How To Do a Homemade Hot Oil Treatment on Afro Natural Hair

Hot Oil Treatments should be an addition to any afro natural hair regimen especially during winter.  This is how I do my overnight homemade Hot Oil Treatment:

It’s autumn again and the temperatures have already started dropping.  I am not looking forward to winter especially for the sake of my kinks :).

To ensure that my hair is healthy during the cold months, I make sure that I start off with healthy strong hair.  One of my favorite treatments is Hot Oil Treatment.

I have done it while wearing a protective style (braids) and sometimes I use it as my washday pre-poo treatment. It’s cheap and works wonders for my afro.

I would recommend you do it at least once a month to prevent dry and damaged hair.

Why Hot Oil Treatment

Depending on the oils you decide to use for your Hot Oil Treatment there are many benefits:

• maintain moisture balance of your hair which contributes to length retention and consequently longer hair
• moisturizes the scalp and help alleviate dandruff
• nourishes hair
• prevent breakage and frizz

The frequency of how often and how you should do a Hot Oil Treatment varies from person to person.  It will depend mostly on the overall condition of your hair.

There are some people who prefer to do the Hot Oil Treatment after shampooing, but I personally prefer to use it as a pre-poo.  I have tried it after shampoo but very often my hair was left too oily and I did not like the results as when I do it as a pre-poo.

What You Need:

• Water (or add some Apple Cider Vinegar if you wish)  in a spray bottle
• Oils
  • 2 spoons of Coconut Oil: softens hair, adds shine, prevents hair breakage and split ends.
  • 2 spoons of EVOO: softens, adds shine, tames frizzy hair, moisturizes scalp and helps fight dandruff.
  • 1 teaspoon of Almond Oil: nourishes and stimulates hair growth.
  • 1  teaspoon of Castor Oil: increases hair growth, prevents hair loss and reduces split ends.
  • 1 teaspoon of Avocado Oil: nourishes, good for moisturizing dry, brittle, and damaged hair.
  • 1 teaspoon of Argan Oil: hydrates hair, adds shine, good source of vitamin E.
  • 10 of tea tree essential oil (optional): reduces dandruff and dry skin. Not advised to use on young children and pregnant women.
• Hot water
• Bowl
• Hair color applicator
• Plastic shower cap / Plastic bag

What to do:

Put the oil mixture in a bowl and place the bowl in another bowl of hot water for a few minutes until the oil is warm (not too hot, you don’t want to burn your scalp).

I usually do this on dry hair.  So to start, I divide my hair into sections.

Working in sections, I first spray the hair with water.  Once the hair is wet, I apply the oil to the scalp and hair making sure not to forget the ends.  To make this easier, it is advisable to put the oil in a color applicator bottle if you have one.

Once the section is done, put it into a bantu knot or twist (whichever is easier and quicker for you) and move on to the next section.

Once you are done, cover your hair with a plastic shower cap (or plastic bag). Depending on what you prefer, some people sit under a hooded dryer for about 30 minutes or wrap a warm towel around their heads.

I usually leave this on overnight.  To ensure that I do not soak my pillow and bed with all that oil, I put on a cotton headband around the edges of the showercap so that if some oil comes through the cotton headband will soak it up.

As an extra precaution, I also put a another layer of protection.  Believe me this is necessary too because the oil tends to come through somehow.

Then finally put my satin scarf over this and go to bed.

The next morning I just shampoo and condition as my normal washday and follow with the whipped shea butter or moisturise following the L-O-C method. My hair usually is shiny and really soft and style or stretch to style the next morning. This is also a good way to prepare your hair for a protective style such as braids.

So how do you do your Hot Oil Treatment and which oils do you use? Do you do it at home or do you go to a salon to do it?

(top image credits: Homeremedies)