How Sunflower Oil Could Help Your Hair

On a self-care day, some people do facial masks, some give themselves mani/pedis, and others like to pamper their hair with a deep conditioning treatment. But what if there were a way to get all the healing, strengthening, moisturizing, and smoothing of an expensive conditioning treatment from a one-ingredient, natural source you could find on the shelf at your local grocery store? Enter sunflower oil. While you may see it advertised as an ingredient in your favorite potato chips, it turns out it may also be a key addition to your beauty routine for its moisturizing and healing properties. 

Sunflower oil is high in Vitamin E, oleic acid, linoleic acid, and sesamol, all of which are beneficial to the health of your hair in their own ways. Both Vitamin E and sesamol are themselves antioxidants, which help to reduce the oxidative stress your hair is under by "neutralizing free radicals," according to Healthline. And actually, your hair is under a fair amount of stress from the temperature of the outside and inside air (as per Bustle), from pollution, from chemicals and heat used in styling, and other factors. Meanwhile, the two moisturizing acids oleic and linoleic, can help stop hair breakage and moisturize the hair and the scalp, helping with everything from dandruff to frizz (via Healthine). 

Because sunflower oil contains all of these healthful ingredients, it can provide many and varied benefits to your hair health and appearance. The oil's anti-inflammatory properties can help reduce "redness, flaking," itching, and breakouts on the scalp, as per Style Craze, which make it ideal for scalp massages that help stimulate hair growth. Sunflower oil can help prevent hair loss and promote hair growth another way as well: it is naturally rich in nutrients common in sunflower seeds, like iron, niacin, selenium, and calcium, which help protect from hair loss (via Style Craze).

Sunflower oil is also lightweight and non-greasy, so it won't weigh your hair down or make it look dirty when you add it to your hair products or use it on its own to tame frizz and smooth strands. And the benefits aren't only esthetic: sunflower oil is actually able to "penetrate" the hair strand to moisturize it from within, and it also covers each strand with a layer of "film" (that is shiny, not dull or waxy), which helps save it from styling damage or other stressors, according to Style Craze. 

Healthy, pretty hair, all in one bottle! Why not give it a shot?