Best Essential Oils for Treating Dreadlocks

For those that have dreadlocks, the products you use on your dreadlocks is just as important as the food you eat. Dreads need to be clean to lock well and be healthy. For simplification, take the scalp to be the soil. Taking care of the scalp is quite important; it’s like sustaining the soil so that the flowers, which in this case are your dreads, can grow healthy. This is where the best essential oils for treating dreadlocks come into play. Essential oils feed your hair and help to address hair and scalp needs.

Essential oils are compounds extracted from plants. They are obtained through distillation or mechanical methods such as cold pressing. Basically, essential oils are concentrated extracts of various plants. Essential oils can aid in healthy, hydrated, and happy locs.

Essential oils have genuinely astounding benefits and are a gift from Mother Nature. In order for you to feel the magic of essential oils on your dreads, here is a compilation of the best essential oils for dread.

The essential oils listed here are perfect for improving blood circulation and for stimulating the hair follicles. They help to prevent dandruff, flaking, dry scalp and graying.

Lavender Essential Oil

Lavender essential oil can speed up hair growth. It is considered to be one of the most effective natural treatments for hair loss. In fact, lavender oil is the most prominent essential oil utilized in today’s market.

It is famous for fending off lice and other bugs as they don’t like the smell for some reason. Amazingly, the oil is known to hold in Alopecia – an autoimmune disorder which causes hair loss. In other words, rubbing lavender oil over hair follicles will help prevent hair loss and even stimulate new hair growth.

The hair loss prevention properties of lavender oil are as a result of its disinfecting properties, which helps it fight fungi, microbes and other viruses. In summary, Lavender oil balances skin pH, stimulates circulation, heals skin irritation and it is very calming. 

 Mix a few drops of lavender oil into three tablespoons of carrier oil, like olive oil or coconut oil, and apply the mixture directly to your scalp. Leave it in for at least 10 minutes before washing it out and shampooing. Doing this several times per week would bring about desired results in your dreadlocks.

Peppermint Essential Oil

Peppermint essential oil stimulates blood flow to the hair roots, enabling hair to receive the proper nourishment it needs to grow. 

It has a minty, fresh aroma. It’s this tingly sensation it gives to the scalp that increases blood flow, promoting hair growth. Peppermint essential oil has antiseptic and antimicrobial properties, which may help cool the scalp, eliminate dandruff and combat lice.

Mix one drop of peppermint essential oil with a handful of any carrier oil and gently massage it onto your scalp. However, do not leave it longer than five minutes before washing it out with shampoo.

Tea Tree Essential Oil

Tea tree essential oil is capable of providing a variety of benefits. Among tea tree essential oil’s richness of potentialities, it can also help you improve and maintain the health of your dreadlocks the all-natural way. 

Tea tree oil has powerful cleansing, antibacterial, and antimicrobial properties. When applied directly to the hair, it can help unplug hair follicles and increase hair growth. It’s widely used to combat infections. In fact, a 2015 study shows that tea tree is commonly used in anti-dandruff treatment products.

Mix ten drops of tea tree essential oil into your shampoo or conditioner and use it daily. Alternatively, you can mix three drops with two tablespoons of a carrier oil, and leave it on fifteen minutes before rinsing out.

Ylang-ylang Essential Oil

Ylang-ylang essential oil comes from the perfume flowers of the Cananga tree, which is a native tree to Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. It is ideal for those with dry scalps, as it can stimulate sebum production.

Ylang-ylang can improve hair texture and reduce hair breakage, which is quite important when keeping your dreadlocks. You can use this essential oil as an ingredient in hair conditioners, creams, and masks.

Not only can it nourish your hair, it can also lend a nice floral fragrance. Hair dryness has various causes, but it’s majorly due to imbalance in the production of sebum, and Ylang-ylang essential oil can help you with this issue.

Mix five drops of ylang-ylang essential oil with two tablespoons of warm oil. Massage it into your scalp, and wrap your head with a warm towel. Leave it in for 30 minutes before washing it out.

Rosemary Essential Oil

Rosemary essential oil is one of the best essential oils for treating dreadlocks because it has been found to be good for the hair scalp, especially in terms of hair loss. Hair loss occurs due to a variety of factors, including genetics, hormones, medications, health conditions, and aging.

Rosemary oil has the ability to improve cellular generation, which makes it great choice to improve both hair thickness and hair growth. It also improves the circulation of blood in the scalp, and it can also keep the sebaceous glands from producing too much oil, which means that rosemary oil can also be effective if you tend to have oily hair.

Mix several drops of rosemary essential oil with olive or coconut oil, and apply it to your scalp. Leave it in for at least ten minutes before washing it out with shampoo. For best results, this can be done two times in a week.

Cedarwood Essential Oil

Cedarwood essential oil helps stimulate the hair follicles by increasing blood circulation to the scalp. It can promote hair growth and prevent hair loss by balancing the oil-producing glands in the scalp. 

It has been proven to be able to reduce hair loss by 50%. Also, cedarwood oil has antifungal and antibacterial properties that have been found to be good for dandruff and oily scalp.

Mix a few drops of cedarwood essential oil with two tablespoons of olive or coconut oil. Massage it into your scalp, and leave it on for 10 minutes before washing out.

Make sure to be careful with using cedarwood oil as it can irritate the skin, so you should first test how your skin reacts to the oil before using it in earnest.    

Clary Sage Essential Oil

Native to southern Europe, clary sage oil derives from a stout biennial herb that can grow up to 1 meter tall. It contains the same linalyl acetate that helps makes lavender oil highly effective in increasing hair growth. It can improve hair strength, making hair more difficult to break.

Mix three drops of Clary sage essential oil with your favorite conditioner, or with one tablespoon of carrier oil. You can either apply daily(rinse out after two minutes) or twice per week(leave it on for 10 minutes).

Lemongrass Essential Oil

Lemongrass essential oil best essential oils for treating dreadlocks because  it has antifungal, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. Dreadlocks must be kept healthy and flake-free, but dandruff can be a common ailment. The properties that lemongrass essential oil possesses make it an effective dandruff treatment.

Lemongrass oil is most effective when used daily. Mix a few drops into your shampoo or conditioner daily, and massage properly into your scalp.

Chamomile Essential Oil

Chamomile is an effective natural solution for hair lice and dandruff. It soothes the irritated scalp by hydrating it. Apart from these, this essential oil also qualifies as wonderful oil to nourish the hair and scalp. It retains the moisture level and strengthens the hair from within.

Rinse your hair with a gentle dab of chamomile oil to brighten up your hair instantly. A few drops can be applied on to towel dried hair to give your hair a lovely shine.

Carrot Seed Essential Oil

Carrot seed oil contains Biotin and Betacarotenos. These two elements aid in strong healthy hair growth and it is highly recommended for anyone starting out his or her loc journey. This essential oil contains antibacterial and healing properties.

It instills a lot of moisture into the skin, hair, and scalp. It prevents hair loss and promotes new hair growth. Carrot oil forms a protective layer on each loc to prevent moisture loss.

Mix a few drops of carrot seed essential oil with any carrier oil of your choice, and apply to your scalp. Allow it to soak into the hair and scalp for one to two hours before washing it out with regular shampoo.

Thyme Essential Oil

Thyme essential oil has antifungal benefits and may increase the blood flow to the scalp while rejuvenating hair follicles, which promote hair growth. It promotes hair growth by both stimulating the scalp and preventing hair loss

Put only two small drops in two tablespoons of a carrier oil before applying it to your scalp. Leave it on for about ten minutes before washing it out.

Sandalwood Essential Oil

Sandalwood oil is derived from the heartwood of the East Indian sandalwood, a hemiparasitic evergreen that grows by joining the root system of other trees.

Sandalwood oil has been found out to promote hair growth. Laboratory tests found that it stimulates hair growth after just six days. Hair follicles have smell receptors that respond to the aromatic odor, which in turn triggers the main protein in hair known as keratin, and it causes hair to multiply.

When applied directly to the scalp, sandalwood essential oil will help the dreadlocks gain additional length.

Eucalyptus Essential Oil

This is an essential oil made from the sweet-scented leaves of the eucalyptus tree. This oil kills off lice by suffocating them.

It has antifungal properties that help ward off the fungus that causes dandruff in hair. It is an essential oil for dreadlocks as adds natural shine to hair strands. It helps hold moisture in your hair, and allows light to bounce off your hair, making it shiny.

Mix a carrier oil with eucalyptus oil before applying it to hair. Massage the roots and scalp, then up to the tips of the hair. Leave the oil for about thirty minutes before washing off with shampoo and conditioner. You can do this at least twice a week for maximum benefits. People with dry scalp should consider oiling at least three times a week.

Bergamot Essential Oil

Bergamot’s natural stimulants direct blood flow to the scalp, ensuring proper delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the hair follicles. As a result, the hair fibers are nourished and begin to grow significantly.

It adds the much needed shine to your locs as its richness in antioxidant and antimicrobials shield the hair against the damaging effects of oxidative stress. The antioxidant strip off the dirt and chemicals that cause hair to dry out, thereby revealing a healthy and shiny hair

To use, put a few drops in your usual shampoo. You can also mix two drops with a tablespoon of carrier oil and massage into your scalp as an overnight treatment.

Best Carrier Oils for Dreadlocks

Castor Oil

Castor oil contains ricinoleic acid, which is a strong anti-fungicidal and antibacterial agent that helps to protect the hair and scalp from infections. It is purposed to enhance the health of the hair follicles, which would promote hair growth as well as protect against hair loss. Castor oil moisturizes the dreadlocks, making them thicker, shinier, and stronger.

To increase the length of your dreadlocks, try rubbing just a few drops of castor oil into your scalp. A few drops can also be added into the hair’s midsection and ends, which may protect against breakage and improve hair texture. It is recommended that castor oil is diluted with olive or coconut oil.

Abyssinian Oil

Also known as the Crambe Seed Oil, the Abyssinian oil is a light, non-greasy natural seed oil that is known for having excellent emollient properties. The fatty acids in this essential oil add moisture to your locs.

Abyssinian oil is neither heavy on the hair nor does it make it look oily. Also, the high omega-9 content helps to add luster to dry and lifeless hair, boost shine and protect the hair from split ends. This oil is resistant to heat and as such can be used as a heat protectant before blow-drying your locs.

Apply a few drops of Abyssinian oil to your hair prior to blow drying. This will help guard against split ends. You can also apply a few more drops after blow drying. This will make it shine for longer periods.

Summary

Nearly all essential oils must be diluted in another product, like carrier oils, conditioners or shampoos. Using them directly on your skin can lead to irritation.

Are there any essential oils for treating dreadlocks which were not mentioned in the blog post? Share them in the comments below.

FAQs for Best Essential Oils for Treating Dreadlocks

What are dreadlocks?

Dreadlocks are matted hair that is intentionally or unintentionally allowed to grow into long, rope-like strands.

What are the best oils for dreadlocks?

The best oils for dreadlocks are jojoba oil, argan oil, almond oil, avocado oil, rose essential oil, tea tree oil, lavender oil, frankincense essential oil, and rosemary essential oil.

What makes these oils the best for dreadlocks?

These oils provide moisture to the scalp and hair, prevent dryness and itchiness, and make your hair look shiny and healthy.

Can essential oils be used for dreadlocks?

Yes, essential oils can be used for dreadlocks. Lavender and rosemary essential oils are two of the best oils for locs.

How can I use essential oils for my dreadlocks?

 You can add a few drops of essential oil to your regular shampoo or conditioner, mix a few drops with a carrier oil and massage it into your scalp and hair, or add a few drops to a spray bottle filled with water and mist your hair daily.

What is the best oil for locs?

The best oil for locs is argan oil. It is rich in antioxidants and vitamin E, which helps to moisturize and nourish the hair.

How can I make my dreads look shiny and healthy?

You can make your dreads look shiny and healthy by massaging your scalp with a natural oil such as argan or jojoba oil.

What are some other benefits of using oils for dreadlocks?

Oils can help to prevent hair loss and promote hair growth, improve scalp and hair health, and alleviate certain skin conditions such as dry skin and dandruff.

Can I use rose essential oil for my dreadlocks?

Yes, rose essential oil can be used for dreadlocks. It is a popular oil that can help to soothe the scalp and hair.

What is frankincense essential oil and can it be used for dreadlocks?

Frankincense essential oil is a powerful oil that is known for its anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. It can be used for dreadlocks to help relieve itchiness and dryness.

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