Is olive oil good for your hair?

What does olive oil do for your hair? Can I put it in my hair?

Olive oil is famous for containing unsaturated fats, vitamins A, E, and D, unsaponifiables, phosphatides, and phospholipids which have many beneficial effects on our health. But this extensive list of substances doesn’t explain whether we should start applying olive oil for hair or not. Let’s set the record straight based on scientific evidence and hair experts’ recommendations.

By Marina Pershina Olive Oil Benefits for Hair

– Growth-Boosting

Rumor has it that it’s smart to use olive oil for hair growth. Indeed, oleuropein, a compound contained in olives, is proven to stimulate hair growth at least in mice. Tocotrienols, E-group vitamins, have shown a certain efficiency in increasing the number of hairs grown out. That aside, no other study confirms the oil’s suitability for hair regrowth, so we can not refer to convincing scientific findings here. Nevertheless, all the above-mentioned vitamins along with fatty acids are included in the list of hair essentials – their deficiency is associated with different types of alopecia. So, at the very least, we can recommend olive oil for hair loss prevention, while a bit of nourishment is likely to boost your mane’s growing pace.

– Conditioning

The oil turns out to be even more worthwhile when it comes to making your tresses look healthier. Squalene, a hydrocarbon found in the oil, is widely used as a natural moisturizing agent and emollient. This is a good reason for using olive oil for dry hair to make it softer and stronger. And since the oil is 83% oleic acid, which makes it a monounsaturated oil, we can safely say that it is capable of penetrating the hair shaft to enhance its lubrication. This gives us grounds for recommending olive oil for naturally curly hair prone to dryness and frizz.