How do hair oils protect and improve your hair?

Before we go into hair oils, we should first know how our hair works. The medulla forms the central core of the hair which is surrounded by the cortex, a layer of keratin cells. This cortex is surrounded by the cuticle, a layer of overlapping cells that lay flat over one like fish scales but facing downwards. These cuticles protect the cortex of the hair and helps to prevent damage caused by combing, straightening, perming, and dyeing.

Oils help the cuticle in the protection of the cortex and prevent hair breakage by reducing friction and to prevent excess water to get into the hair. These oils create a thin film on the surface and also around the hair. This prevents the cuticles from rising up. They can also prevent the loss of cuticle cells.

Applying oil on a regular basis can help to comb your hair, prevent hair breakage, and the formation of split ends. Increasing the thickness of the oil layer on the fiber surface can increase the hair moisture restoration.

So, which is a really good hair oil to use?

Coconut oil is a good hair oil to use because it has a low molecular weight and a straight linear chain. This helps it to penetrate deeper into the hair shaft.