Anyone here using oils instead of conditioners?

[rcblinn]

So I've been playing with the idea of ditching my conditioner and using small amounts of coconut oil left in. I go through conditioner so fast (even the cheapies) and it bothers me that I use so much plastic. In the past coconut oil has left me with crunchy ends but I've found out that conditioners build up extremely fast on my hair due to it being low porosity and also having hard water. I have tried mineral oil but unfortunately it left my hair with terrible tangles and dried out nape hair. So what has been everyone's experiences if they've tried oils instead (specifically coconut oil but any type I'm open to) :)

[Madora]

Have you tried diluting your conditioner? I'm not a fan of oil on my hair because it traps every living particle in the universe, which makes the hair dirtier faster. I do use 4 drops of MO in place of conditioner to detangle but that's as "oily" as I get.

[Pierre]

I do. I always have some jojoba in my hair, except when I just hennaed it, and I apply a little every day or two.

[meteor]

I have tried it with some success. It really depends on your hair type and current needs.

Oiling hair post-wash is not the same as conditioning, it feels more like just washing hair and then applying serum/leave-in, so you don't really soak hair in oil the same way you soak hair in conditioner during a typical Shampoo-Conditioner session.

Right now, I'm getting better results with both rinse-off conditioner and some leave-in oil post-wash.

[Chromis]

I do not use conditioner, but I'm not sure I would say that I use oil instead of it, it's just that my routine does not require it. I use shampoo bars and an acid rinse. (Even when I tried briefly going back to "normal" s/c I found I still needed an acid rinse because our water is some of the hardest in Canada!) I also use oils, although I tend to use them in fairly small amounts. I don't find that the oil attracts dirt any faster, but perhaps others just live in dustier places or have more lint from clothing/bedding. I never had any success with leave-in conditioners or serums, they just left my hair weird and clumpy or looking oil-slicked. Oils distribute better for me.

[frejafjord]

I tried doing this for a month or two because my conditioner costs $40. I was using grapeseed oil in my hair after washes. I liked the fluffiness and volume it gave my hair to be free of any buildup whatsoever but by the end of it my ends were soo so dry!! My hair is fine and wavy and the ends are very prone to dryness by the way so it was silly of me to think this. I have alot of damage and split ends from this experimentation period and I regret it.
Another thing to note is that you will not have any slip!! My hair took about 4 days since wash day to regain enough natural moisture to have any slip. Combing, no matter how gentle, ripped my hair alot.

[ErinLeigh]

I do not do it but I have tried it. I had read about oil shampoo and I had recalled it stating coconut oil penetrated hair best on unconditioned hair since the conditioner buildup could block some of the absorption. So I gave it shot. I washed and then applied coconut oil on wet hair. I was super hard for me to detangle. Once it dried though it was just fine. I probably would have had more success mixing the coconut with some avocado oil for more slip. I find I get the best results with coconut oil if I mix with avocado/olive/argan or emu. Keeps the crunchy feeling away.

Can you update this thread once you try it? I am curious about your results.

I don't think it would work for my hair type long term. Maybe once in a while for some good absorption of coconut oil..but my colored and damaged hair requires conditioning agents. Considering your hair is low porosity I guess you wouldn't need conditioner as badly as someone like me. My hair would be snapping off without conditioner to soften and detangle it.

I know you want to save on conditioner bottles but I wonder if the doing conditioner then wash then oil would work for your hair type? You would get slip to detangle before shampoo, get a little conditioning on the hair..then get the oil absorption afterward. That may be something to try also if you find hair gets a little dry with oils alone. Just thinking outloud. Its always hard for me to grasp some people do not require conditioner. I can only dream of that luxury :)

[midbackorbust]

If your main concern in the environmental impact of the bottle, Lush makes a nice solid conditioner called Jungle y

[spirals]

chromis and I are doing the same thing.

[Theobroma]

chromis and I are doing the same thing.

Me too! I comb a tiny bit of EVOO through my wet hair after every wash and it's all the conditioner I need. My hair is soft and shiny all the way to the ends and I, too, have never noticed that it attracts more lint. If anything, my hair stays cleaner for longer without conditioner residue in it.

[jacqueline101]

I tried the oil with no conditioner. In the summer time my hair didn't mind it but in the winter time it was dry and broke off. I ended up having to dust ends all the time. I'm now using my blend of oils diluted in water inside my mister and using conditioner on top of it. You can use regular conditioner as a leave in.

[Scarlet_Heart]

Conditioner makes me shed, so yes I ditched it in favor of non-comedogenic oils. I shampoo my scalp only, and when I get out of the shower I use NC oil on my length only (nowhere near the scalp). The non-comedogenic oils I use are jojoba (though usually just on my face), mineral oil, and petroleum jelly. These all work great for me. Petroleum jelly on my ends is particularly helpful in the dry winter months.

[catasa]

I think that I have recommended mineral oil in another of your threads before, sorry that it didn´t work out for you. Just a comment though - I never got good results with mineral oil on top of conditioner, used that way my hair just got tangly and coated, but used alone after clarifying or diluted normal shampoo it works fine. Just a thought if you tried it on top of conditioner or on un-clarified hair.

I haven´t experimented much with other oils as a replacement for conditioner so no good advice there unfortunately... Otherwise I would also try diluting the conditioner, the few times I try conditioner nowadays I usually dilute it and it seems to coat just as well (or as bad ;) ) then!

[Anje]

I tried a few years ago when I was doing WO (or Water-mostly, as I termed it, because I tended to do vinegar rinses to counteract my hard water as well as oiling). For me, it wasn't enough in the long-term to keep my hair from getting dried out at the ends, though it's possible that my hair might react differently today, as I've largely maintained length for years and I find it handles oils subtly differently now with improved health.

That said, my hair loves humectants and gains a lot of slip and softness when I use them, any time of year. Going without them simply results in hair that's not as nice.

[ExpectoPatronum]

I do the same as Chromis. I use shampoo bars which don't require conditioner. It's actually really nice!

I do use Nightblooming's Panacea after a wash as a leave-in though. Does that count as a conditioner? It has a lot of butters and oils in it.

[Chromis]

I do the same as Chromis. I use shampoo bars which don't require conditioner. It's actually really nice!

I do use Nightblooming's Panacea after a wash as a leave-in though. Does that count as a conditioner? It has a lot of butters and oils in it.

i consider it as a blend of oils, not a conditioner. I also love the Triple Moon Oil!

[swearnsue]

Have you tried diluting your conditioner? I'm not a fan of oil on my hair because it traps every living particle in the universe, which makes the hair dirtier faster. I do use 4 drops of MO in place of conditioner to detangle but that's as "oily" as I get.

LOL, that struck me as so funny! I wish my oiled hair would attract gold particles and diamonds but just dust and pet hair!

[cranberrymoonz]

I have low porosity hair. I tried going without conditioner for a while, and I really needed oil when I did. It wasn't too bad, but my hair was more tangly than usual and I could not wear it loose, really. So I went back to conditioner. I use one that doesn't have any silicones or proteins so it doesn't build up on my hair.

It's too bad that you have to use that many bottles, spend a lot of money and waste plastic. You could try a leave in conditioner, or using your regular conditioner as a leave in. If you don't rinse it out, you don't have to use as much product.

[Stray_mind]

I use just a tiny bit of coconut oil on damp hair. It makes my hair more managable and less frizzy.

[maskedrose]

I've been using catnip as a leave-in rinse for about a month and a half, and I'm still really happy with how my hair is behaving. It's much happier without conditioner build-up, my shedding has substantially reduced, and my hair is still soft and hydrated 3 days post wash - with conditioner it was always super dry by day 3. I do use a small amount of avocado oil every night.

[renia22]

I don't have luck with oils unless it's coconut oil on dry hair only, and then I go to great lengths to work shampoo or conditioner through my hair before adding water. No luck with other oils, and if used on damp/ wet hair, forget it..oil then binds to my hair like superglue & does not wash out. So many people on this site like oils, though, and are able to use them as leave-ins, so maybe it would work?

Another option is conditioner bars. I personally have never tried them, but lush makes some, as do various other companies. If you do a google search, a ton come up. On etsy too!

swearnsue- wow, nice updated signature pic!! Looking good!

[Anje]

FYI, I think Lush's conditioner bars all contain SLS. Not something I'd choose to have in conditioner! There are some other bar conditioners out there, including a number on Etsy. It's a valid option if you want to reduce packaging and buying water.

ETA: OK, I'm checking. Not all of them have SLS at Lush. Still, it's worth reading the ingredients list. I'm not sure the one with salt as the second ingredient is a wise choice either.... It also looks like a lot of their liquid conditioners contain SLS. Weird.

[rcblinn]

I tried a few years ago when I was doing WO (or Water-mostly, as I termed it, because I tended to do vinegar rinses to counteract my hard water as well as oiling). For me, it wasn't enough in the long-term to keep my hair from getting dried out at the ends, though it's possible that my hair might react differently today, as I've largely maintained length for years and I find it handles oils subtly differently now with improved health.

That said, my hair loves humectants and gains a lot of slip and softness when I use them, any time of year. Going without them simply results in hair that's not as nice.

I find that my hair responds really well to humectants as well, along as it is not too dry (and with internal heating, the air in the apartment can get desert dry!). But I love the silky softness I get from aloe vera when the dew points are right. Maybe I should re-visit my AVG. I purchased a bottle awhile back but it built up something awful on my hair (a thickening ingredient was really high up on the list). Just purchased some AV juice though-will try it out tonight!

As to my results with the no conditioner experiement, Last night I clarified with TJs Nourish, rinsed with ACV and then applied small amount of coconut oil and EVOO. I found that the coconut oil didn't do much to soften but the EVOO did-however, my ends were still snarly and unhappy. While the rest of my hair is relatively soft and slippy, the ends are like a brillo pad-angry and just grab out onto anything! Hmph :(

[Norwaygirl]

I've never tried using oil in my hair, but I think that conditioners works really well. I would like to try oil though, as it seems like many find it very helpful for both the healthiness and the growth of the hair.

[UP Lisa]

I use both.

[spirals]

My ends were hay-like yesterday, so I used baking soda on them to get the buildup off. My rinse contains protein, so occasionally I have to do this. I'm finding I like almond oil the best as an all-purpose oil, but sometimes EVOO works better on dry ends. I haven't used conditioner for 1 1/2 years and I don't miss it.

[bunnylake]

I am one of those lucky people that can skimp on conditioner. I've tried the shampoo only/oil or serum leave in routine, conditioning only every few washes, and it worked well for me. In fact I'm not even sure why I didn't keep it up! My hair is somewhat fine, gets oily fast and flat. Skipping conditioner or using much less allows my hair to feel cleaner longer and it gives it much more volume.

[Magalo]

You cannot substitute conditionner for oils. They don't do the same thing. Conditionner moisturize, while oil keep the moisture in (and out).

[morrigan*]

Last summer i didn't use conditioner, but i did use catnip tea and oil occasionally, my hair looked really good, i will probably go back to that soon, but i need to use up most of conditioner i have. I hate throwing stuff out if it works for me. I will probably started using aloe again too, as it helps a lot.

[Effy]

I'm not using conditioners (or shampoo) anymore, because i was never happy with my hair back then. Oil works a lot better for me and I'm oiling my hair almost every day.

[Scarlet_Heart]

You cannot substitute conditionner for oils. They don't do the same thing. Conditionner moisturize, while oil keep the moisture in (and out).

I'm not sure I agree. Both are great in terms of giving your hair slip and shine. You can use either after a cleanse/wash. A lot of times it's just about what your hair responds to better. I know conditioner and oil aren't the same and don't do the exact same things (thankfully so), but my hair and scalp do not like conditioner, so I did swap it out for oil and am having much better results.

[Anje]

You cannot substitute conditionner for oils. They don't do the same thing. Conditionner moisturize, while oil keep the moisture in (and out).

They don't do the same thing, but I'd argue that you might be able to go without one or the other depending on what your hair needs. Some people really only need emolients on/in their hair to give it maximum suppleness. Others need a bit of coating and/or help with electrical charge to make their hair flow best. Some need both, some need neither.