, others leave it in. Some even put the oil on top of their conditioner. The advantages of oil rinsing are retaining moisture (of course), less frizz, more shine, and less tangles and knots.
Here's what I did this weekend:
1. Washed my hair with Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo.
2. Applied about a tablespoon of heated grapeseed oil to my hair in sections from root to tip.
3. While the oil penetrated my hair, I put about a tablespoon of Trader Joe's Nourish Spa Conditioner in the microwave for 15 seconds, and then applied it to my hair from root to tip.
4. Put on a plastic cap. I planned on sitting under the dryer, and then rinsing and styling my hair. I didn't feel like it, so I put a scarf over my cap and went to bed. In the morning, I rinsed out the conditioner and oil well in the shower under warm water.
* I heated up my oil and conditioner because I know that heat is my friend. Heating up my conditioners opens my cuticles to allow moisture in. I've seen a significant increase in moisture level and shine by doing this.
* I chose grapeseed oil over other penetrating oils like olive or coconut because I wanted to use a lighter oil for my first time oil rinsing. When I have pre-poo'd with heavier oils, it was very hard for me to get most of the oil out, even after shampooing, and I was left with weighed down hair that felt unclean.
My results:
- Less shed and broken hair - My hair sheds A LOT, and I didn't see as much hair in the shower when I rinsed.
- Easier to detangle - My hair doesn't tangle much, but my shower comb slid through it very easily.
- More hang time! For real, I thought I had long hair when I got out of the shower, lol. This was the first time I saw my natural hair hang down. If the weather was warmer, I might have been bold enough to try a wash and go. I believe this has to do with what Elle from Quest for the Perfect Curl calls coating. I've been saying for years that my hair needs more of a natural and good "coating" to make it heavier, but not weighed down to fall right and stay moisturized and protected. She's the only other person I've seen discuss this in a way that speaks to me and my hair needs.
Since I just did this the other day, I'll see how my hair retains moisture this week. Today is my first day of my bantu knot out, and usually my first day hair isn't the best- it's usually a little drier than the other days...but not today! My felt moist and looked shiny when I fluffed my hair.
I plan on oil rinsing for my next few washes and will report back my moisture retention and any increase in thickness.
