Green Glow: shine and softness for damaged hair

The question I hear from clients with damaged hair is rarely about strength. It is about how it looks and feels. “Why is my hair so dull?” “Why does it feel like straw?” “It was so shiny before I went blonde.”

Green Glow is my answer to both. It is a light pre-wash hair oil that leaves damaged hair feeling soft and looking shiny after you wash it, and it is one of the products I am proudest of.

Why damaged hair looks dull

Shine is really about light. When the surface of the hair is smooth, light bounces off it evenly, and we see shine. Healthy hair has a smooth outer layer, the cuticle, with a thin natural oily coating on top.

Lightening, repeated colour and heat all rough up that surface and strip away the natural coating. Light then scatters in every direction instead of reflecting back, which is why damaged hair looks flat and matt even when the colour is beautiful. The same roughness is what you feel as dryness and tangles.

A good oil used before washing cushions that rough surface while the shampoo does its work, so the lengths are not left stripped. After washing and conditioning, the hair feels smoother, so it reflects more light and looks shinier, and it feels softer because your fingers glide over it rather than catch.

What it is and who it is for

Hemp Seed Green Glow Hair Oil is a 100ml light hair oil with a fresh rosemary scent. It contains no water, only oils and oil soluble ingredients.

It suits:

• damaged hair that looks dull and feels rough
• bleached, lightened and coloured hair, especially the mid lengths and ends
• heat styled hair that has lost its softness
• fine or normal hair that wants softness and shine without heaviness

If your hair is very dry, thick or curly and you want something richer, the Avocado Pre Wash Hair Treatment is the more intensive choice. You can also use both: Avocado as a weekly treatment, Hemp Seed Green Glow Hair Oil for lighter care in between.

What is inside, and why I chose it

Hemp seed oil. The largest part of the blend. A light plant oil rich in fatty acids that leaves hair feeling soft without feeling greasy.

Argan oil. Softens the lengths and adds shine. It is one of the best known hair oils for good reason, and it works beautifully alongside hemp.

Broccoli seed oil. One of my favourite oils for hair. It gives a lovely slip and shine, and is often used as a plant alternative to silicones for exactly that reason.

Squalane. A light, silky oil that helps the blend spread easily and gives a smooth, polished finish.

Isoamyl laurate. A light emollient that keeps the oil from feeling heavy or greasy. It is a big part of why Hemp Seed Green Glow Hair Oil feels light on the hair rather than sitting heavily on top.

Vitamin E. Protects the oils in the bottle from going off.

Rosemary essential oil. Gives Hemp Seed Green Glow Hair Oil its fresh, green, herbal scent.

What makes it different

Many hair oils that promise shine rely on silicones. They work instantly, but they coat the hair and can build up on porous, damaged lengths over time.

Hemp Seed Green Glow Hair Oil gets its slip and shine from plant oils instead. I chose each one for how it feels: hemp and argan for softness, broccoli seed oil for shine, squalane and isoamyl laurate to keep the whole blend light. On damaged hair, that balance matters. You want softness and shine without the hair looking oily.

How to use it

Hemp Seed Green Glow Hair Oil is a pre-wash oil. It is designed to go on before you shampoo, not after, as it would feel too heavy left in the hair.

1. Apply a small amount to dry hair. Massage it into your scalp, then work it through your lengths, with extra on the ends.
2. Leave it on for a couple of hours.
3. Shampoo and condition as usual.

My tip from the chair: on damaged hair, where you put the oil matters more than how much. Split dry hair into four sections and press the oil into the ends of each section first, where the hair is oldest and most damaged. Then smooth what is left on your palms over the mid lengths, and finish with a gentle scalp massage. Twist your hair into a loose bun while it works. If your hair is fine, start with very little; you can always add more next time.

What it is free from, and why

Green Glow contains no silicones, no mineral oil and no added water.

Silicones and mineral oil are not harmful, but they create shine by coating the hair. I wanted the softness and shine in Hemp Seed Green Glow to come from plant oils that wash out with your shampoo and do not build up on damaged lengths.

Looking after your oil

Store it in a cool, dry place away from sunlight, with the lid closed. Light and heat can make plant oils go off sooner.

Try it

If your hair is damaged and you miss the softness and shine it used to have, Green Glow is where I would start. Use it before you wash, and pair it with the Deep Conditioning Conditioner Bar afterwards for lightened or very dry lengths.

You will find the full ingredients list on the Hemp Seen Green Glow Hair Oil product page. If you are not sure how much to use on your hair, send me a message.

Eliz, colourist and founder of ECBEAUTYLAB