Maybe you already use castor oil for your hair, but you’ve heard that lavender oil can be highly effective, too and you’re wondering if you should give it a try.
Castor oil and lavender oil both have healing and soothing properties that help with your scalp and hair health, so it makes sense that you would mix them. But can castor oil and lavender for hair growth really work?
Below, I cover exactly what castor oil and lavender oil are and the benefits of using them on your hair individually. I then talk about whether you should use them on your hair for hair growth. Finally, I describe some different ways you can use castor oil and lavender oil for results.
What Is Lavender Oil?
Lavender oil is derived from the lavender plant through the process of distillation. The resulting oil is highly concentrated and has many wonderful properties. People have been using the oil for centuries for its health benefits — it can clear acne, help with headaches, and make hair healthier and stronger. Besides all that, lavender simply smells amazing!
People have stood by lavender oil for years, and they still do today. That’s because the majority of the people that use it report that their overall mental and physical health is improved.
Those that suffer from stress and anxiety find that their nerves are calmed by the scent of lavender oil. In the same way, lavender works on the nerves to help you sleep better, so it can help with insomnia.
Many people have also found that lavender oil can help soothe minor aches and pains. Rubbing the oil on your joints can help with joint and muscle pain. The oil is easily able to penetrate the skin where it absorbs deep into the muscle where it hurts. It also increases circulation in the area it is applied which can ease pain.
There is even some evidence that lavender oil may be able to ease respiratory ailments like cough, respiratory infections, cough, asthma, and sinus congestion.
What Are The Benefits Of Using Lavender Oil In Your Hair?
Lavender oil is incredibly nourishing and can soothe even the most damaged hair.
It Can Make Hair Stronger
If you have brittle or damaged hair, lavender oil is a great solution. Lavender oil has many moisturizing and nourishing properties that work to condition even the most damaged hair.
By providing your hair with extra hydration, lavender oil rids your hair of dryness and weakness, and prevents it from breaking. This leaves you with hair that is stronger, smoother, and shinier.
It Can Make Hair Healthier
Lavender oil helps your hair become stronger by targeting your roots. Moisture is added at the scalp to not only soothe the skin, but also to balance the pH and ease the symptoms of dandruff.
It is also notable that lavender oil can help increase the strength of hair, therefore likely decreasing your chance of hair loss. The oil works by increasing the circulation in your scalp. When circulation is increased, more blood is brought into your scalp, so your hair follicles have access to more vitamins and nutrients.
The oil also has antibacterial and antifungal properties, which keeps your scalp and hair healthy. These properties can help to eliminate dandruff and keep the condition under control. It can also relieve the irritating symptoms associated with dandruff like itching, and inflammation.
It Prevents & Kills Lice
You shouldn’t use lavender as the sole means of ridding your hair of lice. Still, it can be used as a supplement to ease irritation to your scalp and help get rid of the lice.
More than anything, lavender helps to prevent the presence of lice in the first place. If you regularly use lavender oil in your hair, you’ll be less likely to find yourself burdened with lice.
It Makes Your Hair Smell Nice
Of all the oils used for hair health, lavender oil is one of the most popular, in part due to its aroma. Not only does lavender oil help your hair look and feel better, but it can make it smell nice, too. Of course, smelling nice doesn’t usually offer any health benefits, but who doesn’t want to smell good every day? 🙂
The scent of lavender is one of the exceptions though — the smell of the oil does have health benefits. Not only will lavender make your hair smell good, but the scent can help you to sleep easier. Many people who have trouble sleeping have reported that the aroma of lavender oil helps to relax the body so that you can sleep.
Lavender oil has properties that calms the nervous system, allowing us to better relax. Many people use lavender scented lotions, room sprays, or diffusers to achieve this effect. Why not try lavender oil in your hair, though? It’s a two-for-one deal: your hair becomes healthier while helping you get better sleep.
Because lavender oil is so calming, it doesn’t just help you sleep. It can help with everyday anxiety and stress as well. When you are overwhelmed with feelings of stress or anxiety, your body is more likely to react poorly. This can include thinning or loss of hair. The calming properties of lavender are just another way in which the oil can make your hair stronger.
What Is Castor Oil?
Castor oil is a natural vegetable oil that is derived from the castor bean plant. The oil has been used for centuries to treat things like constipation, wound healing, and hair loss.
Like lavender oil, castor oil has antibacterial and anti-fungal properties that help it to heal your scalp, hair, and skin. It also has wonderful moisturizing properties, easily helping your skin to retain moisture.
To learn more about castor oil and it’s amazing properties, check out this article.
What Are The Benefits Of Using Castor Oil In Your Hair?
The benefits of using castor oil are very similar to that of using lavender oil.
It Helps With The Overall Health Of Your Scalp
Castor oil is also able to help relieve symptoms of dandruff and infection because of its antibacterial and anti-fungal properties.
Castor oil easily penetrates the skin and can pull moisture into the scalp from the surrounding area. This added moisture can eliminate irritation and itchiness in the scalp.
It Strengthens & Repairs Hair
Similarly to lavender oil, castor oil can also restore the health and strength of your hair. It promotes circulation and is rich in vitamins and nutrients, helping your hair to become less brittle and visibly smoother.
To learn more about the health benefits of castor oil, be sure to read this article.
Should You Apply Lavender Oil And Castor Oil For Hair Growth? Does It Work?
Okay, so it’s clear that lavender and castor oil can significantly improve the overall health and look of your hair, but can it really make your hair grow?
Lavender Oil
There is not enough scientific evidence to suggest that lavender oil really promotes hair growth or prevents hair loss.
However, there is significant anecdotal evidence showing that lavender oil will significantly improve the overall health of your hair.
Rather than lavender oil working specifically to promote hair growth, it’s more likely a byproduct of simply having a healthier scalp.
Lavender oil has antibacterial, anti-fungal, and moisturizing properties among many others. All these properties work together to make your hair and scalp healthier. When your hair and scalp are healthier, it is no surprise that you are likely to experience more hair growth, or a decrease in hair loss.
After using lavender oil for a long time, many people notice that their hair grows back thicker, longer, and stronger than it had before.
Castor Oil
Like lavender oil, there haven’t been enough studies conducted to know for sure whether castor oil can really help with hair growth and hair loss.
However, there is also lots of anecdotal evidence suggesting that it likely does. As with lavender, castor oil probably promotes hair growth simply by improving the health of your hair and scalp.
Will They Work Together?
Will your hair become healthier if you combine lavender and castor oil for hair growth? The likely answer is “yes”.
Castor oil and lavender oil both have amazing properties that promote the overall health of your hair and scalp. It’s likely that combining the two will only increase your overall health.
How To Use Castor Oil And Lavender Oil For Hair Growth
There are several different ways in which you can use a lavender and castor oil mixture in your hair. Some are easier to do than others, but some people report better results with the more intensive options. Either way, there is an option for everyone.
Put The Oil In Your Shampoo Or Conditioner
This is by far the easiest option because you don’t even need to change up your haircare routine. Simply add a few drops of lavender and castor oil to your existing shampoo and conditioner. Make sure to thoroughly mix the oils into your product, and then continue using as usual.
Some products will even have these oils already included, so be sure to check the ingredients. If you can find a product with lavender and castor oil included, it makes your job just that much easier.
Massage The Oil Into Your Scalp
Because this method is more concentrated, you are more likely to see more benefits to your hair. However, this process is also slightly more difficult and time-consuming, so I realize it’s not for everyone.
If you want to reap the best benefits from castor and lavender oil, though, try creating a mask that you massage into your scalp. You never want to use lavender and castor oil by itself. They are both very potent oils that can cause irritation to the skin if used in their true forms.
You always want to use these oils with some kind of carrier oil — like
You will massage the mixture into your roots and scalp with your fingers. This not only allows the mixture to thoroughly penetrate your skin and hair follicles, but it will improve your circulation.
You then leave the mixture on your hair for at least an hour before rinsing it out. Some people will leave the mixture on their hair overnight, simply wrapping their hair in a towel or placing it in a shower cap.
Here is a recipe for a great lavender and castor oil mixture:
[mv_create key=”32″ type=”recipe” title=”Castor Oil & Lavender Oil Leave-In” thumbnail=”null”]
You can then apply the mix throughout your hair from roots to ends and massage it into your hair with your fingers. Allow the mix to sit on your hair for at least 1 hour before rinsing with water and shampoo.
This should be done once a week for best results.
Use It As A Serum
If you prefer the shampoo and conditioner method, I suggest that you also use a serum after your shower. Since lavender oil mixed with shampoo or conditioner is more diluted, the serum will add some extra nourishment.
Of course, if you don’t want to mix lavender oil into your shampoo and conditioner, you can always use the serum method alone.
Using a nice lavender and castor oil serum in your hair will keep your hair from developing tangles and frizzes. It will keep your hair smooth and smelling nicely.
Here is a wonderful recipe for a lavender and castor oil serum:
[mv_create key=”33″ type=”recipe” title=”Lavender & Castor Oil Serum” thumbnail=”null”]
You can use a small amount in wet hair — thoroughly spreading it from roots to tips. Make sure to store your serum in a dark and dry place after use.
Conclusion
Although it seems like a castor and lavender oil mixture will help with hair growth, there is not enough evidence to prove that this is true.
What we do know is how much these oils help with the overall health of our hair and scalp. It is very likely, given the healing properties of castor and lavender oil, that your renewed scalp health will lead to better hair growth.
Learn more about using castor oil with rosemary oil on your hair here or with tea tree oil here. You can also find all our guides to using castor oil here or find out if castor oil is good for facial hair here.
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