Almond oil is one of my favorite oils for hair care. It’s also one of the primary oils I use in my daily sealing oil for maintaining a hairstyle after touching up in the morning.
The almond nut can be found on a tree native to the Middle East and South Asia.
Today, Iran, Italy, Spain, Morocco, and the US are the top 5 producers of almonds around the world.
The almond nut starts life inside a thick light green hull. Within the hull is a hard shell, which encloses the almond nut.
I’ve included my best hair sealing oil recipe at the end of this article with my top tips for using it. You can print and keep it on hand for when you’re ready to put together your sealing oil.
Almond nuts can be consumed raw or roasted and is a component of many meals such as cookies, biscuits, curries, and desserts.
Almonds can also be used for making almond milk for consumption as well as for hair care. Read Almond Milk for Healthy Hair.
Almonds contain monounsaturated oleic acid, linoleic acid, and palmitic acid, B vitamins thiamine, riboflavin and niacin, and vitamin E.
It also contains essential minerals – calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc.
Almond oil is extracted from the dried almond nut via cold pressing and is a light yellow color with a pleasant nutty smell.
Almond Hulls
Sweet Almonds and Bitter Almonds
There are two types of almonds – sweet almonds and bitter almonds. They come from different trees.
While bitter almonds contain some benefits, it also possesses poisonous properties and should be used with caution. Bitter almonds also contain less oil than sweet almonds.
Sweet almonds are used to produce the popular almond oil used in hair, health, and beauty and the type this article is going to focus on.
What Are the Benefits of Almond Oil for Hair?
1. Sealing Oil
Almond oil is light and non-greasy. It is easily absorbed and makes an excellent sealing oil for the hair. It’s one of the primary components of my daily sealing oil (recipe below).
2. Almond Oil is Suitable for All Hair Types
Due to its lightness, almond oil doesn’t weigh down the hair making it suitable for all hair types including fine hair.
3. Almond Oil Contains Key Vitamins
Almond oil contains vitamins A, and B vitamins thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin, all key vitamins essential for healthy hair growth.
4. Almond Oil Conditions Hair
Almond oil has a significant amount of vitamin E, vital for hair conditioning, smoothening frizzy hair, and taming flyaways.
If you like pre-poos, you definitely want to include almond oil in the mix (recipe below).
5. Shiny Hair
The vitamin E contained in almond oil promotes a shiny and silky look to your hair. Mixed together with jojoba oil as a pre-poo treatment, the results can be impressive.
Complementary Oils for Almond Oil
A complementary oil is an oil that marries well with another oil and either enhances its properties or elongates its shelf life. The best complimentary oils for almond oil are:-
How to Use Almond Oil for Hair
Almond Oil Pre-poo Recipe for Hair
Ingredients
- 8 – 10 drops of jojoba oil
- 3 tablespoons of sweet almond oil
- 3 tablespoons of grapeseed oil
- 1 egg yolk
Directions
- Mix the jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil, and 1 egg yolk together. Whisk until smooth.
- Apply to the length of your hair, cover with a disposable cap and wait for an hour.
- Wash out with a mild shampoo and deep condition as usual.
- Repeat as necessary.
Almond Oil Sealing Oil Recipe for Hair
Ingredients
- 1 4 oz squeeze cap bottle
- Sweet almond oil
- Castor oil
- Coconut oil
- Grapeseed oil
- 5 drops of vitamin E oil
- 5 drops of lavender essential oil
Directions
- Open the squeeze cap bottle and fill up halfway with coconut oil (50%)
- Add sweet almond oil (25%)
- Add grapeseed oil (12%)
- Add castor oil (12%)
- Add the vitamin E oil and lavender essential oil (1%)
- Close the bottle and shake
Below is a pic of my recent sealing oil mix, which I prepared a few days ago (not sure how I got a few strands of hair in there) :).
I really love this sealing oil recipe. A dash of leave-in conditioner followed by this sealing oil will bring a great bounce back to any style.
Almond Oil for Hair Growth
While excellent for pre-poo treatments and sealing in moisture, sweet almond oil is not an oil I would reach out to when it comes to treating hair loss issues.
Have a look at the hair loss archives for the best natural oils and resources I recommend for treating bald spots, hair shedding, and thinning hair.
Eating Raw or Roasted Almond
You can add raw almonds to your diet. While the roasted, salted and other flavored varieties taste awesome, the best for health and your hair is raw almonds.
A great recommendation for this is Terrasoul Superfoods Raw Organic Almonds.
Terrasoul Superfoods Raw Organic Almonds
Best Almond Oil for Hair
My favorite brands of almond oil are:-
- Life Flo Pure Almond Oil
- Molivera Organics Sweet Almond Oil
- Piping Rock Sweet Almond Oil
- Silk Elements Pure Sweet Almond Oil
Life Flo Pure Almond Oil
Molivera Organics Sweet Almond Oil
Piping Rock Sweet Almond Oil
Silk Elements Pure Sweet Almond Oil
Interested in learning more about natural oils and how to use them for specific purposes to achieve optimal length and health?
Have a look at How to Grow Your Hair Healthy & Long with Natural Oils, a comprehensive guide about natural oils for hair.
Almond Oil for Hair FAQs
Can I Live Almond Oil in My Hair Overnight?
Yes, you can. Almond oil is mild and easily absorbed into the hair. You can use it as a pre-poo, leave it in your hair overnight or even for a few days and wash it out later on.
Is Almond Oil Good for Hair Fall?
Almond oil has loads of nutrients that nourish the hair like magnesium and zinc.
However, for effectiveness when it comes to hair fall, combine it with other oils suitable for the scalp.
You can print a great scalp massage oil recipe for hair fall at 8 Steps for Effective Scalp Massage for Hair Growth.
Do You Put Almond Oil on Wet or Dry Hair?
You can do both. It depends on what you’re trying to do. If it’s a pre-poo, you can apply almond oil to damp hair. If it’s for sealing, you can apply almond to wet hair after your leave-in products.
If you’re just doing a scalp massage, then ideally, you would be applying almond oil to dry hair since you massage the excess oil into your strands afterward.
In How to Grow Your Hair Healthy & Long with Natural Oils, almond oil is featured prominently in the best oils for dry and dull hair chapter.
Is Almond Oil Good for Grey Hair?
Nope. I have better recommendations in the grey hair archives if you’re looking to prevent grey hair with natural oils.
I recommend other oils like mustard seed oil and sesame seed oil for grey hair.
Can I Apply Almond Oil to My Hair Daily?
You can apply almond oil to your hair every day but lightly. Even oils can cause build-up. Just a little bit on your ends is fine.
Do not be heavy-handed if you apply oil to your hair every day. Pay attention to your hair texture while doing this so you’ll know when it’s time to clarify.
Hair Products with Almond Oil
- Silk Elements Pure Oils Tantalizing Twist Cream
- Design Essentials Almond and Avocado Detangling Shampoo
- Design Essentials Almond & Avocado Moisturizing/Detangling Conditioner
- Camille Rose Naturals Almond Jai Twisting Butter
- Hask Mint Almond Thickening Conditioner
- Mielle Mint Almond Oil For Hair (contains soybean oil and peppermint oil as well)
Almond Oil Hair Sealing Oil Recipe
This almond oil hair sealing oil recipe is ideal for moisture retention and locking in moisture for days when used correctly. It's also great for medium density low porosity hair.
Materials
Instructions
- Open up the bottle and measure out the coconut oil about halfway up the bottle (50%).
- Add the almond oil (about 25%).
- Add equal amounts of grapeseed oil and castor oil (about 12% each).
- Add the vitamin E oil and lavender essential oil.
- Close the bottle and shake.
- Use generously as a sealing oil after your leave-in conditioner.
Notes
- You can swap the amounts of coconut oil and almond oil around so coconut oil would be 25% and almond oil would be 50%.
- You can also use this sealing oil as a basic hair styling oil. If you want a hair styling oil that's a bit more concentrated, have a look at Arewa Hair Styling Oil.