I was watching the news the other day and saw President Obama and the First Lady in an Irish pub drinking a pint. I was struck by the shine of the First Lady's hair, it gleamed like a mirror and I couldn't take my eyes off it. Her hair looked so healthy and neat. I began to wonder how often Mrs. Obama oils her hair and what kind of oil does she (or her stylist) use. I wonder if she or her stylist applies oil as a finishing touch to only the canopy (top layer) of her hair or does she pre-oil.
According to ancient practices that are still in use in India, the Middle East, North Africa and regions close by, oiling the hair is always done before shampooing rather than after. When I first read about this it didn't make sense to me. It seemed that if the hair is coated with oil then shampoo wouldn't be able to get at the hair strand to clean it or at least make it more difficult to do so. Also, I felt that oiling "dirty" hair was, well, kinda dirty and it didn't make sense to coat the hair with oil only to wash it right out. But on the other hand, it's been around for centuries so something about it must work.
I found this article that explains the benefits of pre-oiling, what kind of oil to use, and how to do it. I pre-oil now on a regular basis and it makes a world of difference in texture, pliability and tangles.
Here is another picture of the First Lady's beautiful hair as it shines in the London sun:
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| Pre-oiling makes hair shiny without being "greasy". |
