We see hair oil as a bit of a miracle product and it's definitely not something you should gloss over when it comes to your hair care routine. Oiling your hair comes with a whole host of benefits for maintaining your hair health, including hydrating and nourishing your hair, preventing frizz or dandruff and adding softness and shine to your locks. But the question on your lips is how to use hair oil? Hair oil can be used in many different ways, from treatments to adding the finishing touches to your hair style. Let’s get into it!
Should you use hair oil?
As we mentioned above, there’s lots of different benefits to using hair oils and there’s also lots of different ways to add them to your hair care routine. An inclusive product, we recommend figuring out any areas that you might want to work on when it comes to your hair health and then choosing the best oil to level things up. If you suffer from a dry scalp or dandruff, if you have frizzy or dehydrated hair that could do with a moisture boost, if you’re looking for a product that will add some slip to your hair when detangling, if you want to give your hair some extra nutrients or if you’re looking for a product to add shine to your hair as the final step to your routine, you should definitely give hair oil a go. If you don’t have a specific issue you’re looking to solve when it comes to your locks, adding an oil to your routine is never a bad idea - it can definitely support your existing hair care routine and leave your hair feeling and looking its healthy best!
How to use hair oil
There are many ways hair oils can be used to leave your hair feeling swish-worthy - you won’t want to put it down once you get started - but here’s some of the ways we like to use it:
After a hair wash
Fresh out of the shower, your squeaky clean hair would love to drink up some oil. Not only will it help any detangling that you need to do, it also acts as a heat protectant for any heat styling you may go on to do.
1. Complete your usual wash day routine
2. Towel dry your hair using a microfiber towel or cotton t-shirt (these are gentler on your hair than a regular towel)
3. Pour a small amount of your chosen hair oil onto your hands and spread through your palms. We recommend about a 5p coin-sized amount, but add more if you have thicker or longer hair
4. Starting from the ends, gently massage the oil into your hair and work up until the mid-lengths. Avoid the roots as this can make your hair appear greasy!
5. Gently brush the oil through the hair (preferably using our Wet Detangler of course!)
6. Either leave your hair to dry naturally or continue with the rest of your routine
Straight onto dry hair
If you’ve got some frizz you need to tame or you want to add some shine to your finished styled look, add a drop of oil to dry hair and watch it glow.
1. Style your hair to your desired look
2. Pour a 5p coin-sized amount (or more, up to you!) into your hands and warm up the oil by rubbing it in between your palms
3. Gently smooth the hair oil from the midst of your hair to the ends, avoiding the roots (unless you’re going for a slick up-do)
4. Let the oil sink in and work its magic!
Before shampooing
Using hair oil as a pre-shampoo treatment can protect your hair from damage when shampooing. When you let the oil soak into your hair shaft, it seals the fragile inner layer, meaning it is less likely to get water-logged or damaged. We love to see it!
1. Add oil to your hands and slather it all over your hair
2. Use a good detangling brush (we recommend The Original) and pull the oil through the hair
3. Leave it in your hair for 4-6 hours before shampooing, or sleep with the oil in your hair overnight
4. Wrap a towel around your head or wear a shower cap (this retains the heat, meaning the oil can penetrate deeper into your strands)
5. Wash out thoroughly with shampoo
6. Complete the rest of your hair care routine
Apply to damp her to define your curls
All curly girls know frizz is often a byproduct of having a beautiful head of curls, but using oils can help reduce frizz and define those curls of yours.
1. Complete your usual wash day routine
2. Towel dry your hair using a microfiber towel or cotton t-shirt
3. Pour a small amount of your chosen hair oil onto your hands and spread through your palms.
4. Gently smooth the hair oil from the mids of your hair to the ends, avoiding the roots
5. Work the oil into your hair using a scrunching motion
6. Complete the rest of the steps in your hair routine and watch those curls thrive!
Mistakes to avoid with Hair Oil
Now we’ve talked you through all the do’s of using hair oil, it’s important to quickly have a look at some of the don’ts.
Limit the amount of hair oil you use
If you use too much oil, it can be harder to wash out and if you don’t wash it all out, it can build up on your scalp. We like our scalp to be able to breathe still!
Don’t massage too aggressively
While you're oiling your hair, adding a scalp massage into the mix is a good move, but gently does it! Massaging too hard can cause damage to your hair, as the hair is open to breakage when oiled.
Don’t comb too soon after applying the oil
While it’s good to draw the oil through the lengths of your hair, making sure each strand is getting attention, let the oil sink into your hair for a few moments before combing to avoid any damage.
Don’t tie your hair up
Pulling your hair into a tight or restricting style can cause damage while it’s oiled up. If you want to keep it out of your face while you’re allowing the hair to soak up the oily goodness, go for a low ponytail or loose braid.
Don’t wash it out too soon
Your hair needs time to absorb all the nutrients from the oil, so leave it on for at least 4 hours if you can. Sleeping in it works like a dream!
Conclusion
From figuring out whether you’d benefit from adding a hair oil to your routine (spoiler alert: everyone can), to finding the method that best suits you, your hair type and routine, you should now be confident in how to use hair oil and the type of results you can look forward to. Shine on!
