Daily oiling & stretching washes - Do they mix?

[millyaulait]

I've been stretching my washes more and more these days, sometimes I manage to go a week without!

I brush my hair with my BBB every day & night, but to combat some dryness and damage I've also started to oil my hair every day too.

Between washes my hair looks pretty gross (but that's okay with me! :laugh:), but I'd love to know if there's actually any benefit to what I'm doing.

Is daily oiling too much, or not really beneficial, when I am stretching my washes out so much?

I mean, when I do get round to CO-washing my hair it dries really soft & silky, but I'm just worried that maybe I'm doing something wrong.

So, those that stretch washes, do you oil often? Do you find it beneficial?

Thank you! :flower:

[spidermom]

I don't oil until the day before I plan to wash my hair. Oil attracts too much lint and dust to my hair, which makes tangling worse.

[millyaulait]

I don't oil until the day before I plan to wash my hair. Oil attracts too much lint and dust to my hair, which makes tangling worse.

Ah, good point!

The BBB takes away all my dustiness & my hair is thankfully very tangle free these days! (Yay) :D

[Gumball]

I go between bouts of doing that regularly and not doing it. I generally wash once a week, and on the occasions I either oil a bit daily or heavily oil one day and leave it in until I wash, the tangling goes down dramatically. My hair is always up so nobody is the wiser to the oiling anyway.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I usually just oil the ends after I wash, normally only need to do that the once. By the time wash day comes around the first 5, 6 inches of hair nearest the scalp are fairly oily from my own scalp oils (eep, TMI), but since I wear it up it isn't noticeable.

However if I was wearing my hair down I would never be able to just wash once a week, it would certainly have to be twice a week. Hope this helps.

[millyaulait]

I go between bouts of doing that regularly and not doing it. I generally wash once a week, and on the occasions I either oil a bit daily or heavily oil one day and leave it in until I wash, the tangling goes down dramatically. My hair is always up so nobody is the wiser to the oiling anyway.

Nobody knows about my oiling either! :hollie:

[millyaulait]

I usually just oil the ends after I wash, normally only need to do that the once. By the time wash day comes around the first 5, 6 inches of hair nearest the scalp are fairly oily from my own scalp oils (eep, TMI), but since I wear it up it isn't noticeable.

However if I was wearing my hair down I would never be able to just wash once a week, it would certainly have to be twice a week. Hope this helps.

Thank you! I keep my hair up as much as possible to hide its severe lack of prettiness! :laugh:

[einna]

I stretch washes to 1-2 times a week, and oil about every other/third day. I usually put a little bit of water in my hair first though, to give it some much needed moisture, and seal it in with the oil. Or I make a spritz out of of water, a carrier oil and a drop of eo, sometimes a little bit of conditioner to. I can use quite a lot, my hair is fluffy and dry and loves to be weighed down. I often put even more oil in the night before washing to protect it..

[jacqueline101]

I do a light daily oiling and monistat. I wear it up so no one is the wisest about my hair.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I normally do a major oil about an hour before I wash my hair. Then let it soak up conditioner, before washing it with diluted shampoo, then more conditioner, rinse and finish up with a white vinegar/water rinse.

[akilina]

Im just jealous and wish I could stretch my washes ONE day, lol.

In the past when I had horrible drying hard water I would stretch a little bit though. I would oil my ends, and not my scalp every other day/every day and no one really noticed. I oiled every single day for a while but felt like it was too much.

If you like it and your hair seems to like it, I say why not?

[Micayla47]

i'm with spidermom. i oil from the ears down the night before i wash. sometimes i use straight oil (jojoba or coconut) and other times i use a spritzer with distilled water, evoo and ginger essential oil.

[Sillage]

I wash my hair 2x a week and I oil very lightly right after I wash it and before I put in my leave in. Sometime I put a little oil on my ends but usually I stick to silicones (Ojon damage reverse oil, or Alterna's Bamboo Kendi dry oil mist).

[longNred]

It seems to work for me. I stretch washes to 1-2/wk, and very lightly oil the ends before I braid for bed. My hair just soaks it up, it's not the least bit oily in the morning.

[melusine963]

I only oil my hair when it feels like it needs it, and then only in small amounts. I only add as much oil as will happily soak into my hair, and not stay on the surface making it stringy.

[Wildcat Diva]

I'm stretching to about once a week. I use nightblooming's panacea on the ends as needed, and gave up oiling too much at all. But I have lots of sebum to brush down to the ends by day four on. It soaks in, then later on I'll brush some down again. Silkiest oil I've used, it's free, readily available, and completely individualized for my hair. When my hair gets too heavy, then I give up and CO wash, usually at about the one week mark at this point.

[Dars]

I oil once a day, a smidge on the ends only. I wash once a week and am happy with my routine. I recently stopped oiling twice a day. I also do not oil on days I wash my hair.

[gthlvrmx]

I prefer to just oil my hair damp and there. I brush my hair out when dry when i can. When my ends seem a bit dry, i rub and put the ends on my roots and wherever it seems oilier and then i brush and redo the ends to roots things and there. So far that new method has helped me out a lot, my ends arent super dry anymore! :D :) they feel better. i just have to remember to do it XD im so lazy about my hair :p
who knew it could be as easy as taking your ends and dunking them in that sweet leftover oil already on your head :D makes sense to me and it WORKS for me.

[10000days]

Stretching washes and oiling are both necessary for keeping my hair nice. I stretch washes when I can (but it's just not possible when I go to the gym a lot). So I always WO the roots but condition the ends. If I've managed to stretch washes then I'll use a mister with aloe vera gel, leave in conditioner and a few drops of coconut oil just on the ends of my hair and seal with EVOO.

[DinaAG]

because of the winter my scalp goes crazy "dandruff" so to control it i have to wash it daily but i only was the scalp with shampoo and my length i co it, normally i wash it 2:3 times a week and i oil my length after washing and the ends almost daily as needed with a mix of evoo and coconut oil

[Lissandria]

I only wash twice a week at most. I will always MO straight after a wash on wet/damp hair then add a little coconut oil on top of it. Then I will top up my hair between washes with coconut oil either before I put my hair up or before bed. So I may oil twice a day some days or every second day. But I always take advantage of moisture from washing and seal that in with the oil and I always heavy oil pre-wash. Always. It works for me because I wear my hair up. If I didn't wear my hair up I wouldn't be able to oil it so much. I find that oiling regularly keeps my hair healthy and my ends fresh my hair just drinks it up.

[Mingle]

I agree with Alkilina; whatever works for you!
I'm reading this and I'm thinking, "how is it possible for all these ladies with lovely hair to oil without making it look like you don't have anything in your hair?!"
I want to oil, but even a teeny drop makes it obvious that I have something in my hair. :'(

[spirals]

I have curly, dry hair and a normal scalp. However, it tends to itch--no flakes though, which is weird--so I have to wash at least twice a week. I threw in an extra one today due to a huge tangle from a scarf I wore yesterday. I just decided starting over with a wash was the best thing to do.
Anyway, my ends are color-damaged, so they need frequent oiling. I often use coconut for that. I mix coconut oil with some gel for a leave-in after washing, too. I think a leave-in of some kind is just necessary for most curly-heads. If my hair looks dull the days I don't wash, I very, very lightly oil--2 to 3 drops for my whole head. I also need to oil before I detangle and brush, as otherwise there is no way a brush will get through my velcro hair. (I am a curly, but I like to brush it into waves sometimes.) So I end up oiling most every non-wash-day.
I also very heavily coconut oil it overnight before a wash when I feel it needs it. My glossing oil is a mix of coconut, almond, jojoba, sunflower, and glycerin.

[MORE]

I wash two times a week and always do a heavy oiling pre-wash. Sometimes I will heavy oil for more than one day, but that depends on whether I am going to be away from the public lol.:) After washes I add one-two drops of oil on damp hair. The day after washing my hair will start to feel dry again. Then I always add one more drop and it usually does the trick. If I add more it won't look presentable until the next day.

But this one thing have I learned about my hair: the oil will always sink in - it's just a matter of time... If I accidentally add too much oil after washing it's always been eaten up by my hair the next morning.:)

But regarding the BBB, I cannot use it without having to wash afterwards.:(

[Lissandria]

I agree with Alkilina; whatever works for you!
I'm reading this and I'm thinking, "how is it possible for all these ladies with lovely hair to oil without making it look like you don't have anything in your hair?!"
I want to oil, but even a teeny drop makes it obvious that I have something in my hair. :'(

It's amazing how different we all are isn't it? :)
I think in regards to oiling hair and hair care in general there are so many factors that come into play- hair texture, scalp/skin types, climate, products used, type of oil, buildup etc. I could go on forever! Being a curly my hair is drier (esp for a fine-hair) and my skin tends to err on the dry side, too. I live in a warm, rather humid climate though- I wonder how my hair would fare in a drier climate?
I love oiling and I can't imagine not oiling- but it doesn't work for everyone. :)

[lunalocks]

I wash twice a week. The longest I can stretch washes is 4 days. I oil after washing and conditioning and before hair is dry, to seal in moisture, and every night before bunning with 2 drops of baby oil on last 10 inches, mostly on ends. I occasionally oil the ends with 1 drop of baby oil in the morning, if am going to wear my hair up. My hair does not look greasy after several hours of being up. It seems to absorb the oil and smooth the hair down.

Sometimes the night before wash day, I will use more than usual oil on most of the length. I may add in neem or jojoba.

[Neecola]

Great question; I've enjoyed reading everyone's answers so far. Like everything else, its probably very individual depending on your hair type, climate, etc.

Since trying to stretch washes, I've cut my oilings down to just the night before I plan to wash. I generally just oil the ends.

[Bambi]

I stretch washes to 1-2 times a week, and oil about every other/third day. I usually put a little bit of water in my hair first though, to give it some much needed moisture, and seal it in with the oil. Or I make a spritz out of of water, a carrier oil and a drop of eo, sometimes a little bit of conditioner to. I can use quite a lot, my hair is fluffy and dry and loves to be weighed down. I often put even more oil in the night before washing to protect it..

What? Is it my hair you're talking about;) :)?

[Madora]

The more oil you put on your hair, the more lint, dust, etc. it attracts. Brushing daily with a pure bbb helps keep your hair clean..but still, the oiling should be kept to a minimum. I never oil, except after shampooing when I use 4 to 5 drops of mineral oil to detangle my hair. My daily brushing keeps my hair lubricated with natural sebum.

[froglet]

I have very dry hair and skin. I wash my hair twice a week, and oil after washes AND on in between nights. I always mist before oiling. I use three oils on the length, monoi, tamanu, followed by argan, and then a tiny bit of castor on my scalp only. Afterwards it does look a little bit lank, but by morning it has all absorbed leaving me with nice hair. I've never had a problem with lint. :shrug:

Earlier today I was trying (and failing) to get a new length shot in my mirror and I accidentally got a pic of the side of my hair. This is day 3 hair, which means it's been oiled twice (the past two nights) previously. I do think my hair is freakishly dry though, so that's probably why it all soaks in.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f102/Belusia/P1150810.jpg