oils: how do you KNOW it's doing anything?

[Cricket]

A question about EVOO...for a daily use, is that applied like other oils, a couple of drops rubbed between the hands?

Got it in one! The amount varies depending on the type of hair and what the person wants for texture.

[ChloeDharma]

Intothemist....i never really use olive oil so i can't say specifically but i would assume it can be used as you describe providing you don't mind the smell.

It might be worth trying some heavy oilings......i found that with me, they had more of a cumulative effect over time than an instant huge difference. That's not to say the difference wasn't noticable but it was more a long term benefit for me of proper long soaks in oil of about 3 days at a time.

The story you told about the old lady i thought was lovely, made you feel good and i expect it made her feel good too.....fab stuff

[Mahars]

I love olive oil. It could be because I use it so much, but I don't notice the smell at all. I put 3 drops in my leave-in or just put a few drops in my hair after washing. It's one of the few oils that is molecularly small enough to penetrate the hair shaft. I also love it for heavy oilings. It actually makes my hair have MORE body rather than less when I wash it out. Good stuff.

[salamander]

Oil makes a big difference in my hair. It's much softer and less poofy, and the curls are more distinct. I didn't get the obvious benefits until I started doing overnight heavy oilings on wet hair, though. I wet my hair in the shower, squeeze it out, and put as much coconut oil in as it will hold. Then I put a shower cap and a warm hat over it, and sleep like that. Finally I CO it out in the morning. It's like having a whole new head of hair. When I just put a few drops in, or oiled on dry hair, it didn't have anywhere near as much of an effect.

[tiny_teesha]

I cannot comb my hair without coconut oil in it!!!

[GlassEyes]

If it doesn't make my hair soft, my hair hates it with a blinding fury undocumented. Flyaways, grease, etc. etc.

My hair used to hate coconut oil, but I made some of Kimberlily's hair butter and added some olive oil (whihc my hair likes) and now it's amazing. ^_^

[birdiefu]

My favorite post-wash oil right now is fractionated coconut oil. It is coconut oil with the 'heavier' fractions (stuff that makes it solid at room-temp) removed. It is very light and shelf-stable for a long, long time, and my hair loves it. By saying my hair loves it, I mean that it makes my hair less tangly, shiny without looking greasy, and softer. I can use more of it than regular coconut oil without looking oily, so I feel as though I get more of the benefits of the oil into my hair than the waxier parts.

ETA: I use different oils for pre-wash oiling than for post. Those tend to be thicker like regular coconut, butters, etc.

[xrosiex]

I've started using both coconut and jojoba before and after every wash. Small amounts of each. But it makes my hair softer and shinnier than without. Also it's much easier to comb.

[Celebrian]

I used to swear by a heavy EVOO oiling pre-shampoo. I haven't done it in a while, so I intend to try it again soon. It made my hair very silky and shiny, rather like the effect of silicones. However, when it comes to post-shampoo oil leave-in, although EVOO softens and moistens - it doesn't give me much shine at that point.

Only coconut oil does that for me...

If this helps - I went 'cone-free about six weeks ago (hellish hair until it began to settle down!). Prior to that, when I would use coconut oil as a leave-in (on damp/dry hair) I got amazing gloss plus the 'crunchies'!

Now that I'm silicone-free, I've discovered that my hair loves to drink the coconut oil. I can also apply liberal amount to my hair ends between shampoos, and it still sinks in happily over the hours.

I don't really understand why that's happened - but I'm not complaining!

[squiggyflop]

camellia oil seems to actually make my hair stronger... or atleast i see less breakage and frizz when i use it