What is the best oil for hair?
I love using natural oils on my hair and I can be really heavy-handed with them.The list of oils available is endless but I’ll talk about a few of the ones that I use. I’ll group them into the ones that are easily absorbed by the hair and the ones that are not.
Easily absorbent oils
- Coconut oil: Although this oil is not a protein, it helps the hair retain its protein content. As a result, if you use it regularly, it will make your hair stronger. Excessive use might leave your hair feeling hard. You should also note that your hair might not like coconut oil if it is protein-sensitive.
- Olive oil: This oil is very moisturizing and it’s great as a hot oil or in your deep conditioners. It can also be used as a sealing oil especially if you have really dry hair or live in a dry climate.
- Avocado oil: It also has great moisturizing properties. It also serves as a great carrier oil when mixed with essential oils.
- Argan oil. My main sealing oil.
Ceramide-rich oils
Ceramides are a group of lipids (fatty substances) that are naturally found in hair and skin. They help to ‘repair’ the hair cuticle and hair treated with ceramides show increased strength.
- Hemp seed oil
- Safflower oil
- Sunflower oil
- Wheat germ oil
- Grape seed oil
- Tea tree oil
- Eucalyptus oil
- Peppermint oil
- Rosemary oil
- Lavender oil
Other oils
- Jojoba oil: This oil is the closest to sebum.
- Castor oil: It is believed to aid hair growth. Castor oil is extremely dense so you have to use it lightly or mix it with a lighter oil.
- Palm oil: Found naturally in the tropics and has similar properties to coconut oil.
- Amla oil: Used originally by Indians. Made from the Amalaki fruit and is believed to thicken hair, treat dandruff and reduce hair graying.
As you can see, there are so many great oils and I don’t want to lose out on any so I end up making oil concotions. (I’m a big time product junkie). Right now, I have 3 different types of ‘oil mixes’: one for my scalp, one as a sealing oil and a third for my prepoo.
- My prepoo whipped shea butter-oil mix:
Avocado oil, Castor oil, Coconut oil, Hempseed oilOlive oil, Safflower oil& Shea butter.
- My scalp oil:
Amla oil, Tea tree oil, Castor oil, oregano oil &Jojoba oil. - My sealing oil
mix: Argan oilAvocado oil, Castor oil, Olive oil & Safflower oil.
If you can’t mix oils, there are several mixes available on the market so don’t worry. Anyways, I know I’ve talked about a lot of oils but in my opinion, olive oil is the best. It’s absorbed by the hair, very moisturizing, easy to find in any shop and very good for sealing in your moisturizer. If I were to choose only one, it would be olive oil: you can never go wrong with it! What’s your best oil?
Dr Fomsky
*Updated 28th January 2015*
Related articles
- Back to the basics: prepooing?
- How ceramides benefit the hair (longing4length.blogspot.com)
- Castor Oil Gets a Rave Reader Review (bellasugar.com)
- Definition: Coconut Oil (bellasugar.com)
- Frequently asked questions on castor oil (thesizzlingmommy.com)
- Definition: Safflower Oil (bellasugar.com)
- Definition: Almond Oil (bellasugar.com)
- Do I need to oil my scalp?


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I personally love Argon Oil. It’s very light and will not weigh down your hair. A little goes a long way. I love it best for the shine it give my hair.
I’ve heard great things about Argan oil. I guess it’s pretty similar to Argon oil. I’m a product junkie and I had to resist the strong temptation to add it to my regimen. Maybe I will soon 😛 Thanks for passing by
You have ALL these oils. You have an oil company in your house o! I berra send in my CV.
LOL 😛 I use all these oils cos they all have benefits. Infact, I’m going to start bottling my concotions soon!!
i agree with you. Olive oil is my best too.availability,cost, and the fact that it can serve the purpose of a moisturizer ,sealant, deep conditoner booster and humectant makes it my favourite.
Olive oil is truly the best but sometimes, I experiment with other oils as well because I want the benefits of them all! LOL
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Hello Dr,
I love your blog! 😀
do you use a light protein with the shea butter prepoo mix
or you alternate?
Thanks for the compliments on the blog Bee! I sometimes alternate. I sometimes use them together. Sometimes, I even use just a regular conditioner. It depends on how I feel and what products I might want to use up.