Best Hair Oils To Have In Your Haircare Arsenal

11th April 2024 | By Tamara Corin

Whatever your hair type we are all ultimately striving to get the shiniest hair possible, yet too many of us quickly shy away from using a hair oil as we associate oil with grease, and let’s face it, greasy locks is never a good idea. Here, Anabel Kingsley, Brand President, and Trichologist at Philip Kingsley, explains exactly why the best hair oils are haircare arsenal mainstays no matter what your hair type, style or textures…

Why are hair oils so good for hair?

They have many amazing properties but most commonly people mistake them with being able to hydrate the hair. When hair is dry it has lost moisture in the form of water, and therefore requires a water-based product to rehydrate it. Oils provide great styling properties such as smoothness, shine and slip great for reducing frizz and detangling. Oils have hydrophobic (water-repelling) properties too, which means that they repel water, locking moisture content into the hair. However, oils are not so great for your scalp and should be avoided. The malassezia yeast that cause dandruff, thrive in an oily environment, therefore if you have an inflamed or irritated scalp, adding oil will only exacerbate the problem.

Which hair types suit oils best?

All hair types can benefit from them, for example all hair textures can become dry, frizzy and oily. If your hair is extremely fine or thinning then oils however may feel too heavy, contributing to limp hair – this is because finer hair is often the oiliest hair type to begin with. But just use the smallest drop to still reap the benefits.

Oils have hydrophobic (water-repelling) properties, which means that they repel water, locking moisture content into the hair.

Is there any long-term benefits?

The oils are a great facade for making hair look shiny and healthy while providing smoothness and locking in that moisture content. If you are looking to replace loss moisture content to dry strands a deep conditioning mask is the first place to start as it is dealing with the issue at hand. Try one of these hardworking masks that we rate.

And finally, how do you use a hair oil?

Hair oils should be used to aid styling on wet or dry hair and always remember that less is more. Start small with a single drop, especially if you have fine hair, and then use your palms to evenly distribute the product through your lengths. The teeniest amount will give your hair the most beautiful shine.

 15 best hair oils to smooth strands, tame frizz, and lock in moisture.

For more like this hair oils piece, check out our Beauty section.

The products on this page have been selected by our editorial team, however, The Handbook may make a small commission on some products purchased through affiliate links.


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