Amla Oil is the Stuff

Today I broke my promise to not buy new products and just stick with my regimen but it was definitely worth it. I blogged earlier about my mineral oil-free Alma Oil purchase and was really anxious to try it.

I shampooed my hair with my Optimum Oil Therapy Ultimate Recovery Shampoo, let my hair air dry a bit and then added a generous amount of amla oil from root to tip. My hair was not left with an oily residue, just a really strong, almost sickeningly sweet scent. Amla oil smells like really cheap perfume. I don't really like the scent but I will endure it once a week. I placed a shower cap on my hair and left the oil in my hair for about 4 hours. I then shampooed again and co-washed with the Lusters Pink Conditioner that I also purchased today.

The results: My hair felt amazingly soft and my new growth has been tamed. I give this amla treatment two thumbs up. I will definitely be incorporating this into my regimen. I believe I will swap the amla oil for my weekly coconut and olive oil deep condition. I will start mixing my coconut and olive oils into my conditioners once more.

I am currently airdrying my hair. My new growth is laying down flat so I smoothed my hair back into one and did one braid at the nape of my neck. Amla is definitely going to be a staple product now. I will definitely have to go back to the store and buy all their stock.

Amla oil is from the indian gooseberry plant and has been used for centuries by women in India. It is believed to strengthen hair follicles thereby preventing loss of hair from balding and shedding. It is also believed to increase hair growth. It imparts shine to the hair, makes it soft and silky and can help prevent the hair from becoming brittle and splitting at the ends. Most brands tend to have a mineral oil base which is why I had stopped using Amla. It is good to know that some don't.

This is the brand I purchased: Ana Jolie Amla Oil in a coconut oil base.