Hair growth and hair care oils for 4c hair | Amla oil

In the natural hair world, there are many different products. So many that some very good products get buried beneath the masses. 

But you don‘t need to find all the ‘good products’ buried beneath the masses, do you? 

If the products you are using are working for you, then amen! 

That is what we want at the end of the day. 

But knowledge is knowledge and it does hurt to read a little bit more about...
… well, anything really.

Today we talk about hair oils. 

Hair oils can have many benefits for your hair. From boosting your growth to moisturizing your scalp. You may already be familiar with oils such as coconut oil, EVOO, castor oil, jojoba oil, tea tree oil, etc.  There is a lot of information on the net about these.

 

Ever heard of amla oil?

Of course you have!

If you haven’t though, it is usually a green liquid that has a very pungent smell. 

It looks nothing less than voodoo, and that is why the first time I purchased it, I made at least half a dozen rounds around the cosmetic store. I wondered if anyone was watching and what they would think.

 A very normal looking girl coming to a cosmetic store to buy voodoo. People are mysterious that way! 

Okay. Maybe I’m exaggerating a bit. 

But I was perturbed by the prospect of buying such a bizarre-looking liquid, but I did. I needed an oil to implement into my hair care routine. And at that time, I already hated coconut oil hence why this time I decided to go a bit offbeat. 

But it was all lack of research—the apprehension. 

I did not know a thing about amla oil, except that from the package it seemed to be an oil for Indian hair. Naturally, I wondered if it would work on my afro, and if it did, would I like the results. 

But I wanted offbeat, and amla was as offbeat as I could get as far as oils go in that cosmetic store.

Little did I know that I was in for a surprise, a very pleasant surprise.

Let us get right into it!

Benefits

Amla oil is a natural oil that contains extracts from the Indian gooseberry. It has been used for centuries to promote hair growth.

It amla oil had been around, but I was oblivious to it. I never needed, so I never noticed it. If you want to read more about its history please click here.

 

Indian gooseberry

here are the benefits of amla oil on afro:

Darkens hair without the need for dye

If you have problems with your hair colour fading ever-so-often, amla oil is just for you. Amla oil enhances your natural hair colour almost instantly. After just a few days of using the oil, you will start to see your hair get darker. 

No need for dyes anymore, unless of course what you want is a lighter colour.

Makes hair soft and manageable

Yes, that fluffy afro you wish you could have? …Well, you cannot get that, unfortunately. 

Your texture is your texture. And you need to work with it.

But amla oil can certainly soften your hair IN ACCORDANCE TO YOUR TEXTURE. 

Please do not obsess over trying to get your hair to look like someone else’s. Work with your texture and appreciate it. When you understand your texture, you’ll be able to provide the best care possible for your hair. 

And your hair will reward you by looking its best. 

Adds shine to hair

Along with the enhanced hair colour, amla oil will also add shine to your hair.

Stimulates hair growth 

Amla oil has been used to promote hair growth for centuries.

More benefits include: Treating dandruff and dry scalp, reducing hair loss and Preventing frizz.

Now here is the not-so-ideal part, amla oil has got a very repulsive smell. It makes it not ideal to use as a leave-in. Its scent is can be strong enough to even disturb people around should you be in public.

It’s better to steer away from using it if you have allergies unless you can find a scent-less one. 

This, in my experience, is the only negative thing about the oil.

... well, that and the green voodoo-ish colour.

I do not think this will be informative enough if I do not include how you can implement the oil into your hair care routine. Of course, the simplest answer would be that you should just use it like you use any other oil; your coconut oil or your black Jamaican castor oil, or whichever oil you’ve ever used.

but here are some more ideas:

As a treatment:    

• Apply the oil to your scalp and hair.

• Make sure to apply from the roots to the tips of your hair.

• Cover hair with two plastic caps and let it sit for an hour or overnight.

• Your hair must look shiny and feel soft.

You could also follow these steps as a night-time routine. Be sure to cover your hair with a satin bonnet to avoid staining your pillow.

For deep conditioning

• After shampooing, massage oil into your scalp and hair.

• Cover it with a shower cap and leave it for 15 minutes or more.

• Rinse your hair thoroughly and proceed to your moisturization routine.

For dandruff and itchy scalp

• After washing your hair, Massage the oil into the scalp.

• Rinse out after about 15 minutes.

• Repeat daily.

 

You can certainly use it in more ways than these, these are only suggestions. However, since amla oil has a liquid consistency, it is not very effective as a sealant. You might want to consider other oils for that.

I suppose there is no such thing as perfect, but with all these benefits listed, amla oil does prove it’s versatility and usefulness for natural hair.

It gives the best luxury for hair without breaking the bank.

 That reminds me, we did not speak of the price, did we? 

Well, if you were not impressed by any of the benefits, this ought to do just that. The price will vary, but you will mostly find amla oil between R18 and R30 (per 100ml) at your local cosmetics, pharmacy, or supermarket.

Do I even need to say more?

Have you used amla oil before? If you have, what benefits have you observed? If you haven’t which is your favourite hair oil?