Can some oils actually dry your hair out?

[LissaJane]

A couple weeks ago I switched from plain Olive Oil to an Olive Oil + Avocado Oil infusion, at first, I was thrilled with the results; my hair seemed softer and shinier and generally yay, but recently its been feeling drier and doesn't look as shiny or nice. My mom even commented that it was looking "pretty lifeless" and "dry" today.

Now, "maybe this particular oil just doesn't work for your hair" I hear you say, BUT I had originally also switched from regular Olive Oil to this Olive-Avocado Oil mix as a body moisturizer as well and the parts I had applied it to quickly became very dry. So I stopped using it on my skin, assuming that just my skin didn't particularly like it.

I find this strange because Avocado in particular is supposed to be very good for both hair and skin (or so I've read)(I also realize this is avo oil and not the actual fruit, which I also intend on trying but inevitably end up eating instead of applying to my skin/hair due to it's INSANE goodness & tastiness). I understand everybody's body reacts differently and I plan on returning to simple Olive Oil (and I actually intend on trying out coconut oil as soon as I've moved), but I'd be interested to hear your guys' opinions.

[Sooze]

Good question LissaJane. I'd also like to know the answer to this.

I was using EVOO at each wash - at first I had stunning results - healthy looking, shiny hair. Now, I have the same problem as you. It's back to looking dry and lifeless. I switched to coconut oil again and got a little bounce back, then I tried meadowfoam oil and it got a bit better again, but not like it was.

I'd like to go back to EVOO though as it's cheap, and I loved the feeling I got initially.

Wonder if anyone else has had similar problems? :confused:

[Anywhere]

Well, like cones, oil can block out moisture. "drying oils (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=190)" can dry and leave a residue that would block out moisture.. so in theory if you keep adding oil and don't remove it properly it could build up and cause dryness. Not sure about your skin though. :confused: maybe try wetting your skin first so the oil has something to trap in?

[clairenewcastle]

I've had problems with jojoba oil drying my hair out in the past.

The worst offender for me was a combination of jojoba and lavender oil although I've had success with olive oil, I found it the most moisturising of the oils.

[lapushka]

I think Anywhere's right. Try clarifying your hair (+ the length).

[Arya]

I'm trying to figure this out too. It seems to be some combination of getting the 'protein+moisture+sealant for that moisture' balance right. I've seen threads on all three, but it would be a nice thing to see someone who knows write about how to get it right! My hair is blah right now, but I don't know if it's due to the oil I'm using or protein or moisture imbalance..bah! Is there a thread on diagnosing what to do or how to do it?

[ktani]

Anything overused on the hair that coats it can eventually be drying.

Oils are no exception. Drying oils can be harder to remove, a lot harder to remove.

Coconut oil can partially penetrate hair with no heat after 24 hours. Other oils tested against it for that did worse, including olive oil.

So, the more you load on the oil, the more your hair cannot handle. "Crunchy' hair is an oil over conditioner result, not an oil result.

If you do not over oil the hair, moisture vapour can still get through it. If you do over oil the hair very little moisture vapour can get through it.

However, it is not just oils that can do this. The hair can get stiff and feel dry from overusing certain shampoos, conditioners, pomades and other leave-ins.

Every time you coat the hair, you need to think of what else is on it in total.

[ratgirldjh]

Sounds like build up to me... but I'm not sure.

I do know that my skin HATED avocado oil - which amazed me because it loves avocado masks... VCO also dries out my skin... but my hair loves it. Olive oil works good on my hair but I always use too much for some reason.

[Sooze]

Hmmmm. Some very interesting replies. I hadn't thought you could overload oil - at least not in the sense of drying effects - I'd have thought instead of really greasy hair. But, if you use a shampoo with SLS would that not clarify the hair anyway? (Slightly embarrassed to confess I tried SLS free shampoo but didn't really get along too well with it, so returned to my old favourite)

[Fethenwen]

Anything overused on the hair that coats it can eventually be drying.

Oils are no exception. Drying oils can be harder to remove, a lot harder to remove.

Coconut oil can partially penetrate hair with no heat after 24 hours. Other oils tested against it for that did worse, including olive oil.

So, the more you load on the oil, the more your hair cannot handle. "Crunchy' hair is an oil over conditioner result, not an oil result.

If you do not over oil the hair, moisture vapour can still get through it. If you do over oil the hair very little moisture vapour can get through it.

However, it is not just oils that can do this. The hair can get stiff and feel dry from overusing certain shampoos, conditioners, pomades and other leave-ins.

Every time you coat the hair, you need to think of what else is on it in total.
This is so true.

I have had first hand experience with this, and only now learned how to use oils without over doing it.
My rule is to oil heavily only once a week, and clarify once a month or more often, I just use regular shampoo as a clarifier without silicone.
I can use lighter oils like coconut on my ends more often if I use it very lightly.

I never put oil on dry hair, this seems to really prevent crunchiness the best. The same goes for skin, if I use olive oil I put it on moist skin that has just been washed.

[LissaJane]

Whay, some really interesting info has popped up here. I don't think that I over-oil my hair, I use the tiniest amount after a wash to give it a bit of shine and every now and then I do a deep oil treatment (although I may very well be doing too little/too much and not realising :/). I've stopped using the Avo infused oil and gone back to normal Olive Oil and my hair seems fine again (nothing spectacular, but it lacks that dried-out look it's been having recently), I think it must be the avo.
Looking forward to trying out coconut oil when I get the chance. I'm convinced my perfect oil is out there :D

[ktani]

Whay, some really interesting info has popped up here. I don't think that I over-oil my hair, I use the tiniest amount after a wash to give it a bit of shine and every now and then I do a deep oil treatment (although I may very well be doing too little/too much and not realising :/). I've stopped using the Avo infused oil and gone back to normal Olive Oil and my hair seems fine again (nothing spectacular, but it lacks that dried-out look it's been having recently), I think it must be the avo.
Looking forward to trying out coconut oil when I get the chance. I'm convinced my perfect oil is out there :D

It depends on what else is on your hair. Over oiling can be not that much oil over an abundance of other coatings. The hair shaft can be overloaded by many things, not just oils.

The kind of oil and its thickness can affect results too. Some oils are heavier and "stickier" than others.