Walnut Oil for Grey Hair | Is It Worth Using or Not?

Whether you’re ready for it or not, it’s impossible to avoid grey hair if you live long enough, and it requires extra care once it happens. So, using walnut oil for grey hair is an excellent way to maintain it, and we’ll teach you why.

What Is Walnut Oil for Grey Hair?

Walnut oil is an effective choice for maintaining grey hair, given that it contains moisturizing properties that’ll help keep your hair supple and soft. In this article, we’ll cover:

• How walnut oil interacts with grey hair
• Ways to apply walnut oil
• Alternative oils for grey hair

Some people assume it’s okay to pay little attention to their grey hair as they did in the past when it had color, but this is a dangerous line of thinking. Grey hair has a high chance of breaking and becoming dry, so read on to learn how walnut oil can help.

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Understanding How Walnut Oil Works on Grey Hair

Walnut oil is a powerful, natural product for managing the dryness and fragility that often comes with grey hair. The information below will help you better understand why grey hair responds so well to it.

Grey Hair Characteristics

Melanin is responsible for giving hair its color. As you grow older, melanin cells begin to dye. When this happens, your hair will transition from grey to silver to white.

Although there are some things you can do to potentially prevent grey hair from setting in early—including consuming walnuts—the truth is that genetics likely play the biggest role.

Once hair turns grey, it takes on the following characteristics:

• Thinner hair strands
• Dry and fragile
• Coarse

Obviously, these aren’t attractive qualities. And given that you came here on your quest to find out if walnut oil is good for grey hair, you’re likely already experiencing them. The good news is that walnut oil can help.

Walnut Oil Properties

Walnuts have unique properties compared to other nuts because of their high linoleic acid, phenolic compounds, and tocopherol compounds. They’re also high in antioxidants and have lots of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

Furthermore, walnut oil contains the following hair-friendly nutrients:

• Biotin
• Copper
• Folic acid
• Potassium
• Vitamins B6 and E

The result is a powerful oil that can offer the moisture and nourishment that grey hair needs. Best of all, this is a relatively lightweight oil, so you won’t have to worry about it feeling too greasy on your head.

Benefits of Using Walnut Oil on Grey Hair

If you or someone you know decides to use walnut oil for grey hair, you’re in for a treat. By using walnut oil on your greys, you’ll benefit in the following ways:

• Deeply moisturized hair
• Strengthens hair
• Promotes cell regeneration
• Encourages hair growth
• Reduces dandruff and an itchy scalp
• Protects scalp from infections via its anti-inflammatory properties

Needless to say, there’s little reason not to try walnut oil on your grey hair. Plus, unlike popular natural moisturizers like coconut oil and shea butter, walnut oil reduces the risk of sitting on top of your hair. 

That said, people with low porosity hair may struggle with walnut oil applications. So, we’ll talk more about tips for applying this oil for maximum results shortly.

How to Apply Walnut Oil to Grey Hair

Have we convinced you to give walnut oil a try? If so, read on to learn about the best ways to apply it.

Walnut Oil for Deep Conditioning

Your grey hair is likely in need of deep conditioning, and walnut oil is an excellent ingredient to use in combination with other natural ingredients to help restore it to being closer to the brilliant and supple state it had before going grey.

You have two options: Purchase an all-natural deep conditioner containing walnut oil or make a homemade walnut oil mask. 

To make a walnut oil mask, mix the following ingredients:

• ⅔ cup of walnut oil
• ½ cup of yogurt

Why the yogurt, you ask? Yogurt contains protein and panthenol, both of which boost hair strength and shine. Once you’ve mixed the yogurt and walnut oil, wet your hair, towel it dry so that it remains damp, and evenly smooth the mixture over your hair.

We recommend passing a wide-toothed comb through your locks to help it spread. Then, let it sit for up to 30 minutes. For an added moisturizing boost, use a blow dryer, as the heat will open the hair cuticles, allowing even more of the mask to enter. 

When you rinse off the mask in the shower, you should immediately feel the difference. There’s no need to use a walnut oil hair mask for your greys every day. Instead, use it whenever your hair begins feeling extra dry.

Walnut Oil Scalp Massage

Dry hair is a recurring issue for all parts of grey hair. But if you feel that your scalp is drier than the rest of your hair, a scalp massage is a great option. It’ll also help to alleviate any dandruff issues you might be experiencing. 

To create the base for your walnut oil scalp massage, mix the following ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of walnut oil
• 8 – 10 drops of essential oil

You’re welcome to choose any kind of essential oil. However, we recommend tea tree oil for dandruff concerns and rosemary oil if you want to spark hair growth.

Then, tilting your head back so that the oil doesn’t run down your face, scoop some up and start gently rubbing the oil into your scalp. As a bonus, massaging your scalp will increase blood circulation, which studies show reduces stress. 

Once you finish with your scalp massage, consider taking any remaining oil and running it through your hair to treat dryness. Then, use a gentle shampoo to remove the walnut oil from your hair.

Walnut Oil for Split Ends

Walnut oil serves two purposes for split ends—to prevent them and conceal them. The good news is that the process is the same whether you’re free of dead ends because you just got a haircut or want to hide the ones you currently have.

Unlike the options above, you don’t have to add anything to walnut oil when treating it for split ends. Instead, brush your hair, then take a dab of the oil in your hands and rub it over the tips of your hair. 

Make sure to account for shorter layers and any framing you have around your face. You don’t want to let a single tip go untouched! Although it’s safe to use walnut oil on all parts of your grey hair, you’ll be using it as a leave-in conditioner.

It’s best to focus on the ends of your hair, although you can work it up towards the middle, especially if you apply too much. And while we’re on that note, the saying “less is more” goes a long way here.

You can always add more walnut oil to your tips if needed, but it’s harder to correct overapplication. Furthermore, if you have low-porosity hair, which means the cuticles are close together, walnut oil will sit on your hair more than someone with medium to high porosity hair.

Eating Walnuts

Given how good walnut oil is for your hair, including walnuts in your diet is worth it. Some people believe that because of walnut’s trace amounts of copper, it might be able to delay how quickly melanin stops its pigment production. 

Of course, that information doesn’t help people who already have a full head of grey hair, and there isn’t yet research to prove this theory. Nevertheless, there’s lots of research on the health benefits of walnuts. 

By incorporating walnuts into your diet, you may lower your total cholesterol, especially the LDL variety that doctors warn about. Furthermore, the omega-3 fatty acids in walnut or walnut oil may lower stress levels when you consume them.

Given that there could be a connection between stress and grey hair eating walnuts or using walnut oil in recipes is yet another potential option for slowing the rate of turning your hair grey if you’re still in the transition phase.

Other Oils Good for Grey Hair

Although walnut oil is excellent for moisturizing grey hair, it’s not the only oil that can keep it soft and supple. So, below are some other oil options that you can rotate with walnut oil to bring some variety to your routine and give your hair other sets of nutrients.

Avocado Oil

Avocado is an excellent choice for grey hair needing deep repair care. Its biotin and vitamin A, B-5, and E content make it an excellent choice for offering strength to brittle, dry hair. 

Peppermint Oil

If you walked away from the salon feeling like they cut your grey hair too short, peppermint oil is an excellent option for stimulating its growth. That’s because peppermint oil helps blood flow to the scalp, encouraging your hair to grow.

Apricot Oil

Apricot oil contains many of the same nutrients as walnut oil, including omega-9, omega-3, and vitamin E. Therefore, if you run out of walnut oil, it serves as an excellent replacement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you still have lingering questions about walnut oil for grey hair? Read on for answers.

So, What Is Walnut Oil for Grey Hair?

Walnut oil is excellent for grey hair, thanks to its rich vitamin, fatty acid, and biotin content. By incorporating a small amount of walnut oil into your hair care routine, you can expect your hair to feel more moisturized and look shinier.