Light oils

[SallySue]

What lightweight oils are out there, and how would you suggest applying them?

I'm looking for an oil to use as a leave-in that doesn't weigh down my babyfine hair. Every time I've tried oiling after a wash, even the tiniest amount of oil I use just sits there and looks wet.

[chrissy-b]

I have super fine hair and the best one for me is jojoba. Coconut only works if I apply it only to the ends when my hair is still soaking wet. And I only add one drop of jojoba and about half a pea size of coconut oil. I've been experimenting with using oil right after I wash, covering it with conditioner and then rinsing. That seems to be working well (I can't remember what that process is called though! There's a user here who is really active who has a link to the process in her signature. Maybe Lapsuka? I can't remember. Sorry!)

[nycelle]

Argan oil and Sweet Almond oil are the lightest I've tried.

I've used Argan on my roots without a problem. Sweet Almond oil on my mid-length and ends works beautifully too. Either can be used on wet or dry. But if you're using on wet, I'd try Argan first- it's just very, very, light I think.

[lapushka]

What do you call "the tiniest amount"? Just 4 drops, spread through palms and smoothed over the very tippy tips will usually do. And you can use just about any oil. I would get a dropper bottle and decant the oil into it, so you can literally take out *drops* of the oil, so you don't overdo it. :flower:

[Glitch]

Argan oil and Sweet Almond oil are the lightest I've tried.

I've used Argan on my roots without a problem. Sweet Almond oil on my mid-length and ends works beautifully too. Either can be used on wet or dry. But if you're using on wet, I'd try Argan first- it's just very, very, light I think.

Definitely recommending these two as well! Argan oil is my preference, though. I can spray on a lot of it, run my fingers through my hair and it'll easily drink it up and look shiny and smooth without appearing dirty/greasy. I've sprayed this oil on wet, damp and dry hair before, and it works well regardless :) Almond oil is light too, but I prefer to spray/mist on oil, so I always go with my Argan oil spray.

[ravenskey]

I may not be the best person to be here with my super coarse thick hair that loves oil but I tried light coconut oil and found it really light - it didn't do anything to my hair but it might be more effective on finer hair.

[nycelle]

Definitely recommending these two as well! Argan oil is my preference, though. I can spray on a lot of it, run my fingers through my hair and it'll easily drink it up and look shiny and smooth without appearing dirty/greasy. I've sprayed this oil on wet, damp and dry hair before, and it works well regardless :) Almond oil is light too, but I prefer to spray/mist on oil, so I always go with my Argan oil spray.

Glitch, where did you get your Argan oil spray???? All of mine (unless they're hair serums) come in Glass bottles with droppers. Would love a pure Argan oil spray.

[lapushka]

Glitch, where did you get your Argan oil spray???? All of mine (unless they're hair serums) come in Glass bottles with droppers. Would love a pure Argan oil spray.

Maybe it's just the regular oil put into a mister? :hmm:

[SallySue]

Thanks for the replies! I will check out argan or almond oil the next time I'm at Whole Foods. I was shocked at the price of pure jojoba even though I hear great things about it.

[cathair]

It is expensive! I've never tried it either for that reason. I'm using Inceto coconut oil leave in at the moment. But it's a lie really. If i recall correctly, it's most cones with a little coconut oil.

[nycelle]

Maybe it's just the regular oil put into a mister? :hmm:

The usual misters you can buy anywhere, I don't think will distribute it well. That's why I'm hoping Glitch posts - I can always use another Argan oil.

[SallySue]

What do you call "the tiniest amount"? Just 4 drops, spread through palms and smoothed over the very tippy tips will usually do. And you can use just about any oil. I would get a dropper bottle and decant the oil into it, so you can literally take out *drops* of the oil, so you don't overdo it. :flower:

What I tried before was diluting oils with an equal part water in a travel sized spray bottle, shaking it up, then distributing literally 2 sprays on all of my hair from midshaft down. Even those 2 sprays would make it look limp and greasy- but then again, I used olive and castor oils, so I'm thinking the type of oil may be what makes a difference.

[nycelle]

Thanks for the replies! I will check out argan or almond oil the next time I'm at Whole Foods. I was shocked at the price of pure jojoba even though I hear great things about it.

Pure Argan oil is more expensive than Jojoba oil, ounce for ounce.

Sweet Almond oil on the other hand is very cost effective, and a great light oil.

[nycelle]

What I tried before was diluting oils with an equal part water in a travel sized spray bottle, shaking it up, then distributing literally 2 sprays on all of my hair from midshaft down. Even those 2 sprays would make it look limp and greasy- but then again, I used olive and castor oils, so I'm thinking the type of oil may be what makes a difference.

I wouldn't dilute carrier oils, just use a tiny bit until you find the right amount for your hair.

[SallySue]

I wouldn't dilute carrier oils, just use a tiny bit until you find the right amount for your hair.

This might sound ignorant, but what do you mean by carrier oils?

[nycelle]

This might sound ignorant, but what do you mean by carrier oils?

Carrier oils are just oils that are used to "carry" essential oils that can't be put directly on the skin. So sweet almond oil, olive, argan, and any oil that you can use directly on yourself is a carrier oil. Oils like Eucalyptus (essential oils), needs to be diluted into another oil (carrier) before they're applied to your skin as they can cause irritation.

[Glitch]

Glitch, where did you get your Argan oil spray???? All of mine (unless they're hair serums) come in Glass bottles with droppers. Would love a pure Argan oil spray.

Oooh nice hair in your sig!! Just noticed -looks great :D
I picked mine up at a random local salon, and would recommend visiting one for product variety. The exact one I use is this (https://i.pinimg.com/originals/83/26/06/8326069b863f8a22a65f8ba0d8c3bbab.jpg), though I'm sure any Argan spray is great! I'm going to experiment with different ones after I'm done with mine. I've used so much this of stuff though and it's still super full lol.


Maybe it's just the regular oil put into a mister? :hmm:
I wish I was that fancy :laugh: That's a good idea btw!

[lapushka]

What I tried before was diluting oils with an equal part water in a travel sized spray bottle, shaking it up, then distributing literally 2 sprays on all of my hair from midshaft down. Even those 2 sprays would make it look limp and greasy- but then again, I used olive and castor oils, so I'm thinking the type of oil may be what makes a difference.

Oh yes, those are very heavy oils!

I also recommend sweet almond. Coconut oil is nice (if your hair likes it). I personally use baby oil in my oil rinses (sometimes mineral oil, sometimes a more natural version with sweet almond oil + camomile extract). But my hair isn't easily weighed down.

[MusicalSpoons]

Sweet almond oil disappears in my hair when I use it sparingly through the lengths. I actually found coconut oil did that too, the first couple of times I used it. Then my hair decided it hated it :rolleyes: I've tried several different oils during my initial experimenting phase and tbh wish I'd just listened to all the recommendations for sweet almond oil in the first place - it's by far the best for my hair, and to skip the whole experimental stage would have saved me a lot of money. (Tried lots of cheaper to mid-priced oils; it still all added up though.)

I haven't tried argan or jojoba though, simply because I wasn't prepared to risk yet more money. They are widely recommended though.

Oh, also I found mineral oil used as a rinse-out oil is very effective in winter - the link is indeed in Lapushka's signature.

[nycelle]

Oooh nice hair in your sig!! Just noticed -looks great :D
I picked mine up at a random local salon, and would recommend visiting one for product variety. The exact one I use is this (https://i.pinimg.com/originals/83/26/06/8326069b863f8a22a65f8ba0d8c3bbab.jpg), though I'm sure any Argan spray is great! I'm going to experiment with different ones after I'm done with mine. I've used so much this of stuff though and it's still super full lol.


I wish I was that fancy :laugh: That's a good idea btw!

Thank you. It was on wash day.

Thanks for the info. I checked it out and it's a treatment (has more ingredients than just Argan oil) I had a feeling because of the bottle. Oh well.. but now I'm on the hunt for a pure argan oil mist.. lol..

[Glitch]

Thank you. It was on wash day.

Thanks for the info. I checked it out and it's a treatment (has more ingredients than just Argan oil) I had a feeling because of the bottle. Oh well.. but now I'm on the hunt for a pure argan oil mist.. lol..

Welcome! Oh yes, and they really work for me :) I often use this daily Argan treatment spray, well, daily lol. However there are all kinds of sprays there, including pure ones. I am sure you'll find one!

[chiapommama]

I like grapeseed oil. Great detangler. Only tried it on dry hair though, not on wet.

[prairie lark]

Oh well.. but now I'm on the hunt for a pure argan oil mist.. lol..

In kitchen gadgets you can find pump atomizers cooks use for olive oil. They work great.

Winners - our equivalent to TJ Maxx - always has pure argan, jojoba, and rosehip oil for reasonable prices.

If you have a good market for Eastern cuisines, they will probably have pure argan in their cooking oils section, too.

[nycelle]

In kitchen gadgets you can find pump atomizers cooks use for olive oil. They work great.

Winners - our equivalent to TJ Maxx - always has pure argan, jojoba, and rosehip oil for reasonable prices.

If you have a good market for Eastern cuisines, they will probably have pure argan in their cooking oils section, too.

Thank you!! Will check out the atomizers cooks use.

Oh, and you don't want to use culinary argan oil for hair, you want cosmetic grade argan oil. There's a difference between the two. For cooking the argan nuts are first roasted, for cosmetic, they're cold pressed - no roasting.

[Alissalocks]

Also baby fine hair (mine gets lanky fast) and also another vote for sweet almond oil. Coconut is ok, but sweet almond is my favorite. I use it by the palmful (pre poo) but haven't misted before. I prefer a serum for daily help.

[Lady Stardust]

My hair gets weighed down easily and it’s not really long enough to be able to distribute even a drop of oil without ending up a greasy mess. I’m currently about shoulder length, when my hair gets longer I’ll have another go at using oil after washing. In the meantime, I’ve used sweet almond oil pre shampoo and that’s fine.

I use Nightbloming salve after washing, a tiny bit goes a long way. Or a short way in my case :-)

[Milady_DeWinter]

My fav light oil is avocado oil by far :) I put about 6+ drops on my palms and apply from the ears through the lenght. I'm at hip now and have F very thick hair, so you can measure it better.

[ravenheather]

I love euro oil from morrocco method. It's a blend of oils that soaks right in to my fine hair. I use it most days.

[prairie lark]

Thank you!! Will check out the atomizers cooks use.

Oh, and you don't want to use culinary argan oil for hair, you want cosmetic grade argan oil. There's a difference between the two. For cooking the argan nuts are first roasted, for cosmetic, they're cold pressed - no roasting.

! I'll be sure to check the label if I ever see it in our market. Thanks. I'd read that on another forum, without the qualifier. :o

[Dark40]

You can try olive oil, carrot oil, tea-tree oil, and any indian hair oil. L.ike, Amla Dabur Hair Oil or Jasmine Hair Oil. These light oils always work wonders for my fine/thick hair. The way I apply mine oils are parting my hair down the middle and pouring a little into the palms of my hands, and rubbing my hands together, and I put all on the top surface on my hair, and a little on my scalp as well.

[shaluwm_agape]

Aloe vera, avocado, & marula these are suuuuuper light absorb quick & hydrate

[Jo Ann]

I use an argan oil serum I get from Wal-mart (it's located in the vitamin section, with the hair/skin vitamins). It contains argan, sweet almond, avocado and grapeseed oils. Here's the link:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Spring-Valley-Organic-Morroccan-Argan-Oil-Serum-2-Oz/46342028

When I use it, I divide my hair into four sections (two on top, two on sides/back) and use about 5-7 drops on each section. My hair is just past BCL, so YMMV :)

[Joules]

Thanks for the info. I checked it out and it's a treatment (has more ingredients than just Argan oil) I had a feeling because of the bottle. Oh well.. but now I'm on the hunt for a pure argan oil mist.. lol..

I have pure Argan oil in a spray bottle from a Russian brand called DNC (https://ecwid-images.scdn4.secure.raxcdn.com/images.ecwid.com/images/5290158/467306031.jpg), all of their liquid oils come in a dark plastic spray bottles. I wouldn't say that it's that useful, it's still oil and it can't be turned into mist like a proper thin liquid, it can only be squirted out :D

[Waterlilly21]

Sweet almond oil absorbs well and doesn’t show as greasy when I rub a couple drops between my palms . Works the best for me and is my favourite oil to tame any pouf and frizz I may have (I have semi straight hair).

[SallySue]

**UPDATE**

Again, thank you all for your kind advice.
I got a bottle of sweet almond oil and decided to try it out. I'm still not 100% happy with the level of absorption in my hair compared to some other commercial moisturizer products I've used, but it's definitely better than coconut oil for me.
Glitch, I may need to ask you for your heatless straightening system. This is my hair today, day 3 after washing, after sleeping in a loose bun and oiled within an inch of its life (about 4 drops of almond oil distributed throughout, which is a lot for my thin hair):

https://i.imgur.com/c9CtiB8.jpg

For reference on my natural texture, here it was on day 1 after washing, no styling except a minimal amount of volumizing mousse:
https://imgur.com/5iOh8FH
(I know the ends are abysmal, but I really want my longest layers to reach waist when stretched. Hence my need to learn how to protect it with oils.)

[SallySue]

pic 2 didn't post. Here's my natural waves:
https://imgur.com/KrycX1yhttp://i.imgur.com/KrycX1yl.jpg (https://imgur.com/KrycX1y)

[nycelle]

Pure oils won't absorb better than commercial hair serums since the serums contain ingredients other than oil.

Are you trying to use an oil to moisturize? When you said leave-in in your original post, I thought you mean to just tame frizz, flyaways, etc. But if you're looking for a moisturizing leave-in, then a leave-in conditioner would do better if you have dry hair IMHO.
At least I've never found one that's as good as a leave-in conditioner. Also, depending on your hair, using too much oil can attract dirt.

If you want an all natural leave-in conditioner, I think there are recipes on here, just do a search.

[Lady Stardust]

Pure oils won't absorb better than commercial hair serums since the serums contain ingredients other than oil.

Are you trying to use an oil to moisturize? When you said leave-in in your original post, I thought you mean to just tame frizz, flyaways, etc. But if you're looking for a moisturizing leave-in, then a leave-in conditioner would do better if you have dry hair IMHO.
At least I've never found one that's as good as a leave-in conditioner. Also, depending on your hair, using too much oil can attract dirt.

If you want an all natural leave-in conditioner, I think there are recipes on here, just do a search.

Nightshade has shared her versions with the world, she does 3 different salves. Here’s a thread discussing them.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=50728

ETA: I mean Nightshade sells it, I made it sound like she’d published her formula!

[AutobotsAttack]

Has anyone mentioned Almond yet? Almond oil is particularly light too. Maybe 1-4 drops and that’s all you need.

Oh, wait, yeah someone already mentioned it. Never mind me lol

I’ll just echo nycelle.

There’s a lot of products that can be used for leave ins. Finding ones with lighter ingredients should help. You can even references the Herbal haircare section of the forum as well.

[lapushka]

Yeah, if that little oil does that "much", then oil is not for you. Definitely.

I'd try a leave-in product, really a tiny coinsize, spread through palms and scrunched in (your wave pattern can take the scrunching in part).

[shaluwm_agape]

You could try one last thing. take about 2 drops of oil in a conditioner you like and use it as a leave in.

My hair personally is oily and my cuticles lay flat so I have been on the hunt for oils myself. I mentioned earlier the 3 I like right now. I wash once a week and usually oil on day 4 and then before I shower. And I only use 2 drops per section from the chin down. but when I do need moisture without the shiny look or am going out I put some in a conditioner I want to use and it works great

[Glitch]

... Glitch, I may need to ask you for your heatless straightening system.

Sure, feel free to ask any questions! The routine itself is a clickable link under my sig pic :)

[SallySue]

Thanks again for all your advice & feedback! The concept of oiling is still pretty new to me, so I'm still unsure how/if it should work into my hair care routine.

[Alissalocks]

pic 2 didn't post. Here's my natural waves:
https://imgur.com/KrycX1yhttp://i.imgur.com/KrycX1yl.jpg (https://imgur.com/KrycX1y)

Your hair gorgeous!!! I always wanted big sexy wurls like you have but learned to accept my stick straight texture instead. Get it girl!

Give your hair a little time to adjust to the new routine too. For some reason, our hair often just "figures it out" after a few weeks/months.

[nycelle]

Nightshade has shared her versions with the world, she does 3 different salves. Here’s a thread discussing them.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=50728

ETA: I mean Nightshade sells it, I made it sound like she’d published her formula!

Yeah, they look very good. I'll probably try them eventually myself.

SallySue, these may be something you could incorporate. They're not going to be as heavy as oils and are natural.

[SallySue]

Your hair gorgeous!!! I always wanted big sexy wurls like you have but learned to accept my stick straight texture instead. Get it girl!

Give your hair a little time to adjust to the new routine too. For some reason, our hair often just "figures it out" after a few weeks/months.

**blushes** Thank you! Hey, I think you're my fraternal hair twin--what my same color and thickness would look like if it would only agree to be tamed! We all want what we can't have, don't we?

[SallySue]

Oh, I forgot to mention here that I do already have an arsenal of leave-in conditioners. In that pic from where I tried out leaving the oil in, that hair also had Lush's R&B moisturizer in it from the day before. The oil was just layered on top as it had already frizzed up again. I have just never used oils alone for that purpose and was curious since so many people swear by it.
I'll continue to experiment, and hopefully one day try out these Nightblooming products everyone's raving about!

[lapushka]

SallySue, the same goes for leave-in, or any other styler you put on the hair: use it sparingly. No joke. I use a coinsize for my almost classic length, and it is more than enough. Go slow and build if necessary.

[nycelle]

I've never felt that oils alone were moisturizing. They can make the ends softer, tame frizzy hair for a bit, and seal in shine, but that's all they've ever done for me. They've never really moisturized.

[MusicalSpoons]

I've never felt that oils alone were moisturizing. They can make the ends softer, tame frizzy hair for a bit, and seal in shine, but that's all they've ever done for me. They've never really moisturized.

You're right, oils aren't moisturising. They can act as an occlusive to seal in moisture, and they can impart some fatty acids to make the hair more supple (I think - if it's not fatty acids then it's something else, but either way helps with suppleness), and they can help with slip and add shine ... but they're not moisturising by themselves.

[nycelle]

You're right, oils aren't moisturising. They can act as an occlusive to seal in moisture, and they can impart some fatty acids to make the hair more supple (I think - if it's not fatty acids then it's something else, but either way helps with suppleness), and they can help with slip and add shine ... but they're not moisturising by themselves.

Yeah, I believe it.
I think someone else pointed out something similar not too long ago as well.

[lapushka]

You guys, I finally remembered the name of the girl that had the scientific articles on blow drying and gelatin (meteor). Just FYI. I just thought I'd post it *somewhere* lest I forget it again.

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

I use an argan oil serum I get from Wal-mart (it's located in the vitamin section, with the hair/skin vitamins). It contains argan, sweet almond, avocado and grapeseed oils. Here's the link:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Spring-Valley-Organic-Morroccan-Argan-Oil-Serum-2-Oz/46342028

When I use it, I divide my hair into four sections (two on top, two on sides/back) and use about 5-7 drops on each section. My hair is just past BCL, so YMMV :)


I use this same oil! It’s great, best oil I’ve used because it’s a nice mixture.
No heavy oils though, all light oils. Which is great for me.
I use about 4-6 drops on my whole head. Probably a drop per section.
Only really use it on dry hair however because I do LOC with nightbloomings hair salve.
But even that contains oils and butters! By itself on wet hair is like.. BAM.