But the most important thing is that you're protecting your scalp from the harsh weather, which will in turn prevent your scalp and roots from drying out.
Just the other day I went to a health food store (Noah's Natural Foods to be exact) during my lunch break to see if I could pick up some natural oils to moisturize my scalp, but before I did that, I checked out Motowngirl to see what kind of oils were good for my hair...me looking through MG gave me the idea of purchasing these oils. While looking through MG, I learned that there are two types of oils that I should be looking for, as well as being watchful of. The first type of oil is Essential Oils and the second is Carrier Oils:
According to Wikipedia, an Essential oil is an
" 'oil of' the plant from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove. An oil is "essential" in the sense that it carries a distinctive scent, or essence, of the plant. Essential oils do not as a group need to have any specific chemical properties in common, beyond conveying characteristic fragrances. "
Some examples of these essential oils are Chamomile, Lemongrass, Peppermint, Tea Tree, Sweet Orange, Cedarwood and Jasmine
A Carrier Oil is
"also known as base oil or vegetable oil, is used to dilute essential oils and absolutes before they are applied to the skin in massage and aromatherapy. They are so named because they carry the essential oil onto the skin. Carrier oils do not contain a concentrated aroma, unlike essential oils ,though some, such as olive, have a mild distinctive smell. Neither do they evaporate like essential oils, which are more volatile"
Some examples of these carrier oils are Sweet Almond, Avocado, Jojoba, Coconut, Sesame, Grape Seed, and Papaya
There is a bit of a warning when it comes to using essential oils on the scalp...(from wikipedia)
"Because of their concentrated nature, essential oils generally should not be applied directly to the skin in their undiluted or "neat" form. Some can cause severe irritation or provoke an allergic reaction. Instead, essential oils should be blended with a vegetable-based "carrier" oil (a.k.a., a base, or "fixed" oil) before being applied."
So basically, you can only put an oil like Tea Tree oil into a carrier oil such as Almond Oil. How much? Well as per NappyKitchen,
when you mix your essential and carrier oils, as a general rule, use a one (1) drop essential oil per four (4) tablespoons of carrier oil. You don't want to put too much essential oils on your scalp or skin because it will be too harsh
(I know this first hand when it comes to tea tree oil... although this oil is good for clearing up blemishes, and cleaning piercings such as nose rings, too much can actually dry out and/or burn your skin)
What I didn't know enough about Essential and Carrier oils are the different grades that they are put in. On NK, it says that:
There are Four (4) Grades of Essential Oils:
Pure Essential Oils: This means that the oil was not diluted with a lesser quality essential oil. Be aware, however, that it could be 80% vegetable oil & 20% essential oil and still be labeled '100% Pure.'
Natural Essential Oils: This means that the oil was not altered with vegetable oils, SD Alcohol 40, propylene glycol, or other chemicals.
Complete Essential Oils: This means that the oil was distilled at low heat and low pressure in order to preserve its therapeutic properties. This means that the oil has not been rectified or purified (which means stripped or redistilled). Rectifying and purifying is like reusing a tea bag. It makes more tea, but the quality and potency suffers. This process decreases the essential oil's therapeutic properties.
Genuine, Authentic, or Grade A Essential Oils: These are the best of the best. Great care is taken at every step of the process. Chemicals are never used on the plants. Great care is taking in choosing each plant, time spent in the distillation process, harvesting process, gas chromatograph readings, etc. A gas chromatograph is a chemical analysis instrument used to separate chemicals.
Essential oil is also known as volatile oil and ethereal oil. They may also be referred to as "oil of" the raw plant material from which it was extracted. For example, Oil of Clove.
Do realize that fragrance oils and perfumes are not the same as essential oils.
After reading all of this, I headed to Noah's and bought a bottle of Avocado Oil and Sweet Almond Oil. I also bought myself an essential oil bottle with a dropper so I could easily apply the oils to my hair with the least amount of mess. I mixed the two oils, plus some liquid coconut oil that I have bought previously, then I added 2-3 drops of tea tree oil. I started to use this "concoction" in between washings so I wouldn't have to deal with an itchy scalp. I make sure that I don't put too much partly because of the loc butter I use to maintain my locks (I use either the Carol's Daughter Loc Butter, Oyin Handmade Burnt Sugar Pomade, or Darcy's Botanicals Coconut Capuacu Pomade)...I'm not trying to have an oil-overload all at once. I have started this routine early so the transition wouldn't be so hard once the real cold weather hits.
But as of right now....my hair and scalp feels NICE! Not dry, not itchy...I like where this is going!
On top of that, I've been using Sulfate-Free shampoos when I wash my hair, which I find is working pretty well- my hair (especially around the front) is not breaking as much as it was prior to me using this type of shampoo. Now that more manufacturers are catching on to the sulfate-free business, the shampoos are getting cheaper in price (competition). My favourite shampoos are the Organix in Coconut Milk and Blended Beauty Soy Cream Shampoo.
So I'm on the road to having healthier locks...they are staying with me for a while so I need to continue to give them the tender loving care that they need. As I'm fast approaching my THIRD dreadiversary, I'm excited to see what 2010 will bring, what new styles I will discover, either on youtube, a magazine or the hair salon, but most of all I'm excited for the progress I will be making with them. But in the meantime, I will work to protect these locks by covering them up with a cute hat/toque like that picture posted above while I make my journey out into the cold Toronto winter weather; I will continue to moisturize and condition my hair so they won't over dry and I will definitely have fun doing so. Even though it is hard work, I enjoy every minute of it.
So every one of you, protect your head this winter....keep your scalp moisturized and your hair looking fly!!!
Easy.