If you want healthy hair you have to eat healthy foods and drink plenty of fluids.  Stress levels, how much sleep you are getting and even the shower water quality in your home can affect your hair health.  One of the biggest factors that you can’t change is genetics.  If your family has had thin hair or hair loss historically there is no magic spell that can change that aspect of mother nature. 

But there are many things you can do to improve your hair health.  The most important of which is cessation of chemical processes, hair dyes and bleach since harsh chemicals can wreak havoc on your hair’s health.   The worst culprits are the hair dyes that lift color or bleach your hair.  Adding color with a gentle gray hair covering shampoo or henna will do less damage to hair than bleaching up to a much lighter base color.  Avoid coloring hair.  If you must cover grey, be sure to staywithin a few shades of your natural color and use a gentle color adding treatment only.

Heat styling treatments such as blow drying, curling and straightening could also be drying your hair out, making it brittle and breaking it.  Certain hair tools such as brushes with harsh bristles or combing hair when tangled can rip your hair and cause unnecessary breakage.  In certain cases a blow dry or flat iron can help tame unruly hair and make it easier to manage however you don’t want to hurt your hair in the process.  Make sure to condition and use a gentle hair detangler on hair.  Gently finger separate matted strands to avoid breakage.  Don’t break your hair while styling it.

Factors you can’t conrol are genetics.  Factors you can control are tools, products, chemicals and treatments you are using.  If your hair is breaking the first thing to do is to stop using harsh hair dye or chemical processes.  Secondly, there could be health factors at play such as stress, bad circulation, hormone levels that are off, or thyroid problems.  Correcting underlying health problems will help your hair become healthy and vibrant again. 

If you have sensitive skin and hair there are certain ingredients in harsh shampoo products that could be drying your hair out.   Shampoos with mineral oils, oleyl betaine, sodium lauryl sulfate, laureth sulfate, or propylene glycol can all cause dandruff, dry skin, clogged pores and hair that suffers.   If you do have sensitive skin and hair you might want to consider using hair products that contain essential oils.  Try the AromaSilk line of hair care products by Young Living for all natural hair care using essential oils.  Listed below are essential oils known to be beneficial to certain types of hair.

For normal hair look for hair care products that have lavender, rosemary, lemon, geranium, cedarwood, tyhme and clary sage essential oils.  Base oils that you can use more of or include in deep conditioning treatments are jojoba, almond or borage.

For dry dull hair with split ends try lavender, rosemary, sandalwood, and geranium oil.  Base oils for dry hair include almond, sesame, jojoba, borage, cocoa butter and avocado.  Look for organic hair shampoo and conditioner treatments with these ingredients.  If you have dry hair it can help to stretch out the period of time before you re-wash hair for several days.  Washing very dry hair every single day can be too hard on it and does not allow natural oils to build up.

For oily hair the essential oils to look for are lavender, rosemary, lemon, peppermint, and cypress.  Carrier oils would include sesame, jojoba and borage.  Be careful to cleanse out shampoo and prevent residue from building up on this type of hair.   Excess product should be avoided with oily hair so that your hair does not look greasy or become weighed down.  To reinvigorate your hair and remove buildup, cleansing shampoo with ingredients such as lemon, rosemary, cedarwood and peppermint oils work best.  The best essential oil for treating a problems with dandruff is tea tree oil, also known as Malaleucca alternifolia.  Organic dandruff shampoos typically contain tea tree oil and others such as rosemary, lemon, lavender, cedarwood, thyme, basil, cypress and sage. 

If you are feeling gutsy you can make your way into a specialty store that sells essential oils.  They will help you concoct the perfect magic hair elixir to restore your hair to a soft, silky and healthy state.  Such stores specializing in essential oils will often have recipes for hair health, pre-mixed shampoos and conditioners that are loaded with essential oils, as well as knowledge of what carrier oils to use as a base and what essential oils to add for specific hair types.  A visit to the essential oil store will help you to focus on your hair’s health.   Relax in a soothing bath and deep condition your hair at home with your essential oil shampoo and conditioner on your day off.  Your hair will love you for it.  Beautiful tresses are essential for the diva witch goddess.  Don’t be afraid to make a big deal out of your hair!