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Chocowalnut
July 22nd, 2017, 08:08 PM
I bought my first essential oil, peppermint oil, and, after applying avocado oil to my hair I applied peppermint oil to the scalp. But I just saw online it should be diluted first. Should I go wash it all out? Will this be damaging?

Rebeccalaurenxx
July 22nd, 2017, 08:10 PM
If you feel ok, you're probably fine. Usually EO need to be diluted because theyre too strong, but if you used a drop or two after applying oil you're probably ok.
Dilute it next time though, after time it will hurt your scalp and dry out your hair. Peppermint oil is actually pretty drying out of all of them.

Chocowalnut
July 22nd, 2017, 08:25 PM
I think I applied way too much, so I washed it out. My scalp was tingling like crazy. And I didn't know it was drying. What oils might be better to use then? I was looking for one to stimulate and cleanse the scalp but also moisturize the hair.

Rebeccalaurenxx
July 22nd, 2017, 08:39 PM
I think I applied way too much, so I washed it out. My scalp was tingling like crazy. And I didn't know it was drying. What oils might be better to use then? I was looking for one to stimulate and cleanse the scalp but also moisturize the hair.

Well the thing is with EO you need to dilute regardless. With every EO you need to use a carrier oil.
EO does not give any added benefit imo, they are mostly added for scent because some carrier oils can stink.
In regard to the carrier oil that will do what you seek, jojoba oil might work for you because of you F texture. Jojoba oil has cleansing and moisturizing properties from what I remember.

Nightshade
July 22nd, 2017, 08:42 PM
Well the thing is with EO you need to dilute regardless. With every EO you need to use a carrier oil.
EO does not give any added benefit imo, they are mostly added for scent because some carrier oils can stink.
In regard to the carrier oil that will do what you seek, jojoba oil might work for you because of you F texture. Jojoba oil has cleansing and moisturizing properties from what I remember.

Agreed, you should ALWAYS dilute essential oils, even the ones that some of the pyramid scheme EO companies like to say are 'skin safe'. Allergic contact dermatitis can happen with essential oils and you increase your sensitivity to it by using them at too high concentrations.

A good rule of thumb is 10 drops of total essential oils to 1 oz of carrier oils, but 'hot' oils, like peppermint, cinnamon, eucalyptus, etc. should generally be diluted more.

Also, oils on their own don't moisturize. What they do is impart important lipids and fatty acids, which add softness and flexibility to the hair shaft. Oils are also emollients, more specifically, occlusives, which form a thin, moisture-locking barrier atop the skin and hair cells that reduces the evaporation of moisture. If your hair is very dry oiling might help a bit by replenishing critical fatty acids and by helping it keep whatever small amount of moisture it has inside of it, but it cannot actually moisturize the hair on its own. Generally, you want a treatment that is water-based to put moisture in the hair and then use an oil, butter, or salve to seal that moisture in.

Chocowalnut
July 22nd, 2017, 09:35 PM
OK that makes sense, thanks for the great info

Synester
July 23rd, 2017, 01:14 AM
never ever put EO straight onto your skin. some of them can burn you. ive been burned super bad in the past by putting tea tree oil straight onto my skin. Thought i had permanent chemical burns. always dilute. only put a few drops into your carrier oils. Rosemary and Peppermint might have some benefits for stimulating the scalp, all the others are just for scents im sure.

lapushka
July 23rd, 2017, 04:01 AM
I bought my first essential oil, peppermint oil, and, after applying avocado oil to my hair I applied peppermint oil to the scalp. But I just saw online it should be diluted first. Should I go wash it all out? Will this be damaging?

I would always dilute EOs for application on a larger scale (such as an entire scalp). If it is just "spot-treating", then by all means use it plain, but EOs are generally very strong and you have to be careful with them.

enting
July 23rd, 2017, 06:57 AM
Essential oils are diluted with more oil, just water on your scalp won't necessarily wash it out if you've applied too much. If you're still tingling or burning, I'd either add more carrier oil to your scalp and/or use conditioner to dilute the effects. Drinking lots of water will help flush out whatever excess you might have already absorbed into your body.

They are called oils because they're hydrophobic, but most essential oils don't actually contain any fatty acids or lipids. They contain chemicals (yes, natural ones, not the synthetic boogeymen) that have various effects on the body. (This is also why there are contraindications for some EOs and certain conditions - they do actually act on the body.) Peppermint oil *can* help the scalp and hair by increasing blood flow to where it's applied. Rosemary works in a similar way. Certain other essential oils are more recommended for balancing the amount of oily secretions from ones skin, like grapefruit essential oil. However, stimulating oils can also stimulate the scalp to produce more sebum which would seem to moisturize your hair. Results may vary from person to person, I don't think peppermint is a bad first choice to try. Just.... use a carrier oil! :)

I would read up a bit more on the properties of different essential oils and of the carrier oils, and perhaps try out different combinations of essential oils and their carriers to get the results you want.

For example, I hate the smell of rosemary but I could do with something to reduce itchiness on my scalp and increase blood flow. I chose cedarwood essential oil instead, and added it to my vinegar rinse. (I have to shake up the bottle like salad dressing before using it, but the vinegar does mix with the essential oils to a certain extent.) I also wanted something to help balance my oily scalp/dry hair combination, so I added a drop or two of grapefruit oil to the bottle. Last, I added a drop of vanilla oil, partly for the smell of it, and partly because vanilla helps cleanse the skin's surface of impurities.

Another example: I also have a mix of oils that I use on my skin. I won't go into the whole essential oil mix right now, but I use almond oil as the carrier. It leaves my skin looking healthy and feeling good. I have sometimes used sesame oil or grapeseed oil as the carrier when I've run out of almond, and I find that those were bad choices for me. They left me feeling greasy and gross. It felt like the oil just sat on top of my skin and didn't do anything. So your choice of carrier oil can also have an impact on how your scalp and hair feel.

Gosh, I wrote a book. Sorry about that! Hope this helps.

Chocowalnut
July 23rd, 2017, 09:52 AM
That helps, thanks for the help everyone.