Constantly having oil in your hair? (not scalp)

[Estrid]

I've recently started to experiment a bit with oiling my hair. Before I was always a bit sceptical of it, since I hate the feel and look of greasy hair (I guess that's why it took me so long to try it).

My hair has always been rather poofy and frizzy/a lot of fly aways, but the past 5 or so years my texture seems to have changed a bit since I now get more tangles, knots and splits (something I never got as a teen, no matter how much I neglected my hair). I can brush my hair to get out the tangles and 10 seconds later the strands are back at knotting together (basically = a waste of time to brush it).
I guess it's some hormonal change I've gone through, I haven't really put that much thought into it. One of those "it is what is is" sort of things, you know?


Anyways, first time I played with oil (two weeks ago?) I was going to do a pre-wash heavy oiling over night, and took the oil I normally use for my skin: jojoba. I brushed my hair and put what I considered a lot of oil on my lengths (5 drops?), and just like that all of those annoying qualities that my hair got just vanished. No frizz, no flyaways, instead it turned shiny, soft, and it didn't form a single tangle till the day after when I had washed it out. I could run my hands through it!

I did it again some days ago, and the same thing, my hair just behaved so much better when it had oil in it, it was even easier to put up (and it stayed put!).


Now I'm wondering if it might be beneficial for me to oil my hair every day (if I need to, maybe the oil would stay in my hair long enough that I wouldn't have to reapply it) instead of doing these pre-wash heavier oilings, because I'm not actually sure if I've noticed any benefits from pre-wash oiling, when I wash it out my hair is basically just back to normal. With oil in my hair, though, it feels like I could prevent damage that I else would get from tangles, knots etc and in the same time look shiny and neat.


Are there any big downsides of constantly having oil in your hair?
The only ones I can think of is that it might attract lint (as if my hair isn't already a magnet when it's just its normal self), and that it might transfer a bit to clothes/hats/pillowcases, but since it's so much easier to put it up, I feel like my clothes should be somewhat safe, and then I do think I won't be applying as much oil as I did before washing it.



Any thought on this = greatly appreciated! This turned into a longer text than I expected (sorry about that).

[Joules]

Oils can cause just as much buildup as some commercial products do, so keep that in mind. Other than that, I don't see how it's different from using oil as leave-in like a lot of people here do (LOC/LCO methods). Do whatever keeps you and your hair happy :)

[lakhesis]

I used to always put oil on my ends to protect them. Now I mostly use leave in conditioner for that because of the whole "oils are not moisturizing" thing. I think if you live somewhere with higher humidity it still is beneficial to use oil :) especially if it makes your hair more manageable.

[paulownia]

I don't think it's a bad idea;).
After all we all have something in our hair in between washes (unless someone uses only shampoo:p) there is a fine coating from conditionners and treatments that we use.
You could try using some very light oil as a leave-in. I remember that Stephanie wrote about in in the article ''Long Hair Care basics'' that she uses argan or camellia.

[JennGalt]

I always have oil in my hair. I have tried going without, and every now and then I try using less, either because I don’t have time or because I’ve tried to follow advice I saw posted on here. This ALWAYS ends badly for me: splits, breakage, tangles, and a sharp decline in manageability. I seriously don’t understand how people can get by with only using a few drops after a wash or juston the ends. I don’t know exactly how much I use, but I coat my fingers and spread the oil over my hair from root to tip, re-oiling my fingers as necessary until all sections are lightly coated. I do this almost every day, using whichever oil I feel would be best for my hair and scalp that day, sometimes alternating or layering with leave in conditioner or aloe gel if dryness is an issue.

My hair is MUCH better off with liberal use of oil. I have super porous hair (it just grows that way) that drinks the stuff up. It protects from brittleness and mechanical damage. I notice some oils attract lint more than others, and I think this might be highly individualized and can even change with time. Grapeseed used to be a favorite oil, but rather suddenly it began attracting lint. (Also: DH kept stealing it to cook potatoes. Grr.) JBCO will attract a ton of lint on its own or mixed with almond oil, but it seems fine when mixed with olive oil. I have no idea why. Other oils don’t seem to attract lint for me.

I’m careful about not letting my hair touch anything until the oil has soaked in to my satisfaction. Otherwise it will soak into my pillowcase, which is not only annoying to clean, but it can cause acne. I also won’t let it sit on my back unless the oil has soaked in or I’m literally about to shower. Oddly enough, I’ve never noticed an issue with it soaking into clothes. But if I keep it bunned until it’s soaked in, I don’t have any problems.

But as with all things hair care, YMMV. I think you might just have to do some trial and error to see what works for you.

[JennGalt]

Oils can cause just as much buildup as some commercial products do, so keep that in mind. Other than that, I don't see how it's different from using oil as leave-in like a lot of people here do (LOC/LCO methods). Do whatever keeps you and your hair happy :)

Oil actually causes a LOT less buildup for me than anything containing cones. Even the ones that supposedly don’t build up.

[Estrid]

Oils can cause just as much buildup as some commercial products do, so keep that in mind. Other than that, I don't see how it's different from using oil as leave-in like a lot of people here do (LOC/LCO methods). Do whatever keeps you and your hair happy :)

Oh, I have noticed :bluebiggr I don't think I got it all out during the last wash, or maybe that was the shampoo. My hair didn't really act like it still had a nice oil in it, so maybe that was caused by something else.



I used to always put oil on my ends to protect them. Now I mostly use leave in conditioner for that because of the whole "oils are not moisturizing" thing. I think if you live somewhere with higher humidity it still is beneficial to use oil :) especially if it makes your hair more manageable.

I've never had anything work as moisturising for my hair, it just sits on top or do absolutely nothing at all. Even had a hairdresser comment on that some years back, when she put products in it. I wish my hair was a bit more accepting, but it is what it is.

I'm not sure what high/normal/low humidity would be, it's usually between 50 and 100 % here. Why would oil possibly be more beneficial when the humidity is higher?



I don't think it's a bad idea;).
After all we all have something in our hair in between washes (unless someone uses only shampoo:p) there is a fine coating from conditionners and treatments that we use.
You could try using some very light oil as a leave-in. I remember that Stephanie wrote about in in the article ''Long Hair Care basics'' that she uses argan or camellia.

I believe jojoba oil is a light oil, and since I already love it for my skin it feels like a 2-in-1 product if I use it for my hair as well.
I used to have argan oil 4 years back, and I remember I tried it on my hair (I totally forgot about this, I guess this pre wash thing two weeks ago wasn't my first time oiling). I didn't like it. I can't remember why, but I remember that I wasn't impressed. Maybe my standards have changed, I don't know x)



Thank you all for your answers!

[Estrid]

I always have oil in my hair. I have tried going without, and every now and then I try using less, either because I don’t have time or because I’ve tried to follow advice I saw posted on here. This ALWAYS ends badly for me: splits, breakage, tangles, and a sharp decline in manageability. I seriously don’t understand how people can get by with only using a few drops after a wash or juston the ends. I don’t know exactly how much I use, but I coat my fingers and spread the oil over my hair from root to tip, re-oiling my fingers as necessary until all sections are lightly coated. I do this almost every day, using whichever oil I feel would be best for my hair and scalp that day, sometimes alternating or layering with leave in conditioner or aloe gel if dryness is an issue.

My hair is MUCH better off with liberal use of oil. I have super porous hair (it just grows that way) that drinks the stuff up. It protects from brittleness and mechanical damage. I notice some oils attract lint more than others, and I think this might be highly individualized and can even change with time. Grapeseed used to be a favorite oil, but rather suddenly it began attracting lint. (Also: DH kept stealing it to cook potatoes. Grr.) JBCO will attract a ton of lint on its own or mixed with almond oil, but it seems fine when mixed with olive oil. I have no idea why. Other oils don’t seem to attract lint for me.

I’m careful about not letting my hair touch anything until the oil has soaked in to my satisfaction. Otherwise it will soak into my pillowcase, which is not only annoying to clean, but it can cause acne. I also won’t let it sit on my back unless the oil has soaked in or I’m literally about to shower. Oddly enough, I’ve never noticed an issue with it soaking into clothes. But if I keep it bunned until it’s soaked in, I don’t have any problems.

But as with all things hair care, YMMV. I think you might just have to do some trial and error to see what works for you.

Thank you for the thorough reply! :) So your hair soaks up the oil? Can you still feel that there's oil in your hair once it has? How often do you wash your hair? Sorry for all the questions x) I wish my hair would soak things up, I don't know if it takes in anything at all. I guess my experience would be quite different from yours because of that, but I could still hope that it works for me.

I put some oil in my hair now to get some photo comparisons, and I noticed that I need 4 drops to feel like I get it in all my length, nicely distributed, so I suppose I've used more than the 5 drops I said in the OP when I did those heavier oilings.
I hope jojoba is an oil that won't attract as much lint as some others, I haven't really noticed anything yet, but I probably will if I decide to keep using it.

I do try to change pillowcase every other night (turning the pillow over after one night), so maybe it wouldn't be too bad to sleep with it.

[nycelle]

The only negative I can see is, if you wear you hair up, the oil will eventually give your roots and give them greasy appearance. But if you wash your hair every few days, that shouldn't be an issue.

I apply an oil serum to my ends in-between washes when I need more slip, but I usually do it after applying a leave-in milk. I find that works best for me until my next wash.

[lapushka]

If it's just a couple drops, like you mentioned and not a "ton", then I'm sure it's totally fine, if you still want manageable and do-able hair.

Have you ever tried rinse-out oil? Just asking because it's about the same thing, instead here you do it on wet freshly washed hair, and what you do is on dry hair.

As long as it's just a couple of drops to make your hair manageable, I think it's just fine! :)

[Estrid]

The only negative I can see, is if you wear you hair up, the oil will eventually give your roots a greasy appearance. But if you wash your hair every few days, that shouldn't be an issue.

I apply an oil serum to my ends in-between washes when I need more slip, but I usually do it after applying a leave-in milk. I find that works best for me until my next wash.

I think I would be fine with that. The oily hair is just on the back of my head when I wear it up, so not where I would see it and if I do wear it up all the time (which I am supposed to do), I guess one shouldn't really notice :o
I've never found any leave in that works for me, the only serum that I have tried that had about the same exact effect as this oil was paul mitchell's skinny serum, it was basically just silicones.



If it's just a couple drops, like you mentioned and not a "ton", then I'm sure it's totally fine, if you still want manageable and do-able hair.

Have you ever tried rinse-out oil? Just asking because it's about the same thing, instead here you do it on wet freshly washed hair, and what you do is on dry hair.

As long as it's just a couple of drops to make your hair manageable, I think it's just fine! :)

I did try rinse out a few years back, and I did see some effect of it, but not any huge ones, but then I used mineral oil. Is it really the same thing though? I thought you lightly rinsed it out?

I guess I could try to apply oil on wet hair after my next wash and not rinse it out and see what happens.



Again, thank you all for your replies! I think I will try it out and see how it goes.

[ravenskey]

If it works for you then go for it. I also use oil every day and haven't gotten any *super* buildup. I've sometimes been lazy and not oiled but it makes my hair so much nicer to touch and easier to handle that it's really a must.

[Alibran]

I have a LOT of oil in my hair all the time. My preference is for coconut oil, but note that my hair is curlier than yours, and hair in the 3s tends to need much weightier 'stuff' in it than hair in the 2s. I don't notice that it attracts more lint and dust than it would otherwise, but I have commented that birds could be nesting in my hair and I probably wouldn't notice. If it does transfer to clothes or pillowcases, it isn't enough to notice.


Now I mostly use leave in conditioner for that because of the whole "oils are not moisturizing" thing.

This isn't entirely true, in any case. Some oils are not moisturising. Others are. There's a sliding scale from 'best at moisturising' to 'best at sealing', and every oil falls somewhere along the scale. More moisturising oils include coconut, olive and avocado. Jojoba is a sealing oil, so it's good as a final product to keep hair smooth and slippy.


I've never had anything work as moisturising for my hair, it just sits on top or do absolutely nothing at all. Even had a hairdresser comment on that some years back, when she put products in it. I wish my hair was a bit more accepting, but it is what it is.

This suggests you have low porosity hair. Mine is the same. The only way I can get moisture into my hair is to apply products when it's wet, ideally soaking wet. I apply my coconut oil/conditioner mix when my hair is still dripping in the shower. If I need to add more between washes, I have to give it a good wetting with a spray bottle first. Anything I apply to dry hair just sits on the surface.

[Estrid]

If it works for you then go for it. I also use oil every day and haven't gotten any *super* buildup. I've sometimes been lazy and not oiled but it makes my hair so much nicer to touch and easier to handle that it's really a must.

Thank you for your reply! Happy to hear that some others do it, I hardly ever hear any talk about oiling the lengths (only hear about the scalp), so I felt like I needed to ask x)

[Estrid]

I have a LOT of oil in my hair all the time. My preference is for coconut oil, but note that my hair is curlier than yours, and hair in the 3s tends to need much weightier 'stuff' in it than hair in the 2s. I don't notice that it attracts more lint and dust than it would otherwise, but I have commented that birds could be nesting in my hair and I probably wouldn't notice. If it does transfer to clothes or pillowcases, it isn't enough to notice.


This isn't entirely true, in any case. Some oils are not moisturising. Others are. There's a sliding scale from 'best at moisturising' to 'best at sealing', and every oil falls somewhere along the scale. More moisturising oils include coconut, olive and avocado. Jojoba is a sealing oil, so it's good as a final product to keep hair smooth and slippy.


This suggests you have low porosity hair. Mine is the same. The only way I can get moisture into my hair is to apply products when it's wet, ideally soaking wet. I apply my coconut oil/conditioner mix when my hair is still dripping in the shower. If I need to add more between washes, I have to give it a good wetting with a spray bottle first. Anything I apply to dry hair just sits on the surface.

Thank you for your reply! I figured that my hair was low porosity, I've done that 'hair on water' test at some point, and sure, it floats.

Do you rinse them out after you've applied them to your wet hair? I've tried to let conditioners sit in my hair for 5 minutes when it's wet and not had any change whatsoever, but then I do rinse it out afterwards. I've never tried coconut oil, something about that one scares me x) (probably because it's heavy).

I suppose I could try to apply something like that when it's wet, I do have coconut oil for cooking purposes, but I'm not sure how to use that one in my hair since it's solid, do I need to heat it up?

[spidermom]

Oil attracts a lot of dust and lint to my hair, so I only use it as a pre-wash treatment these days. I use a leave-in conditioner with silicone (forget which one), and yes - my hair does appear to benefit from both.

[ravenskey]

I use coconut oil and just get a little bit on my palm, rub my hands together for a minute and it melts from the friction/body heat.

[Alibran]

Do you rinse them out after you've applied them to your wet hair? I've tried to let conditioners sit in my hair for 5 minutes when it's wet and not had any change whatsoever, but then I do rinse it out afterwards.

No, it all stays in. I do my final rinse, turn the water off, grab my conditioner and coconut oil (I have a big tub of it already mixed) and start scrunching it in as the water's running out of my hair. Once it's stopped dripping, I just dry as normal.


I suppose I could try to apply something like that when it's wet, I do have coconut oil for cooking purposes, but I'm not sure how to use that one in my hair since it's solid, do I need to heat it up?

Just rub it between your hands until it turns liquid. It behaves like any other oil then.

Before you try it, hair tends to either react very well or very badly to coconut oil. It's a protein mimicker, so how your hair reacts will depend on whether it needs protein or not. If it needs the protein, it will dry soft. If it doesn't, it will feel dry and crunchy (but a wash and conditioning treatment will sort it).

Other moisturising oils that are not protein mimickers are olive, avocado and argan. If your hair doesn't like coconut, it might like one of those.

[JennGalt]

Thank you for the thorough reply! :) So your hair soaks up the oil? Can you still feel that there's oil in your hair once it has? How often do you wash your hair? Sorry for all the questions x) I wish my hair would soak things up, I don't know if it takes in anything at all. I guess my experience would be quite different from yours because of that, but I could still hope that it works for me.

I put some oil in my hair now to get some photo comparisons, and I noticed that I need 4 drops to feel like I get it in all my length, nicely distributed, so I suppose I've used more than the 5 drops I said in the OP when I did those heavier oilings.
I hope jojoba is an oil that won't attract as much lint as some others, I haven't really noticed anything yet, but I probably will if I decide to keep using it.

I do try to change pillowcase every other night (turning the pillow over after one night), so maybe it wouldn't be too bad to sleep with it.

Yes, my hair soaks up oil like a sponge and will rebel if it doesn’t get its daily dose. But it is porous right from the root, I produce very little sebum, what I do produce is the waxy kind that doesn’t coat the hair, and as if that weren’t enough I’m also a curly. I need something to seal my hair and keep it from snagging on anything and everything. When it stops soaking up oil so greedily I know it’s about time for a wash.

Once it has soaked up the oil, it doesn’t feel particularly greasy unless I have used a bunch of my Cantu leave in as a styler—but even that will eventually soak in as long as my hair isn’t saturated and in need of a wash. I haven’t timed how long it takes to soak the oil up on an average day, but I think it’s about an hour. Sometimes it will soak it up immediately, but that usually means I need to apply more or my hair will feel parched by the end of the day and frizz will be out of control unless I add enough to need more time for it to soak in. If I have applied the right amount it will not look greasy (in a bun, anyway) while it’s soaking in, and nobody ought to be touching my hair anyway, freshly oiled or not :D

Currently I’m washing about once a week. I tried washing/wetting my hair more often to DC more, but my hair hated it and my ends split :( I usually co-wash, but will use a sulfate-free shampoo if I feel like I have buildup/dirt/anything gross happened to my hair. My hair does not tolerate sulfates, and my skin and scalp don’t really handle them well either. And yes, this usually gets all the oil out.

I never have a problem with greasy roots, but my hair is difficult to weigh down. It sounds as if your hair might be low porosity (products tend to just sit on top), so your experience might well be vastly different from mine. But I am proof that there are exceptions to the general recommendations for oil on here! Definitely experiment and see what works best for you!

If the jojoba doesn’t work or you just want to try more oils, I’ve heard sunflower oil is easily absorbable like coconut oil but without the crunchiness. (For normal person hair... not just oil-guzzling hair like mine, lol.) And check for lint every time you detangle! If an oil suddenly becones a lint magnet, better to figure it out asap. HTH :)

[Estrid]

Oil attracts a lot of dust and lint to my hair, so I only use it as a pre-wash treatment these days. I use a leave-in conditioner with silicone (forget which one), and yes - my hair does appear to benefit from both.

I hope my hair won't do the same with oil, but it might very well do!



I use coconut oil and just get a little bit on my palm, rub my hands together for a minute and it melts from the friction/body heat.

Ah, alright, sounds easier than what I was envisioning ;)



No, it all stays in. I do my final rinse, turn the water off, grab my conditioner and coconut oil (I have a big tub of it already mixed) and start scrunching it in as the water's running out of my hair. Once it's stopped dripping, I just dry as normal.

Just rub it between your hands until it turns liquid. It behaves like any other oil then.

Before you try it, hair tends to either react very well or very badly to coconut oil. It's a protein mimicker, so how your hair reacts will depend on whether it needs protein or not. If it needs the protein, it will dry soft. If it doesn't, it will feel dry and crunchy (but a wash and conditioning treatment will sort it).

Other moisturising oils that are not protein mimickers are olive, avocado and argan. If your hair doesn't like coconut, it might like one of those.

I see, I think I will have to try that! My hair hasn't liked protein in the past, but I'm not 100 % sure why that was, so I might as well try coconut oil once and see how it works.



Yes, my hair soaks up oil like a sponge and will rebel if it doesn’t get its daily dose. But it is porous right from the root, I produce very little sebum, what I do produce is the waxy kind that doesn’t coat the hair, and as if that weren’t enough I’m also a curly. I need something to seal my hair and keep it from snagging on anything and everything. When it stops soaking up oil so greedily I know it’s about time for a wash.

Once it has soaked up the oil, it doesn’t feel particularly greasy unless I have used a bunch of my Cantu leave in as a styler—but even that will eventually soak in as long as my hair isn’t saturated and in need of a wash. I haven’t timed how long it takes to soak the oil up on an average day, but I think it’s about an hour. Sometimes it will soak it up immediately, but that usually means I need to apply more or my hair will feel parched by the end of the day and frizz will be out of control unless I add enough to need more time for it to soak in. If I have applied the right amount it will not look greasy (in a bun, anyway) while it’s soaking in, and nobody ought to be touching my hair anyway, freshly oiled or not :D

Currently I’m washing about once a week. I tried washing/wetting my hair more often to DC more, but my hair hated it and my ends split :( I usually co-wash, but will use a sulfate-free shampoo if I feel like I have buildup/dirt/anything gross happened to my hair. My hair does not tolerate sulfates, and my skin and scalp don’t really handle them well either. And yes, this usually gets all the oil out.

I never have a problem with greasy roots, but my hair is difficult to weigh down. It sounds as if your hair might be low porosity (products tend to just sit on top), so your experience might well be vastly different from mine. But I am proof that there are exceptions to the general recommendations for oil on here! Definitely experiment and see what works best for you!

If the jojoba doesn’t work or you just want to try more oils, I’ve heard sunflower oil is easily absorbable like coconut oil but without the crunchiness. (For normal person hair... not just oil-guzzling hair like mine, lol.) And check for lint every time you detangle! If an oil suddenly becones a lint magnet, better to figure it out asap. HTH :)

That is so interesting! Thank you for answering my questions :o If I should be honest I've envied people who got hair like that, I've watched countless natural hair videos on youtube over the years because I just find it fascinating how they can put so much product into the hair and the hair magically eats it all up and becomes more and more fabulous. I mean, come on, I would rather have that than "meh to everything", which it is now. The only advice for low porosity hair that I've found in the past is "apply heat" which I don't want to do.
Does sound like our hairs are completely opposites in how they behave, it's weird how it can be like that!

Oh well, I suppose these tips that I've gotten now might work, I hope they will. I think I might wash my hair tomorrow even though I don't need to just because I want to try them out x) I'm too impatient for my own good.

[lapushka]

I did try rinse out a few years back, and I did see some effect of it, but not any huge ones, but then I used mineral oil. Is it really the same thing though? I thought you lightly rinsed it out?

I guess I could try to apply oil on wet hair after my next wash and not rinse it out and see what happens.

I think oil on wet hair is still a tad different than on dry hair. If you want to use it on wet hair (it seals in moisture that way), then perhaps lightly mist the hair (very lightly) and then seal with a couple drops of oil?

I am currently no longer using my baby oil (mineral oil), but Dr Hauschka's neem oil blend. Have to use that up as well!

[Estrid]

I think oil on wet hair is still a tad different than on dry hair. If you want to use it on wet hair (it seals in moisture that way), then perhaps lightly mist the hair (very lightly) and then seal with a couple drops of oil?

I am currently no longer using my baby oil (mineral oil), but Dr Hauschka's neem oil blend. Have to use that up as well!

I could try that, for sure! I do think I will wash my hair today and try coconut oil and see how that works, feels like I'm overflowing with tips but it's only like, 3 different ones x) I should be able to try them all over this and next week. I hope at least one works well for me.

[lapushka]

I could try that, for sure! I do think I will wash my hair today and try coconut oil and see how that works, feels like I'm overflowing with tips but it's only like, 3 different ones x) I should be able to try them all over this and next week. I hope at least one works well for me.

Experimenting can be fun, right? ;)

[Estrid]

Experimenting can be fun, right? ;)

I personally don't really like it because I rarely get anything more than "meh" from my hair when I try something new x) So it feels a bit time consuming, but I do want to find something that works!

Sadly this conditioner + coconut oil in wet hair as leave in seems to not have made any improvement. I don't know if I used enough coconut (I was a bit scared to use too much so I took what would probably translate to maybe 3 drops), but I don't see how more of it would've made this better. My length feels quite rough. I can't feel any tackiness though, so maybe the conditioner did soak in? I don't know. Whatever happened, the end result isn't that great. When I detangle with my fingers my ends sounds dry, a really strange sound. I guess maybe it is the coconut oil, "crunchy", was it? if I pinch my ends, it sure makes a crunch-noise x)


I wanted to give this a fair shot so I washed with a sulphate shampoo to get rid of potential build up, and the water turned yellow. It wasn't long ago since I did a very intense sulphate wash after quitting the shampoo bar, the new sulphate free shampoo I got and tried after that made a part of my scalp itch, so I started using the jessicurl cleansing cream again (used it for a while last year) since I still had that. I know this wasn't really what I made this thread for, but it does seem like sulphate free shampoos doesn't really clean my hair very well. I know they're not supposed to strip the hair like sulphate shampoos, but should it really be so much in the hair that one sulphate wash turns the water yellow?
Now that I think of it, this excess tangling and knotting of my hair has probably increased since I started experimenting with less harsh shampoos. My hair never really misbehaved when I washed with sulphate shampoos in the past (and no conditioner), sure it was poofy, and I still had splits and flyaways, but knots? no.

[nycelle]

Coconut oil does not agree with all hair. Many people get that dry, crunchy feeling you're talking about.

I love sweet almond oil, or argan oil personally. When I do use coconut oil, it's a blend with rose hip and argan. I don't use it on it's own.

[Estrid]

Coconut oil does not agree with all hair. Many people get that dry, crunchy feeling you're talking about.

I love sweet almond oil, or argan oil personally. When I do use coconut oil, it's a blend with rose hip and argan. I don't use it on it's own.

Is it weird that I kind of predicted it? I remember reading about coconut oil in hair many years ago, and being like "yeah, my hair would probably not like it", just because my hair never likes anything.

I had jojoba oil in my hair all day yesterday, and I think I might have spoken too soon about that. It does prevent my hair from tangling up when I got it restrained (in a bun, braid, etc), but when I had it down my hair slowly but surely tried to again. I would need to use as much oil as I did during those pre-wash oilings for it to really prevent my hair from doing that.
I will try some drops after washing it next time, but if that doesn't work, maybe this is another meh.

*sigh*

[Estrid]

Maybe I should have made that the thread instead, "how to care for hair that doesn't care for anything" x)

Maybe I should make it now...

[lapushka]

3-5 drops is not that much, I don't think. On dry hair, yes, but wet? Not so much. I would try and venture out to 10 (on *wet* hair, so misted). Oil somehow spreads easier as well on wet hair - don't ask me why, I don't have a clue. LOL!

But I'd scratch the coconut oil for sure; it truly (like nycelle mentions) doesn't agree with lots of people.

Jojoba, sweet almond, macadamia, olive, grapeseed, etc. ... all good oils!

[Estrid]

3-5 drops is not that much, I don't think. On dry hair, yes, but wet? Not so much. I would try and venture out to 10 (on *wet* hair, so misted). Oil somehow spreads easier as well on wet hair - don't ask me why, I don't have a clue. LOL!

But I'd scratch the coconut oil for sure; it truly (like nycelle mentions) doesn't agree with lots of people.

Jojoba, sweet almond, macadamia, olive, grapeseed, etc. ... all good oils!

I will try to add jojoba oil to wet hair next time around, which should be monday.


Conditioner I already knew my hair didn't care for, rinsed out (can add slip and help detangle in shower, but nothing else) or left in (I've tried that multiple times). I hoped the coconut oil would make a difference, but it didn't make a good difference, sadly.

[MusicalSpoons]

I do ROO using a medium palmful of sweet almond oil, and it works well for me - it does leave my hair slightly coated when dry, though it does all seem to absorb by a couple of days later (doesn't bother me at all because my hair is basically always up) and doesn't attract lint. I'd imagine your current use of oil is more like a serum though? ROO for me seems to seal in moisture, but it depends on why oil helps your hair whether ROO would have similar good effects for you.

Some people find they can use coconut oil in combination with other oils but not alone, and others just can't use it. Of course it works brilliantly for some too, and method makes all the difference as well (just as with most products, tbh!)

[Wravyn]

Congrats on finding something that works! :magic: I see no reason why you shouldn't try using it every day. I've been using a small amount (for about a year now) after each wash when my hair is still wet, and so far, it has only been helpful.

However, I would be careful of oil products high in protein because it can actually make things worse if you don't need it. But if you plan to continue with the jojoba oil you should be fine. Good luck!

[Estrid]

I do ROO using a medium palmful of sweet almond oil, and it works well for me - it does leave my hair slightly coated when dry, though it does all seem to absorb by a couple of days later (doesn't bother me at all because my hair is basically always up) and doesn't attract lint. I'd imagine your current use of oil is more like a serum though? ROO for me seems to seal in moisture, but it depends on why oil helps your hair whether ROO would have similar good effects for you.

Some people find they can use coconut oil in combination with other oils but not alone, and others just can't use it. Of course it works brilliantly for some too, and method makes all the difference as well (just as with most products, tbh!)

I guess it's more like a serum, yeah. I don't really know how sealed in moisture would feel or look in my hair because I'm honestly not sure if I've ever succeeded to get any moisture into it. I will apply jojoba oil after my next wash and see what it does on my wet hair, I don't expect much, but I can hope that it does something.

I don't really see the point of trying to make coconut oil work when it didn't work on it's own. It's an expensive oil, a bit annoying to deal with since it's solid. It does smell good though, I'll give it that!



Congrats on finding something that works! :magic: I see no reason why you shouldn't try using it every day. I've been using a small amount (for about a year now) after each wash when my hair is still wet, and so far, it has only been helpful.

However, I would be careful of oil products high in protein because it can actually make things worse if you don't need it. But if you plan to continue with the jojoba oil you should be fine. Good luck!

I hope it will work better for me when I apply it to wet hair since this good effect that I got only seems to be if I apply A LOT of oil to my hair, a little to coat it wasn't enough :(

I don't know if any oils contain protein, since oil is supposed to be 100 % fat :p but I know what you mean I guess, I tried coconut oil today and my hair didn't like it, so yeah.

[Wravyn]

I hope it will work better for me when I apply it to wet hair since this good effect that I got only seems to be if I apply A LOT of oil to my hair, a little to coat it wasn't enough :(

I don't know if any oils contain protein, since oil is supposed to be 100 % fat :p but I know what you mean I guess, I tried coconut oil today and my hair didn't like it, so yeah.

Yes, exactly! That's why I only use it when my hair is wet.

Oh and sorry, I wasn't talking about natural oils... I meant oil products, like the ones you can get at the drug store with added Keratin or something. :)

[Estrid]

Yes, exactly! That's why I only use it when my hair is wet.

Oh and sorry, I wasn't talking about natural oils... I meant oil products, like the ones you can get at the drug store with added Keratin or something. :)

Oh, I see x) I don't think I would ever put my money on that, would feel like such a waste when my hair doesn't seem to like anything.

[Alibran]

I don't really see the point of trying to make coconut oil work when it didn't work on it's own. It's an expensive oil, a bit annoying to deal with since it's solid. It does smell good though, I'll give it that!

It being solid at room temperature is one of the reasons I love it. It goes back to solid once it's in my hair, and helps to hold the curl and prevent frizz. In summer, when it turns to liquid, I have to use gel if I want to wear my hair down.

Anyway, if your hair went crunchy, it obviously didn't like it, so I can't see much point in trying again. I do agree that you need to use more than 3 drops of oil, though. The worst that will happen if you use too much is that your hair will look oily, and you'll need to wear it up until your next wash.

[elfynity]

Hi Estrid, I haven't been here very long, but I will tell you my experience and hopefully that will help in some way.

The only oil that has worked for me is avocado oil. I have tried castor, sweet almond, coconut and jojoba. Every other oil seems to have some kind of issue. I wash, condition, allow to dry and then start applying a very small amount of it to my length. Like literally 1 drop of oil rubbed all over my hands first. I do this about every 3rd or so day.

I find that putting the oil on makes my hair keep moisture for longer - hence better curls, more shine, easier to get a brush through it. My hair isn't oily after that - it seems to absorb in somehow, so I don't have to worry about it spreading to things around me. I do have to be careful though, if I overdo it just by a little bit I have to wash my hair to look presentable again.

[Estrid]

It being solid at room temperature is one of the reasons I love it. It goes back to solid once it's in my hair, and helps to hold the curl and prevent frizz. In summer, when it turns to liquid, I have to use gel if I want to wear my hair down.

Anyway, if your hair went crunchy, it obviously didn't like it, so I can't see much point in trying again. I do agree that you need to use more than 3 drops of oil, though. The worst that will happen if you use too much is that your hair will look oily, and you'll need to wear it up until your next wash.

I think I kind of anticipated that it would make my hair crunchy, and that was why I didn't dare to take more of it x) I definitely need more oil for my hair to behave than what I applied two days ago, it will make my hair appear slightly oily, but maybe that's worth it (that's what I'm gathering now at least, but I'll give jojoba oil in wet hair a chance before I decide on that.

Makes sense that some would prefer a solid, I guess I just prefer dripping something into my hands instead of having to use a tool to get it out of a jar, I guess it being a bit colder here than some would like has made the coconut oil even more solid x)



Hi Estrid, I haven't been here very long, but I will tell you my experience and hopefully that will help in some way.

The only oil that has worked for me is avocado oil. I have tried castor, sweet almond, coconut and jojoba. Every other oil seems to have some kind of issue. I wash, condition, allow to dry and then start applying a very small amount of it to my length. Like literally 1 drop of oil rubbed all over my hands first. I do this about every 3rd or so day.

I find that putting the oil on makes my hair keep moisture for longer - hence better curls, more shine, easier to get a brush through it. My hair isn't oily after that - it seems to absorb in somehow, so I don't have to worry about it spreading to things around me. I do have to be careful though, if I overdo it just by a little bit I have to wash my hair to look presentable again.

Thank you for your reply, I've heard a lot of good things about avocado oil, but haven't ever tried it. It's possible that it wouldn't work as well for me since what you say is that it helps your hair keep moisture, my hair is never really moisturised because it just sits on top, conditioners never penetrate my hair, best they do is detangle when I got them in my hair. Maybe I need to wash my hair with hotter water or something, I don't know.

I will give jojoba oil a decent chance, but if nothing works I might buy avocado oil to try it out :)

[elfynity]

Incredibly non porous hair! I'm looking forward to seeing what finally works for you.

[MusicalSpoons]

I guess it's more like a serum, yeah. I don't really know how sealed in moisture would feel or look in my hair because I'm honestly not sure if I've ever succeeded to get any moisture into it. I will apply jojoba oil after my next wash and see what it does on my wet hair, I don't expect much, but I can hope that it does something.

I don't really see the point of trying to make coconut oil work when it didn't work on it's own. It's an expensive oil, a bit annoying to deal with since it's solid. It does smell good though, I'll give it that!

I was thinking about this since I first read your comment, and trying to work out how to explain what it feels like in my hair. It's difficult! When I first started doing ROO, the difference was noticeable - the ends felt smoother, less tangly, and felt more like the rest of my hair. I was satisfied with that and thought they were sufficiently moisturised, but then for whatever reason started double conditioning and wow! All of my hair felt smoother, less tangly, softer - so I thought that was sufficient moisturising. Then I started using the oil in ROO all through my lengths to try to help some very poor sections of hair (previous fringe / face-framing) actually get past shoulder length, and saw improvement. After that I changed my conditioners around in order and I'm now at the point where the ends just don't seem to need any extra moisture by the end of the week, because they feel just as soft as the day or two after washing. They remain soft and smooth and easy to detangle the whole time (actually detangling the morning after the wash is the most difficult time! It's fine, just takes a couple of minutes longer) and honestly the only reason I do a full wash every week is to give my scalp a thorough clean, which I can't do properly with scalp washing which I what I do a couple of times during the week.

tl;dr - for me 'moisturised' means feeling equally soft and smooth and easy to comb the whole way through my hair, and feeling the same throughout an entire week (or longer). If I get velcro-y ends, or rough feeling, or more tangles than usual, I know I've got it wrong.

But that's my hair, texture plays a part, and it's just how it is when it's well-behaved. I don't know that I could tell from looking at my hair the difference between moisturised or not. And it might not even *be* to do with moisture, that's just what I've assumed as all the changes have been things recommended for retaining moisture, and I don't know what else it's likely to be :)

Oh, I wasn't implying you should persevere with coconut oil, though I see how it read that way, sorry! :flower: my ends loved it the first few times I tried and then went all crunchy on me, which put me off and I've not experimented with it since. Think I'd rather eat the stuff! ;)

[Estrid]

Thank you for the explanation of how moisturised feels for you, MusicalSpoons!
I'm not sure if I can reach that level of moisturised, but I tried putting jojoba oil in wet hair yesterday. I will have to see how it behaves over the next few days and try it some more times before I can say if I like it or not, but for now it looks like it works. It seems to have detangled my hair pretty nicely and as dry it's been shinier, softer and silkier than normal, and it doesn't look oily (despite me putting quite a lot in, not sure how much, but I accidentally squeezed the bottle and quite a lot came out)

I don't know what more I could possibly add to my hair that I haven't already tried, maybe this is good enough? My ends do not feel like velcro, they are not tangling together, they're quite soft... Oh well, as I said, I need to see how this looks in a few days.

[Alibran]

It's definitely a softness thing. Moisturised hair feels soft.

Another thing you could try, if you're finding an oil your hair likes, is mixing oil and conditioner together before putting them into your hair, either as a rinse out conditioner or as a leave in. I have no idea why this works for me, but my hair seems to take moisture a lot better that way. (And it's how I make my coconut oil manageable in winter. If it isn't mixed with conditioner, it goes so hard in my cold bathroom that I have to scrape it out of the jar with my nails!)

[MusicalSpoons]

It's definitely a softness thing. Moisturised hair feels soft.

Another thing you could try, if you're finding an oil your hair likes, is mixing oil and conditioner together before putting them into your hair, either as a rinse out conditioner or as a leave in. I have no idea why this works for me, but my hair seems to take moisture a lot better that way. (And it's how I make my coconut oil manageable in winter. If it isn't mixed with conditioner, it goes so hard in my cold bathroom that I have to scrape it out of the jar with my nails!)

Here it's always solid except the warmest of summer days :grin:

Mixing with conditioner sounds interesting. If I find my routine needs tweaking I'll have to remember that. How / when do you mix it?

[MusicalSpoons]

Thank you for the explanation of how moisturised feels for you, MusicalSpoons!
I'm not sure if I can reach that level of moisturised, but I tried putting jojoba oil in wet hair yesterday. I will have to see how it behaves over the next few days and try it some more times before I can say if I like it or not, but for now it looks like it works. It seems to have detangled my hair pretty nicely and as dry it's been shinier, softer and silkier than normal, and it doesn't look oily (despite me putting quite a lot in, not sure how much, but I accidentally squeezed the bottle and quite a lot came out)

I don't know what more I could possibly add to my hair that I haven't already tried, maybe this is good enough? My ends do not feel like velcro, they are not tangling together, they're quite soft... Oh well, as I said, I need to see how this looks in a few days.

You're very welcome, I'm glad it made sense! It took a few washes with the tweaked routine for it to consistently feel really good for me, so once you find something that works, stick with it a while and you'll probably find your hair starts to feel better and better :)

[Estrid]

It's definitely a softness thing. Moisturised hair feels soft.

Another thing you could try, if you're finding an oil your hair likes, is mixing oil and conditioner together before putting them into your hair, either as a rinse out conditioner or as a leave in. I have no idea why this works for me, but my hair seems to take moisture a lot better that way. (And it's how I make my coconut oil manageable in winter. If it isn't mixed with conditioner, it goes so hard in my cold bathroom that I have to scrape it out of the jar with my nails!)

The issue with that is that I don't really know what conditioner that I like, all of them basically do nothing for me. I would have to buy a new one since I don't have any at home if I wanted to try that x) That sounds somewhat unpleasant with the coconut oil x) I can picture it though, it's very solid in the jar I have. That is basically what I did some days ago, mixed some coconut oil and conditioner (the little I had left), didn't really like the result, but it was probably the coconut oil that my hair didn't like.



You're very welcome, I'm glad it made sense! It took a few washes with the tweaked routine for it to consistently feel really good for me, so once you find something that works, stick with it a while and you'll probably find your hair starts to feel better and better :)

I'll hope for the best :p

[AutobotsAttack]

I would say it depends on your hair type.

I always have Shea Butter or something with Shea Butter in it. My hair type is a rather kinky 4a type, and even with it being relaxed, it needs something to keep the moisture locked in. Serums do an okay job, but Shea Butter or Almond oil need to be applied frequently. Otherwise I end up with extremely dry, rough hair.

[Estrid]

I would say it depends on your hair type.

I always have Shea Butter or something with Shea Butter in it. My hair type is a rather kinky 4a type, and even with it being relaxed, it needs something to keep the moisture locked in. Serums do an okay job, but Shea Butter or Almond oil need to be applied frequently. Otherwise I end up with extremely dry, rough hair.

Oh, it most surely seems to depend on a few different things, I think porosity is one of the bigger factors (at least it seems to be).

I've never used any of those, but I've heard a lot of good things about shea butter. I wish I could try all these different things without buying them, I don't like buying something and then having it not work out.

[AutobotsAttack]

Oh, it most surely seems to depend on a few different things, I think porosity is one of the bigger factors (at least it seems to be).

I've never used any of those, but I've heard a lot of good things about shea butter. I wish I could try all these different things without buying them, I don't like buying something and then having it not work out.

I wish they had samples online, to see if you like it. That would make product shopping such a breeze instead of buying 8 ounces of something only to have it sit on your shelf, or even end up in the trash.

Shea Butter is more or less like that. They’re mostly in tubs. Which isn’t all that great if you’re just trying to find like an ounce of it to try. I’d like to swap some to see if anyone would try it though.

[elfynity]

I wish they had samples online, to see if you like it. That would make product shopping such a breeze instead of buying 8 ounces of something only to have it sit on your shelf, or even end up in the trash.




I wish I could try all these different things without buying them, I don't like buying something and then having it not work out.

I totally agree! Every product should come with mini testers, I wouldn't mind paying for the convenience at all. How do we get the word out to the whole world!! sigh

[MusicalSpoons]

I totally agree! Every product should come with mini testers, I wouldn't mind paying for the convenience at all. How do we get the word out to the whole world!! sigh

Another voice to the chorus of 'sample sizes are awesome'!

I've actually seen some people sell sample sizes of stuff that they've decanted themselves, especially on eBay, but unfortunately there's no guarantee they've been as thoroughly hygienic as one would hope for.

[Estrid]

Hopefully, in the future, all brands will have sample sized things >.>

As I said I tried to put jojoba oil in wet hair last wash, and the effect it had seems to have lasted. I'm due for another wash, and my length is still not knotting or tangling up. My very ends (last 2-3 cm) are still a bit meh, but maybe I could get a specific product just for those?

[elfynity]

Hopefully, in the future, all brands will have sample sized things >.>

As I said I tried to put jojoba oil in wet hair last wash, and the effect it had seems to have lasted. I'm due for another wash, and my length is still not knotting or tangling up. My very ends (last 2-3 cm) are still a bit meh, but maybe I could get a specific product just for those?

At what stage in the wash did you put the oil in? I would like to give this method a try. Maybe some avocado oil after shampoo but before conditioner.

[Estrid]

At what stage in the wash did you put the oil in? I would like to give this method a try. Maybe some avocado oil after shampoo but before conditioner.

I put it in after I rinsed out the shampoo, and I did not rinse the oil out and I did not apply conditioner, so I suppose it was the last thing I did. Do try it! It would be fun to hear if it works for someone else as well x)

[bokeh]

Just a couple thoughts. I'm glad that you've had luck with jojoba oil. Jojoba oil has worked well for me too and I also love argon oil. I like keeping both of these oils on hand and changing them up occasionally. I like olive oil also especially as a pre-poo. I've noticed that a lot of people with coarse hair have trouble with coconut oil and that has certainly been the case for me. You might try GVP Conditioning Balm from Sally's as a rinse-out on your ends followed by some oil. I always make sure my hair is damp before adding oil because I want the water to soak into the hair first so that the oil can then seal it in. On days that I haven't washed I like to dampen my hair a little with wet hands before adding a couple drops of oil. I never put oil on dry hair. hth

[Estrid]

I don't think I'll purchase anything new for now, other than maybe a new shampoo once I run out of the one I've been using now (starting to doubt if I really should be sulphate-free).
I found that the leave in conditioner that I had at home (and never liked) actually seems to do a quite nice job when I only apply it to my ends (paul mitchell original leave in conditioner).

I don't know, I like my new routine. My hair looks and behaves nice every single day, not sure if I could ask for anything more.

[Cymiri]

I use mineral oil in place of conditioner [Catnip soak+ mineral oil, Ktani's method from way back when]. A few drops- 7 throughout my hip length hair- is all it needs to nicely seal in some moisture.
A good point to note is that some oils- mineral oil being a key one- are great at 'locking in' moisutre [sealing oils] and thus do better [for dry hair types] over wet hair. So if you do feel the need to re-add some oil between washes, and are using a sealing oil, with dry hair types, liberally mist first.
I feel no need to re-apply between washes, though, but love the extra slip and sheen the oil gives me.
Keep it to drops, though. While a heavier oiling can be good hear and there, it's just unneccessary gunk in the hair if kept like that 24/7. Learning to *not* smoosh it all over til my hair looked wet has been a big learning curve. Using drops, you get to keep 'fresh clean' looking hair but still get the oil benifits. I personally wouldn't do it daily by rote, rather evaluate you hair- has the last lot all soaked in? Then you're good for more. Cuts down on the oil holiding lint/marking clothes etc.

[MarPreciosa]

I've recently started to experiment a bit with oiling my hair. Before I was always a bit sceptical of it, since I hate the feel and look of greasy hair (I guess that's why it took me so long to try it).

My hair has always been rather poofy and frizzy/a lot of fly aways, but the past 5 or so years my texture seems to have changed a bit since I now get more tangles, knots and splits (something I never got as a teen, no matter how much I neglected my hair). I can brush my hair to get out the tangles and 10 seconds later the strands are back at knotting together (basically = a waste of time to brush it).
I guess it's some hormonal change I've gone through, I haven't really put that much thought into it. One of those "it is what is is" sort of things, you know?


Anyways, first time I played with oil (two weeks ago?) I was going to do a pre-wash heavy oiling over night, and took the oil I normally use for my skin: jojoba. I brushed my hair and put what I considered a lot of oil on my lengths (5 drops?), and just like that all of those annoying qualities that my hair got just vanished. No frizz, no flyaways, instead it turned shiny, soft, and it didn't form a single tangle till the day after when I had washed it out. I could run my hands through it!

I did it again some days ago, and the same thing, my hair just behaved so much better when it had oil in it, it was even easier to put up (and it stayed put!).


Now I'm wondering if it might be beneficial for me to oil my hair every day (if I need to, maybe the oil would stay in my hair long enough that I wouldn't have to reapply it) instead of doing these pre-wash heavier oilings, because I'm not actually sure if I've noticed any benefits from pre-wash oiling, when I wash it out my hair is basically just back to normal. With oil in my hair, though, it feels like I could prevent damage that I else would get from tangles, knots etc and in the same time look shiny and neat.


Are there any big downsides of constantly having oil in your hair?
The only ones I can think of is that it might attract lint (as if my hair isn't already a magnet when it's just its normal self), and that it might transfer a bit to clothes/hats/pillowcases, but since it's so much easier to put it up, I feel like my clothes should be somewhat safe, and then I do think I won't be applying as much oil as I did before washing it.



Any thought on this = greatly appreciated! This turned into a longer text than I expected (sorry about that).

Think it probably depends alot on the type of oil. Argan oil lightly placed on the last 2-3" of hair is my daily go-to and I haven't seen a downside yet. That being said, my hair is baby fine so I don't get dusty. It seems like you may have this issue though from what you have written. Doesn't hurt to expirement a little though, right? So far I have not noticed it transfer to anything.

[bokeh]

I don't know, I like my new routine. My hair looks and behaves nice every single day, not sure if I could ask for anything more.[/QUOTE]

I'm glad to hear that! Not many people are able to get such consistent and favorable results.

[MusicalSpoons]

I don't know, I like my new routine. My hair looks and behaves nice every single day, not sure if I could ask for anything more.

Woohoo! Enjoy it :D

[RottenMango]

I think it’s fine to use oil in your hair everyday as long as you shampoo regularly. Oils nourish the hair and scalp.