7 Benefits Of Grapeseed Oil For Hair Growth

Grapeseed oil may not be the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of natural conditioning or haircare treatment. But the antioxidant benefits of grape seeds can be put to good use to nourish and protect your hair. Here’s how!

What Is Grapeseed Oil?

As the name suggests, the oil is extracted from the seeds of grapes and is rich in fatty acids and antioxidants. While grape seeds and skin are renowned for their content of flavonoids, grapeseed oil is also rich in antioxidants as well as fatty acids that moisturize your hair.¹ What makes it even more compelling as a haircare product is that it has no strong odor or smell. So there’s no need to hunt for special fragrance-infused versions with chemicals and artificial fragrances that could damage your hair or that you might be sensitive to.

7 Benefits Of Grapeseed Oil For Hair

1. Works As A Perfect All-Weather Conditioner

Unlike coconut oil, grapeseed oil won’t clump in cold weather, creating unsightly lumps that leave your hair feeling gritty and grainy. The gloss you get from using the oil will nourish your hair without leaving you feeling like an oil slick. It is also very light, almost as light as jojoba oil. So no more being weighed down by olive oil, your other go-to alternative.

2. Revitalizes Your Hair

Grapeseed oil is seen as a hair revitalizer in traditional Indian medicine. The cold-pressed oil is rich in oleic acid as well as linoleic acid, fatty acids that help nourish hair.² Linoleic acid is an omega 6 fatty acid that helps stimulate hair growth.³ A tablespoon of the oil contains 9.5 gm of polyunsaturated fatty acids and 2.2 gm of monounsaturated fatty acids of the total 13.5 gm weight. Vitamin E is a natural antioxidant found in grapeseed oil and can help heal your scalp from free radical damage. Just one tablespoon of the oil has as much as 3.9 mg of the vitamin.⁴

3. Regrows Hair Lost Due To Alopecia Areata And Androgenetic Alopecia

Research has shown that grapeseed oil may also help treat hair fall associated with androgenetic alopecia. The procyanidin oligomers in the oil helped with hair regrowth in animal test subjects, suggesting these compounds have potential in inducing hair growth in human subjects too.⁵

If you have alopecia areata, you experience hair loss because your own immune system attacks hair follicles. Research on the condition has also shown that using grapeseed oil as a carrier along with essential oils of rosemary, lavender, thyme, and cedarwood is even more beneficial than using just grapeseed oil on its own.⁶

4. Retains Moisture

The high level of fats in grapeseed oil is good for moisturizing a dry scalp and your hair. Grapeseed oil is often used in cosmetics due to its regenerative abilities, allowing skin to be well protected and moisturized. This same property will help your scalp retain moisture needed to prevent hair from drying out.⁷

5. Slows Aging Of Hair Due To Free Radical Damage

Grapeseed oil’s anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties make it an effective natural remedy to cleanse your hair while nourishing it. Grapeseed oil also contains active leucoanthocyanins.⁸ These compounds have been identified as one of the most potent antioxidants that fight free radical damage in the body. Free radical damage is also one of the factors that may cause your hair to go gray according to research.⁹ By extension, using the oil could help on the premature graying front too, though more research is needed on this front.

6. Fights Dandruff

Light grapeseed oil is a remedy for dandruff as well as seborrheic dermatitis, a condition that leaves your scalp itchy and red from a rash, besides causing skin to become scaly and flake.¹⁰

7. Soothes An Inflamed Scalp

The oil is rich in polyphenols as well as fatty acids and active leucoanthocyanins in the oil may play a role in wound healing as well.¹¹This makes it especially good for someone with a sore, inflamed scalp.

How To Use Grapeseed Oil For Hair Treatments

To make the most of its nourishing properties, use grapeseed oil on its own or blended with other hair oils of your choice. A hot oil treatment works well.

About 4 to 6 tablespoons of grapeseed oil can be combined with a tablespoon or two of essential oil blend that can nourish and cleanse your hair. Lavender and tea tree oil are two options you can consider. Apply the blended oil to your scalp using a circular massaging motion for at least two minutes. Next, wrap your head in a clean warm towel for as much as half an hour to allow the oils to be absorbed. Follow this up with a hair wash. You could follow this regimen nightly.¹²

Avoid ingesting too much grapeseed oil so you can avoid its high level of fats, including saturated fat that isn’t good for cardiovascular health. Also keep in mind that much of the fat is omega-6 fatty acids which, when consumed in excess, can cause inflammation in the body and may worsen inflammation-linked hair problems. For topical use, it is generally seen as safe. However, those with allergic conditions may need to first check if they react to the oil before using it extensively.