Hair Oils for Thin(ish) Straight Hair?

[ArtOfNoot]

The dry winter is hitting my hair really hard this year???? I don't have the thickest hair and my hair is blonde so hair oils and leave in contitioners make my hair heavy and very greasy looking. I use oil treatments and hair masks before washing, but after 2 days my hair gets dry and unhealthy looking again. My hair is virgin and at my armpit so its fairly young healthy, I have relativly few split ends, but my hair is forever dry.

So I'm currently on the hunt for oil I can leave in my hair for moisture that is very thin and won't make me greasy or weigh my hair down.

Does anyone else have this issue or am I the only one?

[Hexana]

Usually lighter oils help with fine hair, like jojoba, almond, avocado, grapeseed... I have fine(ish) hair and jojoba and almond oil seem to work for me. But I do make sure I put them on wet hair (right out of the shower), never on dry hair and my hair seems to hold up the moisture pretty good for about 3 to 4 days.

[Bri-Chan]

Did you try to use a combination of a gel and a oil? I have fine e very dry hair (but because it is damaged) and I often use both ... I usually put a drop of aloe vera gel and then a little amount of coconut oil. I wait few second and then I brush it. It helps me to keep it soft

[TreesOfEternity]

Which products are you currently using?

I have oily scalp and dry length and for me it was a matter of finding a routine that worked for me after lots of trial and error.

I can recommend you some products that have worked for me so far:

Kallos botaniq superfruits
Klorane desert date leave in
Fructis Aloe air dry cream

I would use something light and moisturizing like those, then you can apply two drops of oil on top if you want, but putting oil on dry hair doesn’t work for everyone, it sometimes makes it worse.

[Tinyponies]

Hi there yeah dry winter air can really change how your hair feels. I don’t want to be a pain as this isn’t what you’re asking after but I’m all about prevention - are you keeping your hair up/covered as much as possible? Of all the nice things I do for my hair, for me that’s no#1 (in the cold right now, but there’s always a reason :lol: wind, rain, sun, air conditioning, central heating, never mind the physical reasons like tree branches...)

Regarding oils, I’m having luck on my fine hair with sweet almond after trying a few (but slowly, so more to maybe try in future) but I only started to *get* it with the oil thing after I found a routine where my hair was happy and not all stripped and needy if that makes sense). But that’s different for everyone of course.

[0xalis]

I use olive oil but a VERY small amount, and I rub it between my hands and then finger comb the ends. Getting the balance of Just Enough with olive oil can be tricky, but it's the only oil I have on hand so I've learned how to use it.

[LittleHealthy]

My hair is thin, fine, dead straight and blonde.
If you want moisture, oil doesn't give that. Oil seals in the moisture. That was a game changing fact for me. I was oiling dry hair for about 12 months without the results I wanted (moisture)!
What I do is spritz my ends with some water (the moisture component) and then get 3 small droplets of pure argan oil (I've found this to be the thinnest and lightest oil for my hair) and i rub my hands together, then gently massage it into the ends of my hair, over the wetness of the water. So the oil seals in the water and voila, you have locked in moisture!!
If your hair is thin like mine, honestly you only need 2 or 3 drops of oil, that's all. Any more means it looks greasy! I often do this for my hair at night time so that by morning it looks more normal again and doesn't have the appearance of being wet.
My favourite oil is argan as I said, but I also like jojoba. However I find jojoba is a little heavier.

Also you could add those couple of drops of oil to your ends while your hair is damp after a shower!

PS I don't use leave in conditioners, they make my hair look greasy and weighed down, too. I feel you on that!!

[Tinyponies]

My hair is thin, fine, dead straight and blonde.
If you want moisture, oil doesn't give that. Oil seals in the moisture. That was a game changing fact for me. I was oiling dry hair for about 12 months without the results I wanted (moisture)!
What I do is spritz my ends with some water (the moisture component) and then get 3 small droplets of pure argan oil (I've found this to be the thinnest and lightest oil for my hair) and i rub my hands together, then gently massage it into the ends of my hair, over the wetness of the water. So the oil seals in the water and voila, you have locked in moisture!!
If your hair is thin like mine, honestly you only need 2 or 3 drops of oil, that's all. Any more means it looks greasy! I often do this for my hair at night time so that by morning it looks more normal again and doesn't have the appearance of being wet.
My favourite oil is argan as I said, but I also like jojoba. However I find jojoba is a little heavier.

Also you could add those couple of drops of oil to your ends while your hair is damp after a shower!

PS I don't use leave in conditioners, they make my hair look greasy and weighed down, too. I feel you on that!!

It’s funny what you don’t think to mention! I dampen my ends before oiling too, then give it a couple mins, then oil. :)

[LittleHealthy]

It’s funny what you don’t think to mention! I dampen my ends before oiling too, then give it a couple mins, then oil. :)

Totally! I noticed the OP's join date was this month so I thought I'd best mention it. Oiling damp hair was what transformed my ability to grow my hair!

[lapushka]

The dry winter is hitting my hair really hard this year???? I don't have the thickest hair and my hair is blonde so hair oils and leave in contitioners make my hair heavy and very greasy looking. I use oil treatments and hair masks before washing, but after 2 days my hair gets dry and unhealthy looking again. My hair is virgin and at my armpit so its fairly young healthy, I have relativly few split ends, but my hair is forever dry.

So I'm currently on the hunt for oil I can leave in my hair for moisture that is very thin and won't make me greasy or weigh my hair down.

Does anyone else have this issue or am I the only one?

At APL, you really don't need much oil, just 3-5 drops (honestly, I am not joking), spread between palms and smoothed over your ends should be more than enough.

If your oil doesn't come in a pipette type bottle, get one of those and put some oil in there, it's amazing!

[cestlavie]

I like argan, camellia (oshima tsubaki) and jojoba oil after I have washed my hair. Just 2/3 drops in wet hair, you don't need much. My hair is a bit past BSL now.

[MusicalSpoons]

I found using the Rinse-Out Oil method was the best way for me (link is in lapushka's signature) - my ends are happy for a week between washings, but only if I keep them protected in a bun. Edit: my hair is happy with any plant oil this way, or even a small amount of baby oil.

However even with keeping my ends safe in a bun, if I don't do ROO then they're unhappy a few days later. If I wear my hair 'down' in the day or two after washing (e.g. in a braid) then it hates me and I have to wet and condition it again. [But then my hair hates braids and dries out in them anyway, so I don't know if other types of 'down'/non-bun would have the same effect or not.]

[Groovy Granny]

:agree: Sweet almond oil is lovely as a ROO or on damp ends...but be careful not to use too much.

Iprefer and :heart: Biosilk serum (and the whole line) and use it at might when I braid my hair; the next day my hair is static free.

If I need something during the day just the teensiest bit rubbed between my palms then passed over my hair works wonders.

Also, their 17 Miracle leave in conditioner is amazing on damp or dry hair....1 squirt does the trick for my whole head.

My hair is very fine and wispy and these products don't weigh my hair down or make it greasy....a DAB will do ya :thumbsup:

[Laurab]

My hair gets oily quick too, I know exactly what you mean. My hair is more ash brown with some blonde highlights, and the color difference between oily and not is huge. I feel like you can tell so easily when it's got some oil on it. I've avoided leave-in products most of my life because I don't want to deal with the added weight of leave in products.

What's worked for me is mixing some of the garnier treats deep conditioner (which says it can be used as a leave-in) with some argon oil (it's very light, and I just add 2-3 drops) and then some water. Mix that all together, and then I flip my head over and add it to the under layers first, since if it gets too concentrated it won't matter as much in the back lol. This has helped dispurse the product over my hair so it's a lot lighter. I do this when my hair is wet.

I've also started Cowashing more, but that's in part because i've been going to the gym more but don't want to shampoo every day. Regardless, my hair's felt good lately.

[FrayedFire]

Some of these (https://www.etsy.com/listing/98643637/natural-oil-samples-132-ounce?ref=hp_rv-1) are specifically lighter or quicker to absorb, according to the detailed descriptions. I've tried some of them but I can be a little heavy-handed with oils sometimes. However, some I have noticed are lighter or less greasy. And some smell nicer than others too!

Edit: not sure if I can post that link, but I'd like to share the info

[ArtOfNoot]

I use a mixture of olive oil and vitamin E oil and let it sit on my hair 1 hour before washing. I started using Lush's Roots, but I dont think I'm a huge fan. My smapoo always changes but my conditioner is always Pantene Pro V.
I'm looking into the air dry cream right now, thank you!

[ArtOfNoot]

Hi there yeah dry winter air can really change how your hair feels. I don’t want to be a pain as this isn’t what you’re asking after but I’m all about prevention - are you keeping your hair up/covered as much as possible? Of all the nice things I do for my hair, for me that’s no#1 (in the cold right now, but there’s always a reason :lol: wind, rain, sun, air conditioning, central heating, never mind the physical reasons like tree branches...)

Regarding oils, I’m having luck on my fine hair with sweet almond after trying a few (but slowly, so more to maybe try in future) but I only started to *get* it with the oil thing after I found a routine where my hair was happy and not all stripped and needy if that makes sense). But that’s different for everyone of course.



TBH I never even thought of keeping my hair up to protect against cold and wind, I'm going to keep my hair up much more often now!! Thanks

[ArtOfNoot]

Some of these (https://www.etsy.com/listing/98643637/natural-oil-samples-132-ounce?ref=hp_rv-1) are specifically lighter or quicker to absorb, according to the detailed descriptions. I've tried some of them but I can be a little heavy-handed with oils sometimes. However, some I have noticed are lighter or less greasy. And some smell nicer than others too!

Edit: not sure if I can post that link, but I'd like to share the info

The link works great, it's an Etsy post selling multiple oils, I'll check out the list cited on the page, thank you so much!

[ArtOfNoot]

Did you try to use a combination of a gel and a oil? I have fine e very dry hair (but because it is damaged) and I often use both ... I usually put a drop of aloe vera gel and then a little amount of coconut oil. I wait few second and then I brush it. It helps me to keep it soft

Does the aloe vera not make your hair stick together and become stiff? Ive accedentally gotten the stuff on my aby hairs and it was a pain to wash out.

[Bri-Chan]

Oh, I am sorry, I didn't read. The aloe vera gel doesn't let hair stiff because of the oil that you apply soon after... At least, it works on my hair. Obviously, a tiny amount of both gel and oil

[ChloeDharma]

Does the aloe vera not make your hair stick together and become stiff? Ive accedentally gotten the stuff on my aby hairs and it was a pain to wash out.

I find using the gel straight from the leaf is a bit different but still can feel a bit stiff and tacky initially as it dries. What I find happens though is if I apply it at night all through my hair and scalp then put my hair up and go to bed, in the morning my hair is very silky and smooth. As has been mentioneed, adding a drop or two of oil (jojoba is my favourite for this) also prevents the hard feeling from aloe gel, even the ones you buy in a tube.

Have you tried clarifying your hair? I notice you use pantene which can build up and make the ends feel dry.

[florenonite]

You say you're looking for an oil for moisture, but oils aren't moisturising. Water is. If your hair is getting dry a couple of days after washing, what you might need is a mister. At its most basic, you can just mist with water, but you can also add conditioner, aloe vera, EOs, oils and more. Check out this (https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=1064) thread for more ideas. You might try misting your hair until it's damp, then very lightly (just one or two drops) oiling it to seal in the moisture.


Usually lighter oils help with fine hair, like jojoba, almond, avocado, grapeseed... I have fine(ish) hair and jojoba and almond oil seem to work for me. But I do make sure I put them on wet hair (right out of the shower), never on dry hair and my hair seems to hold up the moisture pretty good for about 3 to 4 days.

Agreed on the lighter oils. I've used fractionated coconut oil and sweet almond oil. Interestingly, I have fine hair as well and I can't oil it damp, only dry; if I oil damp hair it just makes it greasy. Of course, oiling dry hair doesn't do anything for moisture, but it does help add slip for braiding.


At APL, you really don't need much oil, just 3-5 drops (honestly, I am not joking), spread between palms and smoothed over your ends should be more than enough.

If your oil doesn't come in a pipette type bottle, get one of those and put some oil in there, it's amazing!

Honestly 3-5 drops might be too much for thinner APL hair. I'm past APL with iii hair and I use just two drops.