Macadamia Oil May Be Able To Transform Your Hair In Big Ways

You've heard your parents' stories so often that you know them by heart. "You don't know how lucky you are" to have all this technology at your fingertips, especially smartphones. Back in their day, you called someone on the telephone. If they were home, they answered. If they didn't, you called back later. There was no texting.

If you needed directions before taking a road trip, you retrieved and unfolded a map from your car's glove compartment. If you wanted to reminisce about top motion pictures from your parents' (or great-grandparents') day, you went to the library and hauled a bag of books home. There was no internet. And if you wanted a weather update, you stuck your head out the back door and looked toward the clouds in the sky. There were no weather alerts on your phone, which, by the way, was firmly tethered to a wall.

If you're a patient son or daughter, you listen attentively as though you've never heard these comparisons before. You even (pretend to) understand why your parents can't part with their flip phones. But what you'll never understand, no matter how hard you try, is how women in particular survived the "perm craze" of the '80s without the benefit of macadamia oil. Just as smartphones did, it's macadamia nut oil's turn to make a name for itself (via Farmers' Almanac).

As you might guess, macadamia oil comes from macadamia nuts, which are widely grown in Hawai'i but actually originated in Australia. The oil has become a popular inclusion in skin and face creams and scalp and hair treatments because of one crucial ingredient: palmitoleic acid (via Healthline). This fatty acid has some special qualities that make it highly suitable for treatments that are meant to soften and moisturize: it's light and non-greasy, which means that hair absorbs it quickly and easily. The oil doesn't accumulate or leave a waxy film on the hair. This results in a best-of-both-worlds scenario because the oil nourishes hair without leaving a sticky or build-up behind, Hairfinity says. 

Such praise would have played like music to the ears of women who embraced the "big hair" era of the 1980s but who unwittingly received a bad permanent or two along the way. The worst perms resulted in frizz, dryness, and split ends. Sometimes, bad perms also infused hair with what seemed to be its own energy force so that hair would bend in unintended directions. Of course, you don't need a bad-perm rescue to appreciate the restorative power of macadamia oil. Dry, mildly damaged, or neglected hair can undergo some big transformations, too.

Before you learn exactly what these specific transformations include, it may help to know that macadamia oil enjoys nearly universal praise and carries only one red flag, and it concerns allergies. As Healthline notes, you could experience an allergic reaction to macadamia oil if you're allergic to tree nuts. Otherwise, the oil should be safe "for almost everyone" to use.

Faced with a list of transformations, you might decide that macadamia oil's ability to strengthen hair is its most appealing attribute. Basically, the fatty acids in macadamia oil are the key. Hair follicles absorb these acids and leave stronger, healthier hair behind, Healthline says. But don't confuse "stronger" with "tougher," for macadamia oil is natural at smoothing and moisturizing the hair. And the proof is in how it looks afterward. In fact, macadamia is so effective that hair should feel stronger and look shinier after only one use, Hairfinity says.

The ladies from generations past probably would have appreciated the oil's ability to reduce frizz. Today, many people with curly hair probably can relate, especially if they want to emphasize their curls and tone down or eliminate frizz, Advanced Hair Studio says. The oil's light but non-greasy consistency allows it to triumph over this balancing act and keep the scalp hydrated and healthy at the same time. When you're ready to experience the big ways macadamia oil can transform your hair, consider chronicling the changes with pictures — on your smartphone, of course.