I want my hair to smell like almonds

[jane53]

I like using EOs to give a nice scent to my hair, but there's no such thing as an almond EO. I would love to have the scent of almonds in my hair, but sweet almond oil (the one they use for massage and such) doesn't have that particular smell.

I would love to have some oil, just plain for the scent, not for oiling. I read here something about almond oil for cooking? I never heard of it before and can I use it in my hair? Will it smell strongly enough when only 2 drops or so are used since I don't want greasy hair from it?

Almond essential oil DOES exist. I have some. You should be able to find it too.

[Phalaenopsis]

Thank you, Jane53, I'm going to look for it

I know bitter almond EO has cyanide, but on sites it also says it's been removed, 'cause it is used in the kitchen for flavouring. And I also read that artificial flavouring is benzaldehyde. And they use it in food...

And thanks Anje for the translation, that was sweet (I speak Flemish by the way , no French) I already knew what cyanide was (from the movies eh )

@Gulbahar: I read in a book with organic home remedies that you can put some drops of EO on your brush so your hair will smell nice. I already did this with ylang ylang EO, rubbed it out on my hands and put it over my hair, just for the smell. I washed my hands afterwards.

Would bitter almond EO harm my hair in any way? Like bleaching (grapefruit EO, lemon EO, cinnamon EO...) or something

[Milui Elenath]

I am really horrified that some of you are using EO's neat, that is without any carrier oil. I am a qualified aromatherapist and I assure you that even the most "safe" oils shouldn't be used on your head if they aren't diluted. For your hair/head/face you should use less than on your body!
I found this out the hard way after becoming careless and rubbing a drop of oil (one drop!) on my forehead for a headache. It wasn't long before I felt quite drugged and unpleasantly so.
Lucky that was all that happened. It's not just skin allergies but physical responses such as increased circulation and blood pressure. AND the effects can accumulate faster if you are using them this way over time.

I love EO's but I respect them. end lecture

As for placing almonds in carrier oils to aquire the smell, I don't mean to be a wet blanket but I would be very cautious about possible pesticides that might have been used in cultivation and processing and I'd be looking at whether the almonds were shelled or unshelled as well.

I would also steer clear of bitter almond. I don't know/can't remember why but as an aromatherapist I avoid it.

If you are looking for a way to fragrance hair you could consider almond milk. Almond meal mixed with water and strained. I expect it would be moisturising and contain protein but I have no idea if it might have other effects on hair.

[TinaDenali]

As for placing almonds in carrier oils to aquire the smell, I don't mean to be a wet blanket but I would be very cautious about possible pesticides that might have been used in cultivation and processing and I'd be looking at whether the almonds were shelled or unshelled as well.

As a massage therapist, I ALWAYS use organic everything. Organic oils and organic ingredients (be it food grade ingredients or EO's) in everything I use. I also only order these things from trusted suppliers. As far as the nuts I used, I feel comfortable eating them, why wouldn't I feel comfortable with their essence on my skin or hair?

I use them unshelled, as that's how I buy them.

[sumptuousness]

Just to say, if you have a Bodyshop near you you might like to have a sniff of their honey conditioner. I find the fragrance far more almondy than honey-like & it smells very scrumptious too, so that you have to remind yourself not to drink it

[lastnite]

Don't know about your hair, but Perlier has a nice almond scented body care line. There is a shampoo too but the scent doesn't really stick to hair since it's rinsed out. You can usually find it at Marshalls and TJ Max.

[ktani]

You might want to check out something like this, http://www.oetker.us/en/product/baki...mond-flavoring to see what it smells like.

"A natural flavor is not necessarily more healthful or purer than an artificial one. When almond flavor -- benzaldehyde -- is derived from natural sources, such as peach and apricot pits, it contains traces of hydrogen cyanide, a deadly poison. Benzaldehyde derived by mixing oil of clove and amyl acetate does not contain any cyanide. Nevertheless, it is legally considered an artificial flavor and sells at a much lower price. Natural and artificial flavors are now manufactured at the same chemical plants, places that few people would associate with Mother Nature."
http://www.rense.com/general7/whyy.htm

"Final report on the safety assessment of benzaldehyde."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16835129

benzaldehyde
http://www.cosmeticsinfo.org/ingredi...redient_id=214

[jane53]

The almond oil I have actually isn't an essential oil. It's a perfume oil.

[Phalaenopsis]

Just to say, if you have a Bodyshop near you you might like to have a sniff of their honey conditioner. I find the fragrance far more almondy than honey-like & it smells very scrumptious too, so that you have to remind yourself not to drink it

Oh, I know! I used it in the past because of the almondy scent. Too bad it has cones and is quite expensive

[HairColoredHair]

Sally's has a relatively cheap almond conditioner.