My hair hates oil!

[martyna_22]

Please, tell me I'm not alone in this. Or am I just different? :confused:
Having heard what kind of miracles oils work for hair, I've been trying to incorporate different oils in my routine for over two years..
At first, there was castor oil. It didn't fully wash out, leaving the hair dull and greasy.
Then, I got my hands on coconut oil. But every time I tried to use it as a pre-wash treatment it left my hair frizzy and lifeless. As a leave-in it, the smallest amount made my hair greasy. And I even got dandruff on my scalp.. So I used another brand. It was the same.
Then came olive oil. It was somewhat better, yet it was quite similar in results to coconut oil.
Flaxseed oil came like a miracle cure.. until I applied it. Ugh.
The same thing happened with avocado oil. And sweet almond oil. And argan oil.. :rolleyes:

I gave up, and it turned out that was what my hair needed. Today, I thought: I still have some sweet almond oil - why not try?
Now I know. Frizz, horible texture, lack of shine. Bleh.
And I've just clarified. So it's not that...

Does anybody share any of my experiences? It seems like my porosity is not a culprit, since I've used oils for every case and none seem to work.
Do you have any alternatives to oils to keep hair healthy? Any advice would be welcome. :o

[Almendra]

There's oils for different type of porosity? I didn't know that. Because I would tell you that your hair is low porosity, but now I'm confused with your commentary. How do you apply your oils?

[meteor]

I know some people who don't seem to need any oil in their hair. Oil makes their hair stringy, frizzy, tangly. But I think they are lucky that they don't need the help of oils! :)
From my experience, people with healthy, unprocessed, virgin, straight hair on the oily side often dislike oils and prefer "volumizing" products. Maybe they need only their own sebum.
And for sure, my virgin hair doesn't need as much oil as my bleached ends.

[martyna_22]

Thanks for your replies, it means much to me :)
Almendra, I tried to apply them as a pre-wash treatment for the night/a few hours/half an hour - each and every way just seemed wrong..
As a leave in both on damp and dry hair, only a little, I'd compare the amount to a pea seed - it instantaneously looked flat..
I also tried it on wet hair, and after a while wash it out - a mistake as well.
As for different oils for high/low porosity - I've heard that flaxseed/avocado and some others are good for low porosity, most are good for medium and for high the ones that are little on the molecular level - like coconut oil or castor oil.

[Almendra]

Thanks for your replies, it means much to me :)
Almendra, I tried to apply them as a pre-wash treatment for the night/a few hours/half an hour - each and every way just seemed wrong..
As a leave in both on damp and dry hair, only a little, I'd compare the amount to a pea seed - it instantaneously looked flat..
I also tried it on wet hair, and after a while wash it out - a mistake as well.
As for different oils for high/low porosity - I've heard that flaxseed/avocado and some others are good for low porosity, most are good for medium and for high the ones that are little on the molecular level - like coconut oil or castor oil.

Good to know, because, I actually suspect that my hair has low porosity, but I'm not sure. Have you tried to put a warm towel in your head while you have the oil in? Or maybe just put the oil in the microwave for 10 seconds? For me, they work much better if they are a little hot (not too much). Is your hair virgin like meteor say?

[martyna_22]

Good to know, because, I actually suspect that my hair has low porosity, but I'm not sure. Have you tried to put a warm towel in your head while you have the oil in? Or maybe just put the oil in the microwave for 10 seconds? For me, they work much better if they are a little hot (not too much). Is your hair virgin like meteor say?

I've tried with the towel and... *sigh*. Nothing seems to work.
And yes, my hair is virgin, not only now, but it's never been dyed. Yet henna seems like a good way :)

[Almendra]

I've tried with the towel and... *sigh*. Nothing seems to work.
And yes, my hair is virgin, not only now, but it's never been dyed. Yet henna seems like a good way :)

I see... maybe she's right... I'm not an expert about oils, but if your hair is in a good condition, maybe you don't need it. What's your rutine? Do you clarify your hair?

[ravenreed]

Not all hair needs the same things. I listen to what my hair needs. If it is extra dry, I oil. Otherwise, I go months without oiling and it is fine. If I use oil too often, my hair starts reacting badly so I usually just leave it alone.

[martyna_22]

I see... maybe she's right... I'm not an expert about oils, but if your hair is in a good condition, maybe you don't need it. What's your rutine? Do you clarify your hair?

I clarify every month or so. I use some light cones in serums, which really help me, but nothing too extreme :)
I CWC with a mild herbal shampoo every other day and some cone-free conditioners, since I just can't go longer between washes. I've tried CO washing, but my scalp doesn't really feel like it. Apart from that, I use a hair mask every week or so, and I'm really gentle with my hair, I mostly keep it up with hairsticks.

ravenreed , thanks, I just hear about oil benefits everywhere and give in to the temptation, though inside I know nothing nice is going to surprise me afterwards..

[heidi w.]

How little bit of oil are you using? Are you using it on your scalp? If yes, you should not. Ever. I did a hair oiling youtube video under google search titled, heidi w. hair oil video. Try listening to that and try again.
And as for Coconut Oil, it should be expeller pressed. I recommend Coconut Oil Spectrum Naturals. Buy the oil under body, intended for use on hair and skin. It doesn't smell like CO. Keep it in the frige and rub a bit under the fingernails, smear it on the palms, and on hair length only.
heidi w.

[heidi w.]

You only need to oil once after a fresh hair wash. That should be about it.
heidi w.

[Sillage]

Not all hair needs the same things.

I agree. I know it's tempting when people keep talking about how great something is and you feel like you're missing out but everyone's hair is different and oils don't suit everyone.

[Pamala513]

My hair hates oil as well. Its gets thin looking, then makes squiggles, lifeless .

[jeanniet]

Oiling isn't the be-all and end-all for healthy hair. If you don't like it and don't need it, why use it? I oil very lightly on occasion, but for the most part my hair doesn't need it so I don't bother.

[excentricat]

My hair doesn't much care for oil either. Sometimes I use a bit on my ends, but we're talking a fingernail scraping on my braid tassel. Any more than that is a greasy mess.

[Madora]

Oiling isn't the be-all and end-all for healthy hair. If you don't like it and don't need it, why use it? I oil very lightly on occasion, but for the most part my hair doesn't need it so I don't bother.

My sentiments exactly. I've never oiled (except one experiment with olive oil) and using a tiny bit of mineral oil for detangling purposes.

I get by perfectly fine with daily brushing (I have a dry scalp). I know many here do oil, but I never could stand the idea of putting oil on my freshly washed hair. Why coat your hair with oil? It only attracts stuff floating around in the air, which makes your hair dirtier faster.

[BlazingHeart]

My hair is at best indifferent to oil. I tried olive oil multiple times when I was younger, and all I ever got was a mess that was hard to wash out, no matter how little I used. When I joined LHC, I bought myself a jar of refined coconut oil, and used just a tiny bit like everyone said to...no real change. I tried a heavier pre-wash treatment once, and it was a pain to wash out, and made no real difference in my hair's condition. A bunch of people on the board have talked about how the unrefined stuff is the 'real' good stuff, so I bought a jar of unrefined coconut oil, and had exactly the same results as with the refined stuff.

My hair is generally in good shape, glossy and strong, so I just shrugged and stopped messing with oil. I started using the coconut oil on my skin, but it made me break out quite badly. I keep thinking I should just give away the remainder for the cost of shipping, since it's doing me no good, and I can't even cook with it because my fiance is so sensitive to the smell of coconut (it makes him retch) that even in things, the coconut oil is intolerable for him. The jar that is refined he's okay with, so I can use that for things like making chocolate pieces that aren't too hard in ice cream, but the "good" coconut oil is just sitting on the shelf.

[jeanniet]

My sentiments exactly. I've never oiled (except one experiment with olive oil) and using a tiny bit of mineral oil for detangling purposes.

I get by perfectly fine with daily brushing (I have a dry scalp). I know many here do oil, but I never could stand the idea of putting oil on my freshly washed hair. Why coat your hair with oil? It only attracts stuff floating around in the air, which makes your hair dirtier faster.

Well, I'm not anti-oil, just kinda "whatever works." I've just found over time that constant oiling isn't necessary for my hair, and as far as I'm concerned, less is more. If I can cut out an extra step, I'm all for it, lol.

[martyna_22]

Thank you all for your replies! I think giving up oiling once and for all is the best thing to do..
heidi w., I'll check it out! Thanks!

[cranberrymoonz]

I'd say it's probably more of a finey thing than a porosity thing. Fine hair is readily saturated with oils. My hair is very low porosity and oils don't work that well for me either.

It may also be how you use them. If you use oil on hair that is lacking moisture, it is likely to make the problem worse, because it does nothing but lay a film of oil around the shaft, keeping moisture out. If you use oil on damp hair, it can help the moisture to stay in. If your hair gets limp from oil, you are probably just using to much of it. The only oil that has worked on my hair is argan oil, a tiny drop on the length, on damp hair after washing. I don't do it anymore, because it's to much of a fuss and I will end up putting oil on dry hair in the end and have terrible hair.

By the way, if you really have dandruff (the yeast caused thing, not flaky scalp), don't use any oil on the scalp! Natural oils contain certain fatty acids that the yeast feeds on.

If oils don't work for you, just don't use them! You're definetely not alone:)

[Long_hair_bear]

My hair is exceedingly picky about oils. I've been given ALOT of oil vetos from my hair. It will only take coconut oil as a prewash. As for leave ins, only the teeniest amount of Nightblooming's TMO or panacea will do. It hates all other oils and leave ins.

[spidermom]

I'd say it's probably more of a finey thing than a porosity thing. Fine hair is readily saturated with oils. My hair is very low porosity and oils don't work that well for me either.

It may also be how you use them. If you use oil on hair that is lacking moisture, it is likely to make the problem worse, because it does nothing but lay a film of oil around the shaft, keeping moisture out. :)

Not entirely accurate. Some oils - like coconut and olive - are absorbed by the hair and replace lost essential fatty acids. My length responds well to an unrefined coconut oil treatment before washing, and it is best removed by letting conditioner soak into the length for awhile during the washing process.

[Paraply]

Have you tried Aloe Vera -gel? (the clear, organic one) Or shea butter? They both work amazingly well with my fine hair type. I mix them with conditioner, leave the mixture to my hair for about one hour and rinse. Result: Super soft ends without the need of oiling!