Palm oil is extracted from the flesh or seeds of the fruit of African oil palm. The process of pressing should be performed without the use of temperature and chemical substances because it's the only way to keep all essential nutritional ingredients and precious properties. Natural palm oil is yellow and brown at room temperature wheras after purifying, or refinement, it is a white or yellow solid. The product is used in food industry (production of margarine) and cosmetic industry (production of soaps and care products).
Palm oil plays a pretty big role in body and hair care. It's easy to apply, very quickly absorbed and also really efficient. It has strong moisturizing and restoring properties. It softens and smooths even most frizzy strands and rebuilds split ends. What's more, it moisturizes very damaged and dry hair and scalp. It maintains proper hydration in hair bulbs and follicles and in internal structures of the strands. It works equally well for oily hair - it regulates functioning of sebaceous glands and limits sebum secretion. Palm oil doesn't weigh hair down, leaves no sticky strands or greasy layer on their surface. It protects from: effects of hot temperature (during blow-drying, curling, straightening and permanent wave), salty and chlorinated water, chemical and mechanical damages, drying substances included in some washing and colouring cosmetics. Good performance of the cosmetic is connected with its ingredients: vitamins (A and E) and fatty acids (oleic, linolic, palmitic, stearic and arachidic).
Application of palm oil isn't so difficult. But you must be careful not to smudge your skin, clothes or bedsheets. That's why you can put your hair in a bun or make a tight braid; putting on a foil hat or a towel is also recommended. Usually, palm oil is applied to the entire length of hair and ends; you can rub a small amount into the scalp. After approx one hour, wash your head with a favourite shampoo, preferably without SLS and other damaging and aggresive chemical substances. The applications can be performed twice a week until you can observe satisfying results.
