How to use hair oil

[Tetrahedron]

I recently bought my first ever hair oi (http://www.superdrug.com/Hair/Hair-Treatments/Hair-Care-Oils/Aussie-3-Miracle-Oil-Mega-for-Normal-to-Fine-Hair-100ml/p/563204?gclid=Cj0KEQiAyuPCBRCimuayhb3qqvwBEiQAgz62k SqSB10rz4a5BMU9nSgp4TeUXNsDt5-y-HU-osR1SNUaAkBJ8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds)l (it was on a great discount and I use and love the brand for shampoo and conditioner already) and only realised after that I'm not completely sure how to use it. The oil contains Macadamia nut oil, safflower seed oil and coconut oil, and the instructions are as follows: There’s not one, not two, but three ways to use this fabulous formula: before shampooing, on damp hair to help repair the smoothness and on dry hair for amazing shine effect.
While I realise that might sound simple for other people, I'm still a bit confused. I've seen people talk about using oil overnight then washing it off in the morning, and having 'deep oil treatments', but I've no idea if my hair oil would be appropriate for those. I'm also really not sure how much to put in. I used one squirt on my hair (about halfway between bsl and waist length) while it was damp, didn't wash it out and left it bunned for a few hours and it's super soft and not greasy at all, which is great, but I'm worried that I should wash it anyway just in case. I'm also unsure about whether it's okay to put the oil on my scalp as well as the length, and how often it's okay to apply it. My hair can be pretty finicky and I realise a lot of this is going to boil down to everyone's hair being different, but if someone could give me (or point me in the direction of, if I missed it somewhere else on the forum) a basic guide to oiling hair, that would be fantastic.

[Strands]

I only use hair oil for my daily moisturizing. I have one with a dropper, so 5 drops every morning I run through the length and then put the excess on the hair line hairs to tame them and some in the crown area. Basically, all over but mostly in the length, and then put it up.

I need to get into the habit of doing a pre-poo with coconut oil, but have not had time.

We have the same length, but different types of hair it seems. Do not wash it away, you should not need to. I wash once a week and do a little oil everyday to protect my dry as a desert hair. I know my info is not perfect, lol, but if I were you I would use it as needed and try to keep your routine for washing similar as you can without washing just to remove this product.

[Anje]

I hate to say it, but your "hair oil" is mostly silicones. It's a serum with a tiny bit of oil mixed in so they can make it out to be oil.

Now, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy it. But use it like you would a silicone serum -- spread a few drops on your hands and run them over the length and ends. Be aware that you might notice buildup faster, and clarify when you notice your hair being weird/dry/plasticy/tangly/etc.


Now if/when you decide to use a hair oil, expect that it's going to be somewhat different from this. When we talk about oiling, it's usually with coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, argan oil, sesame oil, sunflower oil... and they're almost always edible oils, not products sold for hair. Unlike this product, they're not going to evaporate and dry on the hair, so if you overuse them, your hair is going to remain in that oily-wet looking state until you wash it out, though a small amount might absorb into the hair fibers (depending on the oil). For leave-in purposes, you usually want to use just a drop or two of those. Apply to your hand, rub hands together, and then run them over your hair again. If you want to do a heavy oiling, you might use several mL of oil, again running your hands over your hair to apply it til your hair looks a bit oily. Leave that in for at least several hours, and wash it out when you don't want your hair looking oily anymore.

Whether you apply oils like these to your scalp is up to you. Some people do well oiling their scalps (and often choose blends with essential oils to promote growth or sooth irritation or such), while others find that it annoys their scalp or makes them shed a lot. You can use an eyedropper for that or apply it to your fingertips and run them over your scalp. Depends what you like.

[riahbobiah93]

I've noticed that most people do coconut oil only before showering, to prevent hair from absorbing too much water, then using other oils or combos after shampooing or shampooing & conditioning. I run oil through my ends everyday to help keep them moisturized, and they never get greasy. I also follow up my showers with a little bit throughout all of my hair, and when it dries, it's less frizzy. I would think yours will work best after washing or on your ends daily.

[MsPharaohMoan]

So the three ways to apply your serum:

- before showering (and presumably using shampoo). LHC calls this pre-poo. Often done to prevent hydral fatigue.
- on damp hair to seal in the moisture. Relevant to the Rinse Out Oil method and LOC method
- on dry hair. Some people find adding moisture (water) before silicones/oils to make their hair retain the moisture better, but others like it on dry hair. It'll take experimenting for you to tell what your hair likes.

So if you're interested in learning more, search up the pre-poo method, hydral fatigue, rinse out oil method, and liquid oil cream (LOC) method :) And I'd also look up clarifying, an important part of any routine, but especially one with silicones