Because of the oil's moisturizing, softening and protective properties for hair and skin, especially oil for hair, has become a necessary hair care product for many. But, not all oils are equally good for all types of hair.
Keep reading to learn the benefits of using an oil for hair and to find out which oil is the best oil for your hair type. Plus, we’ll tell you how to use hair oil!
Index
Why Use a Hair Oil?
So, why use an oil for hair? Unlike our skin, our hair has no way to keep itself moisturized. That’s why our hair follicles produce sebum, a natural oil meant to travel down the hair shaft and keep hair healthy and hydrated.
Unfortunately, this natural process doesn’t always work the way nature intended! With modern styling and coloring techniques, our natural sebum often just isn’t enough to keep our hair moisturized. That’s where oil comes in. A good hair oil supplements your natural sebum, providing the protection and moisture that your hair craves.
Did you know that clinical trials shows that coconut oil and olive oil can resists up to 30% of UV rays?
With a history dating back hundreds of years, the use of oils is nothing new; however, our knowledge about oils is expanding. We have become much wiser about the various effects oils can have on a variety of aspects of life. Due to the moisturizing and protective effect that oil can have on hair and skin, it is highly suitable for softening and nourishing hair and scalp.
A good hair oil can be used in a variety of ways, depending on hair type and needs. It might be a good idea to test different hair oils or specifically focus on one that suits your needs and hair type, since there are many different types available. Some are best for fine hair, while other oils are better for curls or dry hair. (more on that later).
To get an overview of types of oils, we have divided them into two categories:
Vegetable Oils
Vegetable oils, also known as fatty oils, base oils or carrier oils, are typically derived from nuts, seeds, berries, flowers or leaves. Vegetable oils are greasier and oilier than essential oils and they don’t evaporate like essential oils do. The function of the oils in seeds is to protect the seed while it’s still part of the plant.
Essential Oils
Essential oils are extracted from various plant parts, including flowers, trees, grasses, leaves and roots. They can be extracted from leaves, berries, resin, cones, firewood, needles, rhizomes, fruits and shells as well as other parts of the plant. Note, that not all plants produce essential oils.
In fact, essential oils are used as part of a plant's survival mechanism. For example, their strong aroma may signal to pollinators that they have pollen ready to be harvested, or they may warn predators to stay away. Essential oils are extremely concentrated and very powerful. Direct application can cause skin irritation and can even burn your skin or cause allergies. So for optical use, it is important to dilute the oil or mix it with a base oil and be sure not to use too much.
5 Benefits of Using Oil for Hair:
- Oil Strengthens Your Hair: Oil increases the elasticity of hair, which means that it’s less prone to breakage.
- A Good Hair Oil Protects Your Hair from Heat Damage: By coating each hair strand with a protective layer of oil, oils may help to defend your hair against heat damage.
- Oil for Hair Hydrates and Prevents Frizz: Oils that are rich in fatty acids and vitamin E actually create a barrier that prevents your strands from losing precious moisture. This barrier also prevents humidity from entering the hair shaft, keeping frizz at bay.
- Oils May Promote Hair Growth: Since oils hydrate and strengthen the hair shaft, they prevent hair breakage, which may make your hair appear to grow more quickly.
- Oils Are Naturally UV Protective: Plant phenols found in botanical oils have the natural ability to prevent and even reverse the harmful effects of UV radiation on the skin and hair. In fact, some plant oils provide 30% more protection than your bare skin or hair.
What is the Best Oil for Hair?
Not all oils are good for hair, however. Whether or not an oil is good for your hair depends on your hair type and the benefits you’re looking for. Keep reading for our recommendations on the best oil for hair!
Best Oil for Hair: Curls
Coconut oil is an excellent choice for curls. Why? Because unlike many other types of oils for hair, coconut oil has a small molecular size that absorbs easily into the hair strand. This provides curls with moisture without weighing them down. Avocado oil has a similar effect. I recommend choosing a silicone-free hair oil if you have curly hair to provide maximum hydration without build-up.
Best Oil for Hair: Extra Shine
Lightweight carrier oils like jojoba oil and carrot oil are perfect to add a little extra sheen to your locks. To add shine, just rub a very small amount of oil over dry, styled hair. Be careful not to overdo it! Too much oil can leave your hair looking greasy instead of glossy.
Best Oil for Hair: Prevent Split Ends
Coconut oil is also an excellent option for preventing split ends. To use, warm up a small amount of coconut oil in your hands, then apply to your ends. For best results, apply coconut oil to your hair before bed, then style your hair in a protective hairstyle to prevent split ends from forming overnight.
Best Oil for Hair: Combat Frizz or Dryness
If you have dry or damaged hair, try argan oil. This Moroccan oil is rich in fatty acids and vitamin E that provide much-needed moisture to parched locks. That’s why it’s our pick for the best oil for hair that’s dry or damaged!
Best Oil for Hair: Fine Hair
Lightweight oils like apricot kernel oil can add shine and moisture to fine hair without weighing it down. Just be careful to avoid your roots during application, since too much oil near the scalp can make fine hair look greasy and flat. A great alternative to avoid a greasy feeling is to use a leave-in conditioner mist instead of a hair oil. My favorite is Split Fix™ Leave-in Conditioner.
Best Oil for Hair: Hair Growth
Peppermint oil can help to promote hair growth by stimulating circulation on the scalp. This increase in blood flow helps to deliver needed nutrients to the hair follicles, thus helping hair to grow. Thus, peppermint oil is the best oil for hair in need of growth support.
Of course, applying peppermint oil directly to the scalp could mean oily-looking hair, especially for those with fine or thinning hair. The solution? Grow Perfect™ Thickening Spray. This growth-promoting product contains peppermint oil to stimulate scalp circulation. The formula also promotes volume at the roots, instantly creating the appearance of thicker hair. Additionally, this product is awesome for soothing and moisturizing a dry and inflamed scalp, which can be another cause of hair thinning.
Best Oil for Hair: UV Protection
Out of all oils for hair, sunflower oil, olive oil and coconut oil are some of the best oils if you want sun protection for hair.
Best Oil for Hair Overall
That’s a lot to remember! What about an all-in-one oil? We’ve got you. Our two picks for the best oil for hair overall are Split Fix™ Hair Oil and Moisture Hero™ Hair Oil. Now what is the difference?
The multipurpose Split Fix™ Hair Oil combines organic sunflower oil, organic argan oil, organic coconut oil and organic apricot kernel oil for multiple effects, including deep hydration, natural heat protection, and added shine and manageability. Apply to wet hair to help with detangling and for protection against heat styling, or apply to dry hair for UV and pollution defense and extra sheen.
Moisture Hero™ Hair Oil is a 100% natural, ultra-hydrating hair oil formulated with six nutrient-rich oils from sunflower seeds, coconuts, jojoba seeds, avocados, sweet almonds, and rosehip seeds. This oil is perfect for very dry, coarse and curly hair, as it effectively reduces frizz, hydrates, nourishes, softens, and locks in moisture without creating a greasy feeling. It can be used several ways in either dry or damp hair depending on your needs.
How to Use Hair Oil: The Basics
Now that you know which oil is right for your hair type, here’s how to use it.
How to Use Hair Oil as a Moisturizing Treatment
The easiest way to use an oil for hair is as a moisturizing treatment. Before stepping into the shower, apply your favorite oil to your hair, then tie up your hair using a Hair Ring. The heat and steam from the shower will open up your hair cuticle, allowing the oil to deeply penetrate and moisturize the hair shaft. After five minutes of steaming, wash your hair with shampoo and conditioner as usual.
How to Use Hair Oil to Detangle & Protect From Heat
A good hair oil can also aid in detangling and protecting hair before using heat tools. Just apply a light sheen of oil to wet hair, then gently work through knots with a Wet Brush.
You can also apply a heat-protecting oil like Split Fix™ Hair Oil to wet hair before blow drying to mitigate some of the damage caused by hot tools.
How to Use Hair Oil to Combat Frizz & Protect Hair from UV & Pollution
To protect against damage from UV rays and pollution, apply a small amount of Sun Defense Hair Mist over dry hair. The secret lies in the ingredient, Phytessence™ French Oak Extract, an antioxidant-rich compound that acts as a natural UV filter plus other plant-based moisturizing ingredients.
Want to DIY? To make your own hair protection spray, mix 1 tablespoon each of your favorite oils such as olive oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil and shea butter with ½ cup of water and spray on hair whenever you need some UV protection.
How to Use Hair Oil: Common Mistakes to Avoid
Watch out for these common errors when applying oil to your hair!
How to Use Hair Oil Mistake #1: Applying Oil Too Close to Your Roots & Scalp
If you have fine or straight hair, applying oil too close to your roots can leave your hair looking lank and lifeless. Why? Because your scalp produces a natural oil called sebum. Since your roots are close to your scalp, they’re already well-moisturized with sebum. Adding any oil on top will just weigh down your hair. Plus, applying oil to your scalp can clog pores, leading to breakouts and even hair loss.
The only exception, of course, is using a good hair oil product that’s specifically formulated for use on the scalp and roots like our Grow Perfect™ Thickening Spray, which contains growth-promoting peppermint oil.
How to Use Hair Oil Mistake #2: Using Too Much Oil
When it comes to oil, there can definitely be too much of a good thing! So it’s important to start small. Remember, you can always add more! We recommend starting with a pea-size amount of good hair oil. Then, if your hair still feels dry, add a little bit more.
How to Use Hair Oil Mistake #3: Using the Wrong Type of Oil
Using the wrong oil on your hair can also lead to less-than-optimal results. For example, if you use dry oil on dry hair, your hair won’t feel soft and moisturized. Likewise, if you use a heavy oil on fine hair, your hair will look greasy and flat. Check our list above for the best oil for hair!
Coconut oil is one of the most moisturizing oils for hair. It works on all hair types and helps to restore the moisture balance of hair.
4 Tips to Maximise the Benefits of a Good Hair Oil
Now that you know all the benefits of a good hair oil and how to use an oil, here are a few tips to help you maximise your results:
Tip #1: Detox Regularly
While oils can help to moisturize and protect your hair, they can also leave an unwanted residue that weighs hair down. Remove buildup from oils with our Scalp Delight™ Detox Scrub. This scalp scrub gently buffs away buildup from dead skin cells, oils, and hair products to encourage softer, bouncier hair. We recommend using this product once per week, or whenever your hair feels like it needs a refresh.
Tip #2: Protein Treatment
If you’re using a good hair oil to revive damaged hair, you should also consider adding a protein treatment to your routine. Why? Because damaged hair craves both moisture and protein. We recommend using our Protein Repair™ Hair Mask, which utilises hydrolyzed vegetable proteins to rebuild damaged areas of the hair shaft. For best results, use one to three times per month.
Tip #3: Nourish from Within
Of course, your hair follicles can’t grow healthy, shiny hair without adequate nutrition! That’s why it’s so important to make sure that you’re getting all the necessary nutrients for healthy hair growth. We recommend taking Hair Formula Gummies for Women or Tablets, which are loaded with hair-healthy vitamins and minerals like biotin, selenium, vitamin C, and Zinc. Plus, the chewable gummy-formula is sugar-free and they taste delicious, so it’s easy to remember to take them everyday!
Tip #4: Use Tools That Prevent Breakage
If your goal is hair growth, it’s also super important to remember to baby your hair in order to prevent breakage. After all, it won’t matter how quickly your hair is growing if it just breaks off when you style it!
The key to preventing breakage is to invest in special tools that provide your hair with a little extra TLC. First we recommend our Wet Brush, which uses soft silicone bristles to detangle hair without snapping any strands.
Then we recommend our Hair Rings, which are specially designed to pull back hair without all the breakage from a typical hair tie.
Now that you know all the benefits of using oil in your hair, I'm sure you'll want to try a hair oil. Just make sure to choose one that works best for your hairtype and you'll be long on the way towards healthier hair.
