For curlies with especially dry or brittle hair that loses its moisture quickly, and particularly for those of us with tighter curl patterns, oil is a key player in maintaining healthy hair. It can be an essential part of your regimen as a sealant or mixed in with deep conditioner when your hair needs that extra bit of TLC. While sebum may have a tough time spreading out over coily and curly hair, using the right oil(s”> for your hair can help your curls to clump for definition, add shine, and most importantly capture that ever-elusive moisture!
One of the best oils that I’ve used on my type 4 hair since the start of my natural hair journey is actually an incredibly heavy, homemade oil blend featuring Wild Growth Hair Oil as the base. A fellow curly friend of mine introduced me to this mixture that she and her family have been using for years, which has yielded amazing results for all of them—and after trying it myself, I absolutely recommend it for kicking dryness to the curb this winter.
Image Source: @naturallycurly of @tyramaeofficial
What is Wild Growth Oil?
You may not find it in every major store that carries curly hair products, but if you peruse the aisles of your local beauty supply store, you’ll more than likely come across Wild Growth Oil on the shelves. Considering it’s ingredients, it’s somewhat of a hidden gem of natural hair products. While I can’t attest to it “growing” my hair, it will definitely aid in length retention.
It features a list of plant-based ingredients and botanicals including: coconut oil, olive oil, jojoba, rice bran, cocoa butter, pomegranate, rose hip, and pumpkin seed oil. There are also a host of extracts and essential oils in the ingredients list like sesame seed and chickpea extracts, peppermint, lavender, frankincense, and others. If your scalp or skin is sensitive to essential oils, make sure you read the full list of ingredients on the back of the bottle!
The Special Oil Blend
To put together this heavy duty oil blend, you’ll need:
- Wild Growth Hair Oil
- Jamaican Black Castor Oil
- Avocado Oil
- Olive Oil
- Tea Tree Oil (for stimulating the scalp”>
Jamaican black castor oil is revered in the natural hair community for being moisturizing and nutrient rich, while avocado oil is stocked with fats that penetrate the hair shaft, and olive oil is full of antioxidants that promote strong hair and a healthy scalp.
Using the original Wild Growth Hair Oil bottle, add equal parts of the jbco, avocado oil, and olive oil to about half of the Wild Growth Hair Oil, and just 3-4 drops of tea tree oil. Shake the bottle well. You should end up with mostly Wild Growth Oil, blended with the other ingredients.
If you want to add/remove an ingredient, try it out. Experiment with different types of oils to suit your individual needs.
How to Use It in Your Routine
Although this mixture can most likely be used as a moisturizing oil due to the amount of moisturizing oils in it, I prefer to use oils as sealants in my daily routine and moisturize using a leave-in.
On damp hair, I apply my leave-in conditioner, styling pomade, and then the oil as usual, focusing on the ends first. For curlies who are prone to build-up I recommend using only a few drops of the oil daily, or even saving it for a hot oil treatment.
Smells and Build-Up
Because of the amount of different oils and extracts in this blend—yes, the smell is definitely strange. But it’s bearable! It smells a bit medicated and musky. If scent is a big deal-breaker for you, try adding a few drops of an oil that smells nice, like mango oil or jasmine.
When using a heavy sealant, it’s best to be on a regular wash routine. My main concern was keeping a clean scalp. On wash day, make sure to focus on your scalp to ensure that the pores are clear of buildup and that the new hair is able to grow.
What oils do you use for sealing and/or cocktailing? Do you use more than one? Let us know about your favorites in the comments.