Confused by oil.

[Naava]

I have been using oils for some time now and have found them to be very helpful. But there is still this one theoretical thing that confuses me.

The question is: Are oils moisturising or do they just seal the moisture in the hair?

[Heidi_234]

Well, it's probably more complicated than that. Oils help the hair keep the moisture in, that's why some people find it works for them to oil their hair dump, but doesn't work at all to oil dry hair. Despite that, oils are like a jigsaw puzzle that fits into your hair (some oils, like coconut oil, penetrate the hair shaft, instead of just coating it), so it does help the hair, makes it soft and manageable, gives slip and prevents dryness induced damage. Otherwise, how would you explain why hot oil treatment work just as well as moisutre treatments?
The end result is all the same, your just hair might feel better with oiling, as it will do with moisture product.
:flower:

[Sydney]

good question. I was wondering this too..

[~GypsyCurls~]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe oils are able to do both: put moisture into the hair, and seal it in too. All the different kinds of oil can act differently than the last, and also results vary from person to person. Some oils will work on wet hair, others only dry hair. For example, coconut does nothing for me on wet hair but works on dry hair. Olive oil works better on hair that's been wetted with water first.

The best thing to do is to experiment! :)

[burns_erin]

A while back I found an interesting article on that. For the life of me I can not find it, but the short of it is, different types of fatty acids, because of their shape and size are more able to penetrate the hair. So while cocnut or grapeseed oil can penetrate, mineral oil can not (I know that one is not natural and obviously different, but I can not remember which natural ones are less able).

[Sydney]

Coconut, olive and avocado are the only oils I know of that actually penetrate the hair shaft due to their molecular structure. Most other oils are not able to penetrate the hair cortex and sit on the outside of the hair shaft. Although they all have their place and are useful in diffferent ways.

This is where I get confused. There is alot of talk about cones being bad...but essentially, aren't oils doing the same job as cones? Coating the hair shaft and locking moisture in and out?

[cowgirllong]

I wonder where Jojoba oil fits in? Does it penetrate dry hair like coconut oil, or is it better on wet hair? You read all the time about how great it is for skin and hair, it makes me curious. I started using it on my dry hair this week, but maybe I should be using it on my wet hair...

[Gumball]

I wonder where Jojoba oil fits in? Does it penetrate dry hair like coconut oil, or is it better on wet hair? You read all the time about how great it is for skin and hair, it makes me curious. I started using it on my dry hair this week, but maybe I should be using it on my wet hair...

Jojoba is like nature's equivalent to sebum. It's more a wax so you aren't going to get much in the way of absorption. It does a great job of sealing in moisture though. That's why a fair amount of people use a little bit on their wet hair. That's also why it can be of some help to dry skin, etc.

[ChloeDharma]

Heidi_234 gave a good explanation.
As has been said the benefits of oils vary depending on the individual oil, the hair itself, how it's used etc.
There is a study though which showed that coconut oil didn't form an actual barrier to water but more acted to slow down the speed which water could enter or leave the hair and in the process kept hydration levels higher than unoiled hair or hair with a mineral oil covering which acted as an actual barrier to moisture penetration. I can't provide the link to the study now as i'm using my b/f's lappy until next week but i'll post it back when i can.

[spidermom]

Cones are similar to oil in that they seal in moisture. They can also seal out moisture. If your hair tends toward dry, you probably don't want to risk sealing out moisture with cones. If it's well moisturized, cones help to keep it that way.

[Sydney]

Thats why I don't understand why alot of people say bad things about cones and about how they lock out moisture and build up on the hair.....when oils do the same thing!!!

[Heidi_234]

Cones suffocate the hair, lock moisture out, mask damage, build up and mostly hard to remove by mild detergent, while oils help the hair from losing moisture (not necessarily lock it in, or locking it out, depends on your hair and the oil) and are easy to wash away in the shower.