Starting with oiling my hair - advice?

[LillyBlossom]

Hi everyone, thank you for reading my post.

I've been here for a little while now and I've learnt so much already about taking care of my hair to reach my length goals.

I'd like to start using oils on my hair and was looking for some basic advice on how to get started?

What is your favourite oil for your hair?

How do you use it (e.g how much and do you leave it overnight or leave it in or just put it in then wash it out?)

How do you wash it out? (worried about using lots of shampoo to get it out and drying out my hair??)

Do you oil just the scalp or the whole lot?

Sorry if I sound really silly and uneducated - I kinda am!

I appreciate any input and advice you have to offer.

Thank you

Lilly

[Ylva]

Coconut oil is always worth a shot - some people's hair loves it and others' hates it! The only way to know is testing how it works for you. For me, it's amazing for pre-poo, ROO and for protecting my hair during hairdresser visits.

Then, maybe you'll want to give a non-penetrating oil such a jojoba oil a try.

Basically any oil could be nice for your hair, so if you can get your hands on small bottles, just go nuts and test how your hair likes them all! You can always use them up on your skin or something.

ETA: I forgot to answer some of your questions. Pre-poo oils I sometimes leave overnight. I don't tend to use oil as a leave-in - it's just a bit too heavy and... oily, for me. I prefer coney serums instead. I oil my scalp occasionally, but I don't leave that in for longer than a couple of hours.

[lapushka]

Ylva is right about coconut oil. Not everyone's hair likes it, there are other oils that you don't run that "risk" with, so I'd go with those instead, especially for a first experience with oil.

You can try sweet almond for example.

I myself am now using a neem oil blend for ROO (rinse-out oil, link in signature), but I have used baby oil for that. Read through the thread carefully if you are wanting to do it this way because less is more, like a few drops, spread through palms & applied will do!

I would go slowly with oil, and use less rather than more. If you use a teaspoon to a tablespoon full of oil for your entire head pre-poo, that should be enough. No need to slather your head in oil, because you won't be able to wash it out in one or even two goes.

Good luck!

[mwallingford]

There's some great advise from Ylva and lapushka! I'd just like to add that oil is fairly easy to remove with conditioner- I know it sounds odd, but the emulsifier that binds the oil and water together in conditioner will bind to the oil in your hair to safely remove excess oil and still condition your hair.

* My favorite oil for my hair is coconut oil, though please do note the above comments that your hair may not like it, but it's always worth a shot!
* Coconut oil is one of the few penetrating oils, so I apply it overnight before a wash to let it penetrate the hair cuticles as much as possible to help prevent hydral fatigue
* I don't really do anything too special to wash it out, but I first wash my scalp (and rinse before conditioner), then apply conditioner from the ears down, rinse that out, and apply another conditioner before doing a final rinse
* Some people choose to oil their scalp and find it very beneficial. I found that it caused an excessive amount of shedding for me, but your mileage may vary!

Hope this helps, and best of luck! :blossom:

[lapushka]

Oh yes, mwallingford brings up a good point on oiling the scalp. Be careful with it, and if you notice extra shedding then stop putting oil on your scalp asap! It is a sign that your scalp + oil do not mix well. Some people just can't do oil on the scalp!

I have SD, aka seborrheic dermatitis, and especially with that condition, you can't put oil on your scalp as it will "feed" the fungus that is SD, and so make the condition worse than it is.

[milosmomma]

I loooove oils. I always want to slather my hair in them but really less is more with oils. As ylva said coconut is always a good place to start, some people, like myself, find it drying though. Lapusha already mentioned ROO which I've adopted into my routine as well and I find I dont NEED additional oils with this method, I get enough moisture from the roo alone but like I said...I'm a slatherer :lol:
If you are looking for a new oil I highly recommend meadowfoam seed oil. It's a semi penetrating oil so you get a little of both worlds. The coating moisture retention as well as some of the fatty acids actually getting into your hair strands. Almond oil is another great one that many people like. I would also recommend macadamia and hemp oil. I have had good luck with those.
How I use my oils are during a wash like the roo method and through out the week on dry hair mostly just ends. Sometimes I will spray the ends first and then LIGHTLY oil over top to seal in the water. I also use my oils for dry elbows, chapped lips, rubbing into wooden hairtoys and combs. When applying oil I usually rub a few drops between my hand so they're just shiny, not dripping in oil and then slide my hands down my hairs like the "praying hands" method. I also have a wood comb i will use to distribute the oils further. The comb is a new addition and not necessary but it does help.
I never put oils on my scalp as it makes my hair fall. I experience A LOT of shedding when scalp oiling so I just avoid it. Some people love it though and it's really just down to experimenting with what your hair likes.
Oh, I would highly recommend looking in the cooking aisle for oils, you get more for cheaper than in the beauty section. Even check your cupboards, olive oil works for many people and it's probably something you already have.
Ok I think the only think I forgot is washing out oils. I definitely find that condition is way better and gentler at removing oils. Like I said I never oil my scalp so I can still shampoo my roots only and then co-wash the lengths. Leaving the cornish sit on the oil a while seems to help it absorb and remove more. Conditioning twice might help too, but I dont like shampooing oil out because I feel I'm undoing all that nice moisturizing I just did with my oils.
I hope you find some of my long winded post helpful, I'm a nut for oils so I love helping people love oils too :)

[Zesty]

Everyone has given great advice already. I'd try a light oil first, on dry hair, and just a smidge (shiny palms, run through the length of your hair). I say dry hair because it's easier to tell if you've overdone it. My first oil was jojoba, on dry hair, and it worked great for me. I think grapeseed oil is also pretty light? Almond oil or avocado oil might be another idea. And it's a rite of passage to try coconut oil and see how your hair responds. :) Really there are so many options! Both for specific oils and the way you use them. So don't give up if your first try doesn't work.

What is your favourite oil for your hair?

I like a lot of different oils but I use Vatika brand coconut oil (herb-infused), regular sunflower oil from the grocery, and amla oil (mineral oil-based).

How do you use it (e.g how much and do you leave it overnight or leave it in or just put it in then wash it out?)

For sunflower oil and coconut oil, I use quite a bit (tablespoons, but I don't measure -- until my hair looks wet) and leave it on under a heat cap for 2+ hours, as long as I can manage. Both of those are supposedly "penetrating" oils, so I want to give them time to soak in. The amla oil I use between shampooing and conditioning (if I didn't do my heavy pre-wash oiling) in the "rinse out oil method" (lapushka mentioned already) or on dry hair as a leave-in.

How do you wash it out? (worried about using lots of shampoo to get it out and drying out my hair??)

Use lots and lots of conditioner, rather than relying on shampoo. And don't go as crazy with the amount of oil right off the bat. I can get away with using so much largely because my regular wash routine is shampoo twice, condition twice.

Do you oil just the scalp or the whole lot?

I *NEVER* put oil on my scalp. Just from the ears down. When I've tried scalp oiling, it caused a lot of itching and flaking and general skin unhappiness. That being said, it works great for some people. You'll have to give it a try to see how your scalp responds.

Best of luck! :)

[lithostoic]

Do a patch test. Only put oil on one part of your scalp and see how it reacts the next day.

[amiraaah]

I don’t have a favourite oil as my hair seems to sometimes love coconut oil and other times it makes my hair feel dry. I think because i have fine hair avocado oil works well. You should try different oils and see what works best but if you have fine hair try using oils like avocado or almond first.
I don’t leave oils overnight (unless i applied a tiny drop as a leave in) i find leaving oil overnight causes excessive shedding especially that my hair gets so fragile as if it’s wet and starts falling and breaking. I always saturate my scalp and my roots with oil because i know it will be washed well with the shampoo. On the other hand ,i never saturate my hair itself with oil because it’s hard to wash out and i will use so much shampoo to get the oil out which will make my hair more dry than it was before applying the oil.especially that i use conditioners ocassionaly.so I lightly oil my length after oiling my scalp. I leave the oil for an hour or 2.
Sometimes about twice a month i would use more oil on the length when i feel like washing my length with shampoo. I dilute alittle bit of shampoo in water and then wash my length gently with it.
I know that conditioners work well in getting oils out . So try condition-wash-condition method because it works perfect in removing the oil .

[LillyBlossom]

Thank you all so much! There are plenty of great tips for me, and so much information for me to read, thank you all for sharing.

I've got some jojoba and sweet almond oil so I might start there, and just a bit on the length and a small patch area on my scalp to see how it reacts. I had no idea it could cause shedding.

There is bound to be at least one oil my hair likes. :)

[Nineteenbirds]

I used to put coconut oil on my hair and leave it on for a few hours before shampooing. I loved what it did for the texture. Then I switched from liquid shampoo to a shampoo bar that's made with coconut oil, olive oil and a bunch of other good things, so it seemed redundant to keep using the coconut oil and I discontinued it. But for the last several months, I've worked just a little argan oil into my damp hair after I wash it, and it gives a nice texture and smoothness that I really appreciate. I buy my oil at Trader Joe's and it's not expensive. I've tried some other oils for the same purpose (it's fun to experiment!) but argan oil seems to work best for me. At least for now!

[LadyCelestina]

Another vote for avocado oil! It's the perfect middle ground in penetrating oils for me: coconut oil makes my hair somewhat dry and frizzy if I apply too much, olive oil can make it almost too slick.

Avocado is *just right*. Plus it sinks to my hair incredibly fast! Once I did a fairly heavy pre-wash oiling, intending to let it marinate while I go to the gym etc., but ended up having to take out the braid to dry my roots...
there was not even a trace of oiliness. Just silky smooth hair, like freshly conditioned.

[classielassie]

You've already received excellent advice, but here's my $.02

I pre-poo nearly every time I'm getting my hair wet, be it a full shampoo or a co-wash. I use a small amount of coconut oil, occasionally a small amount of Nightblooming's Triple Moon Oil (not sponsored or affiliated) all over my length only - ends to earlobes-.
I usually braid it and go to bed then wash it out in the morning.

And yes, cheap conditioner is amazing for getting out excess oil without stripping the hair. I like the VO5 Kiwi Lime, but the Vanilla Mint Tea also dissolves the oil.

Occasionally, like once a month maybe, I will oil my scalp with Jamaican Black Castor Oil, maybe 5-6 drops worth directly on the scalp. I give myself a really long, gentle scalp massage. I've coconut oiled the length too, so I braid or bun everything up for about an hour and then go wash it all out. Occasionally, I've left it overnight after a scalp oiling - no extra shedding I've experienced, but I did have to wash it more often that week.

I use a drop or two of jojoba oil on the last 2-3" after I've washed, conditioned, put in my leave in conditioner, and detangled. That really seems to help with the tangles on my hair. If its nearing wash day and I'm doing any kind of braid, I'll add a tiny bit more JO.

[hollygolightly]

Today I found out my perfect oil mixture. After trying a lot of different oils I tried mixing the last two oils that gave me amazing results (smooth, silky and shiny). Those oils were avocado oil and shea butter. I never tried them together and now this will be my go to prepoo (although I still have some old oil mixtures I want to use since I already made them)

Sometimes I leave oils overnight, sometimes 1 to 3 hours and then I soak my hair with conditioner for at least 15 minutes and then I wash it out. I prepoo everytime I wash my hair (every 4 days) and I apply it all over my hair but focusing mainly from the ears down.

I recommend trying different oils until you find the perfect one. Start with the ones that are easier to find (olive oil, coconut oil) and if you are really committed to oiling then start buying others. I say this because I didn't had any avocado oil or shea butter lying around my house but now I'm happy I bought them

[LillyBlossom]

Just an update for anyone who's interested :)

My hair appears to like avocado oil, I've just used a small amount on the length and ends (haven't been brave enough to try the scalp yet!) the night before washing my hair a couple of times and my hair does seem to like it, its very soft and shiny after washing it out, and the conditioner first trick works.

Thank you all again for your help :blossom:

[Ylva]

Just an update for anyone who's interested :)

My hair appears to like avocado oil, I've just used a small amount on the length and ends (haven't been brave enough to try the scalp yet!) the night before washing my hair a couple of times and my hair does seem to like it, its very soft and shiny after washing it out, and the conditioner first trick works.

Thank you all again for your help :blossom:

Many people's hair (especially fineys) seems to like avocado oil, so I'm really eager to try it! :)

[lapushka]

Just an update for anyone who's interested :)

My hair appears to like avocado oil, I've just used a small amount on the length and ends (haven't been brave enough to try the scalp yet!) the night before washing my hair a couple of times and my hair does seem to like it, its very soft and shiny after washing it out, and the conditioner first trick works.

Thank you all again for your help :blossom:

That's great news. I'm glad you like it! :)

[milosmomma]

Such good news! :) A lot of times you scalp is making it's own sebum so you dont need to oil near your scalp anyway.

[FlowerDance]

I really like jojoba oil and avocado oil! Jamaican black castor oil is good for the end of your hair, and essential oils like tea tree oil and rosemary oil are great choices for your scalp and hair :)