Beauty Trick: Hair Oil Slick

Product: Olive Oil



There are a myriad of hair products on the market; solutions, sprays and serums designed to sleek, sooth, shine and soften the hair.

Some of these products are affordable and others are far pricier and involve somewhat of a financial commitment to maintain.

It seems silly to me that we spend so much on these products collectively when hair produces its own natural oils to lubricate and clean the hair.

Besides, if we are eating a healthy, balanced diet, the effects should shine through our hair, and I know many women who use no products on their hair whatsoever, whose hair gleams and shines au natural.

What has added to a nation of dry, Weetabix haired women is a tendency to over style with heat: blow-drying, straightening, curling and dying, something which most women are guilty of at some time or another.

My hair has been in much better condition since I stopped drying and styling and I actually prefer the way it looks naturally, but there is still some damage from my old straightening days.

The best cure is a permanent solution: cutting out the damage.

But if you are reluctant to do this, or the damage isn’t too severe, you might want to use products to soften dry, limp ends.

Rather than investing in expensive products that might not even work and are usually full of as many damaging chemicals as nourishing ones, you might want to try a natural solution first, which has apparently been bandied around for a long time, so naturally, I have only just heard of it.

As my hair is quite thick and down to my waist, I would like a solution that’s cheap and consistent (and preferably works!), so I tried the ‘Olive Oil’ look, a product that knocks about in most peoples kitchens (especially Jamie Oliver’s).

The effects on olive oil on the skin, hair and nails are often heralded, and you don’t need to break the bank to incorporate this into your beauty regime. A lot of oils and greases in products are synthetic and coat the skin/hair rather than actively absorb and hydrate it, creating an illusion of softness that doesn’t really permeate. A lot of synethic products cannot be actively absorbed, and those that can often also contain chemicals that are not great for your body, meaning you are absorbing all of those too.

I drenched my hair in olive oil and left if for about an hour. I ran myself a bath and washed it out.

Not only was my hair a lot softer (aside from one area of damage which is probably beyond repair) my skin was loads softer too! (Two birds with one stone).

I think I actually used TOO much because the top of my head was slightly greasy.

So learn from me:

1)        Less is more

2)        Wash thoroughly

For shiny, soft hair on the cheap!