Hair oiling is one of the most ignored beauty routines by most people. While we still manage to create time for nutrition, fitness, and skincare, we often forget that our scalp needs to be healthy. 

Lack of scalp care can lead to hair breakage, premature hair greying, hair thinning, and loss. If these problems are not treated early, they can lead to permanent hair loss. 

Although oiling your hair isn't the only preventive measure against these conditions, it does provide your hair with the required nutrients it needs to grow healthy. 

Oil has moisturizing, protective, and softening properties for hair, making it necessary to be part of our hair care product. But not all oils are good for all types of hair. 

Have you ever tried oiling your hair? If not, then start today but before you grab any oil, read this article to know the benefits of oiling your hair, is oil good for your hair, and how to oil your hair. 

Grab a hot coffee as we start! 

 

Why Should You Oil Your Hair?

The first question is, why do you have to oil your hair? Contrary to the skin, the hair lacks the capability to produce its own moisturizer. Although the hair follicles often produce a natural oil known as sebum, circulating within hair strands, keeping them hydrated, moisturized, and healthy; this natural technique is never 100% effective! 

Due to the modern hair styling and hair treatment techniques, it's difficult for sebum to produce enough moisturization for our hair. However, when you're using the right hair oil, it will provide your hair with the required sebum needed to keep it healthy and moisturized. 

Using oils on hair has been a thing for hundreds of years, but our awareness of hair oiling is becoming expansive more and more every day. People are getting more informed and now understand that the softening and moisturizing effect of oil on our hairs can never be overestimated. 

Oils help prevent our hair from wear and tear by reducing hygral fatigue, drying, and hair swelling. Oils replace fatty acids with lipids in our hair. Lipids are important in making our hair healthy, thick, and look shiny.

Oils also protect our hair follicles from surfactants by filling the gap between our cuticle cells. They also help in strengthening the hair shaft and preventing hair breakage in some cases.

Are these reasons not enough to make you consider oiling your hair? Well, you've seen little from the benefits of hair oils. Keep on reading! 

Based on your hair type and demands, good hair oil can serve in several ways. It's good to try different hair oils and then settle on the one that best suits your mane since there are different types of hair oils for different needs and different hair types. 

 

What Oil Should You Use?

The type of oil you'll use on your hair depends on its type and needs. Different oils contain different nutrients that strengthen the hair strands in different ways. 

As said earlier, try different oils and choose the one that suits your hair best. Also, make sure you're not allergic to the oil. A good way to check that is by doing a patch test with the oil before applying it wholly. 

Hair oils are divided into two categories, Vegetable, and Essential oils. 

• Essential Oils 

These oils are usually gotten from plant stems, roots, leaves, and grasses. They can also be found in berries, fruits, shells, firewood, and other plant parts. However, not all plants are capable of producing oils. 

Some essential oils play a vital role in the growth and survival of plants. Their strong scent can attract pollinators to come and pollinate plants or warn predators to stay away from plants.

Pure essential oils are very concentrated and strong. When applied directly to the scalp, it can cause irritation or burn. To be on the safer side, it's advisable to dilute the oil with a carrier or base oil. Or mix it with your shampoo or conditioner, and make sure you don't use much of it. 

• Vegetable Oils

These are also known as carrier oils, fatty oils, or base oils. They are mostly found in flowers, nuts, seeds, leaves, and berries. These oils are mixtures of triglycerides and are liquid at room temperature. 

Vegetable oils are oilier and greasy compared to essential oils. They also don't evaporate easily.  When in plants, their function is protecting the seeds; when extracted, they are edible and have a lot of benefits, one of which is promoting the growth of thick, strong hair.

Hairfinity Nourishing Botanical Oil combines the best of these 2 types of oils to create a powerhouse formula that will increase shine and elasticity, and infuse your hair with moisture while reducing breakage up to 95%. Hairfinity Nourishing Botanical Oil takes all the guesswork out of determining which oils are best for your hair. It contains 100% naturally derived ingredients and essential oils, such as:

• Hydrolyzed Collagen
• Grapeseed Oil
• Sweet Almond Oil
• Coconut Oil
• Olive Oil
• Jojoba Oil
• Moringa Oil
• Apricot Oil
• Vitamin E
• Essential Oils (Lavender, Cedar, Cinnamon, Rosemary, Thyme, Peppermint)

 

However, here's a list of some oils suggested by experts:

1. Almond Oil:

Almond oil is present in two forms; the sweet almond, that's regarded as base oil, and the bitter almond, that's regarded as an essential oil.  

This oil is slightly thicker than coconut oil but lightweight than sesame oil. It's good for those having the dry-oily hair type. It is very high in Vitamin B, E, and K. 

Vitamin E is very beneficial in decreasing oxidative stress. A study has shown a 34.5% increase in hair growth in those taking vitamin E supplements daily for eight months.

One of the B vitamins is Biotin (Vitamin B7), that's very popular in treating hair loss and supporting hair growth. However, there's little scientific evidence to prove that biotin supports hair growth in those who aren't suffering from its deficiency. 

How to use it: Warm a tablespoon of the vicious oil and rub it into your scalp. Wash it after a few minutes or leave it overnight, then wash it thoroughly in the morning. 

You can also apply almond oil to your hair after washing it with shampoo to prevent breakage. Rub a few drops of the oil into your palm and squeeze it into your towel-dried hair. Comb the hair and allow it to air dry for a shiny look. 

2. Coconut Oil:

Coconut oil is a popular base oil used as hair oil, especially in South Asia. This edible oil is extracted from the flesh, wick, and milk of the coconut fruit. 

The oil is very rich in Lauric acid that has nourishing properties, especially when soaked deep into the scalp. Coconut oil is easily absorbed into the hair to moisten dry and frizzy hair. 

Lauric acid also has a high affinity for hair proteins which makes it easy to bind to proteins and penetrate the hair shafts. 

The lightweight coconut oil allows it to easily enter the scalp making it one of the best oils for treating damaged and undamaged hair. It can also be used for deep conditioning your hair, and it's suitable for almost all hair types. 

How to use it: It can be used whenever possible. Heat the oil and apply it to your hair. Leave it for about 30 minutes, then wash with your shampoo. This can be done once a week. 

3. Olive Oil:

Olive oil is an edible essential oil that's extracted from pressing olives. It has powerful moisturizing and nourishing effects on the hair. 

It also possesses protective properties that coat the hair strands and protect keratin. When combined with lemon juice, it has powerful exfoliating and dandruff removal properties. 

When used frequently, olive oil can provide your hair with all that conditioner and hair smoothing products will provide. 

Virgin Olive oil protects the hair from heat damage, moisturizes the strands, and gives hair a glossy, shiny and healthy appearance. 

How to use it: The oil can be used weekly on damp or dry hair. Cover your hair with a shower cap after coating it with olive oil. Shampoo your hair after 30 minutes and rinse with warm water. If you're using it for dandruff treatment, mix a few tablespoons of the oil with lemon juice. Rub it into your scalp, then shampoo your hair after 20 minutes. 

4. Sesame Oil:

It is one of the earliest crop-based oils discovered. It is derived from sesame seeds, and it's edible. Sesame oil is also good for your hair as it promotes scalp health and facilitates hair growth. 

The oil is ideal for dry, thin hair, as it reduces frizziness and prevents breakage. It is very rich in vitamin B1, Copper, iron, magnesium, and calcium that deeply nourishes and strengthen hair shafts.  Sesame oil reduces dandruff caused by bacterial and fungal infections. Its occlusive properties help in keeping a clean scalp moisturized. 

Sesame oil can also be used for deep conditioning the hair as it smoothens the hair shaft and moisturizes the scalp. 

How to use it: Warm your sesame oil and apply a few drops of the oil into your palm, then massage it into your hair from the root to the tip. Leave it for 20 minutes, then use an alcohol-free shampoo to wash your hair.  It can also be combined with neem oil 50/50, then massaged into the scalp. 

 

Benefits of Oiling your hair

You don't need to be convinced if oil is good for your hair or not! Here are some of the benefits of oil to your hair; 

• Keeps Your Scalp Hydrated:

Despite being constantly moisturized by the naturally produced sebum, its constant exposure to sunlight and outdoor makes it dehydrated and leads to problems like thinning, breaks, dryness, and hair loss. 

Scalp dehydration can be easily prevented by oiling your hair regularly. Applying a good essential or carrier oil on your hair overnight and washing it in the morning with an alcohol-free shampoo will keep your hair hydrated and moisturized. 

The high amount of vitamins and fatty acids in oils prevents your hair from losing its natural moisture. They also create a barrier that prevents humidity from entering the scalp, reducing the risk of hair frizziness.

• Strengthens Your Hair:

Apart from hydrating and moisture, zing you'd like, air; oils also strengthen your mane. They provide your hair with the essential nutrients and minerals required to make the scalp healthy and enhance the production of healthy and strong hair shafts. 

Oils also increase the elasticity of your hair, making it less prone to excessive shedding and breakage. They may also prevent external damages that make hair fragile and lead to thinning and hair loss. 

• Promotes Hair Growth and Prevent Hair Fall:

One of the main things that make oils good for your hair is promoting hair growth. Massaging an essential or carrier oil helps in increasing blood circulation, which in turn makes hair follicles more viable to produce longer and stronger hair strands. 

Regular scalp massage with oils also ensures your hair is properly nourished and supplied with the essential nutrients. By hydrating and supplying your scalp with nutrients, oils prevent breakage and thinning and make your hair grow quickly. 

Some of the main causes of hair loss include protein deficiency, dehydration, and dry scalp.  You can avoid these problems by simply oiling your hair regularly.  This will provide your hair with the required proteins, keep it hydrated and keep your scalp healthy, preventing hair fall.

• Makes your Hair Look Shiny and Glossy:

Do you want to have long shiny, lustrous hair, but hair problems stop you from achieving it? Regularly oiling your hair will fix those problems and give you a long shiny mane. 

Hair oils provide deep nourishment to the scalp, especially those that easily penetrate, like Coconut oil.  These oils strengthen your hair follicles and facilitate the growth of shiny, lustrous, and glossy hair strands. 

 

Takeaway

That oil is good for your hair is a fact that can't be disputed. But which oil is best for your hair is the commonly asked question. There's no general answer to this. Different oils work for different people depending on the hair type and mode of application. 

However, coconut oil, almond oil, olive oil, and sesame oil are some of the most popular oils used in promoting the growth of healthy hair and preventing hair breakage. Other oils used for hair include Avocado oil, lavender oil, argan oil, lemongrass oil, sunflower oil, and jojoba oil.