How do you oil?

[Um Enis]

I have read a number of different tutorials on hair oiling and seen a number of different recommendation: which method has given you the best results?

[AJoifulNoise]

I tend to oil before bed at night. Especially if I'm going to shampoo in the morning. I wet my hands then put a few drops of oil on them and rub my hands together. Then I work the oil from ends up, trying not to get it on my scalp. My scalp has enough oil and it freaks out if I get oil on it. :rolleyes:

On rare occasions I use some oil and aloe vera to scrunch my hair and enhance my waves. That's on dripping wet hair. Takes FOREVER to dry. That's why I rarely do it.

[lora410]

I do oilings on both wet and damp hair, but I get better result if my hair is damp.

[yogachic]

I use Coconut oil my hair when hair is damp. I get the best results, when I oil the ends slightly on damp hair, right after a wash. The other day I applied a small amount to my scalp and gave myself a scalp massage, I left it like that unil about 32 hrs later, when I washed. Surprisingly my roots didn't look too oily, but enough to put my hair in a half up.
I like doing olive oil on dry hair though. I get better results with Olive oil during a heavy oiling, on dry hair.

[eadwine]

Only on dry hair. I have tried applying on misted hair for a while to see if it worked better, and my hair became very dry and stringy. It took a number of treatments on dry hair again to get it back to what it was before.

[akka naeda]

I use coconut oil on damp hair mostly - the length only. Sometimes every night, when I'm not feeling too lazy:) as it's definitely better when I do that, but at least a couple of times a week.
I wet the hair so it is wet through but not dripping and then put a rice grain amnt of oil over that.
I only oil dry hair the night before I am going to wash.

[Sherri]

I use jojoba oil right after a wash. Usually from the ears down. If I oil scalp it looks to greasy. Sometimes I will oil on dry hair but only to ends and onlyt if it feels really dry.

[1nuitblanche]

Usually I'll oil on dry hair. Before coming here, it never occured to be to try it on wet hair--I'll have to check that out!

[Sakura07]

I tend to do both. But when I oil on damp hair my hair seems more nourished and I overall get better results.I smooth oil on the ends first and work my way up the length. Sometimes I even do a quick scalp message if I have the time When I oil on dry hair its normally the ends. Or my whole head for a heavy oiling, if i feel like my hair needs a little extra love I "heavy oil" for a couple of days.

[lookingglass]

Damp only. I melt coconut oil, mix it with some conditioner so that it is easier to get in (and adds some mositure), and let it sit for a few hours while I watch a movie. Then I shampoo and condition. Voila!:D If I oil dry it gets crunchy.

[Um Enis]

!:D If I oil dry it gets crunchy.

ah ha, maybe thats what it is. I used to oil damp to hold in moisture, then i read a tutorial on the old lhc that said NEVER damp...

my ends have been kinda crunchy. not dry, really, and no splits... just stiffer. crunchy. i think i'll switch back to damp.

[Leisha]

I voted "mostly on damp hair", maybe I should have voted "only on damp hair" though... Only very rarely do I put oil on dry hair, but it happens. ;) Usually I'll mix it with some aloe vera then.

And normally I oil on damp hair. It's either damp from having been washed or from me putting loads of aloe vera on it :lol: (or both)

[Stagecoach]

I generaly oil on damp hair, but I do dry hair fairly often as well.

[spidermom]

I've been oiling every day lately -- on damp hair immediately after washing and every night when I comb out my hair to braid it for bed. By the time my scalp gets sebum-y and needs to be washed, my length is oily, too. Then I CWC with diluted shampoo and start the cycle all over again.

[mira-chan]

I oil on dry hair. No attempt at oiling wet or damp hair has given me good results, always weird gunky and sometimes crunchy hair no matter how little I apply. Tried several different oils too, no go. My hair doesn't like liquid moisture though it does like humidity. A couple of drops of Jojoba, camellia or broccoli seed oil on dry hair works wonderfully to prevent tangles and give shine. Oiling the scalp with a herbal oil helps degunk and for growth.

[CaityBear]

I usually try to oil a bit before bedtime.

I should do it after my shower while my hair is still damp because my hair has started to become drier now...but I usually use my leave-in conditioner that I made and that seems to work fine and I keep my hair up for school hours usually. Then after school if my hair dried and is still frizzish (usually ends) then I will oil my ends lightly.

I, too, never oil my scalp. My scalp is oily enough without the help!

[Lixie]

I oil on both damp and dry hair, but tend to get better results if I oil on damp hair.

[Suldrun]

I was oiling on dry only with coconut oil and had great results. Then I tried it on damp hair and my hair has sucked since them. It felt weird, dry. The ends are not split but they look strange, very strawlike. After a few washes and no change I stopped doing anything to my hair at all except BBB to spread the oil untill my scalp was so foul I couldn't take it anymore and then scalp wash only.
I figured my regular scalp oil was the best way to fix the problem and it does seem to be working. My length now feels softer and most of the ends are soft but it;s still not as nice as it was. I really wonder what the heck happenend!

[Aromatic]

Best for me works a pre-wash oiling. Mostly I put it on dry hair, but on damp hair it's fine too. The important thing for me is to wash it out. Then my hair is airy - I like that.

[Poolsoflaughter]

Until recently, I've been putting jojoba oil just on the ends while still damp from washing, but now I'm using more coconut oil instead, because it seems to be absorbed more + looks less greasy.:)

[tiny_teesha]

I oil after a shower and before combing as a detangling serum if i need it.

[Qwerty Uiop]

nak

lately, i scrape my fingernail across my tub of shea butter, rub what comes out between my palms, and rub that along the length.

before birth and again soon, i also slather the oil on damp hair, cover with a plastic bag, leave on overnight, and remove with a baking soda rinse. sometimes takes two to get it out.

i like co better than bs, but i haven't had the time or $$$ in way too long.

my old fave was deep oiling (sometimes for days with the help of scarves and clever updos) followed by co, followed by smt, followed by light oiling.

eta i meant to do a deep oiling with jojoba for Terran's cradle cap, but we fell asleep and his hair and scalp drank it all up. WOW!!!!! it was so soft too.

[jessie58]

Not sure about the question but if I oil my length, it is only on damp hair. If I oil my scalp, it is only on dry hair.

[psvzum]

I use oil at night before I braid my hair-either cocconut or jojoba. Haven't tried it on wet hair though.

[Patrycja]

I have over oiled my damp hair so many times,its sickening.
I now wait and oil my mostly dry hair so I don't do too much

[Gumball]

I try to oil every day. Since my wash days are much less often than my non wash days it just so happens I oil mostly on dry hair and less often on damp hair. Either way I like what oiling does so no harm no foul. :)

[soleluna]

mostly dry hair, especially when doing a DT. I lighly oil the ends after I wash, or use shea butter, and in that case my hair is damp.

[mitabird]

I've only been able to use oil on dry hair. It doesn't seem to have much affect if my hair is damp or wet.

[NenNa]

I oil all of my hair prewash - and then I oil dry hair with cocnut oil. To tame frissies etc I use sheanut oil with water, conditioner and/or aloe vera gel.

[zift]

I only oil my hair when dry and leave on as much as I can before washing and also I sometimes oil again dry hair to make it smoother.

[Angellen]

I usually put a little coconut oil in my palm, and pat it into my hair or run my hands down the length. If I think it's necessary, I'll repeat, and I put a little extra on my ends. :)

[vindo]

Only on dry hair..anything else does not work for me.
I leave the oil in until the next wash btw. and my hair is oiled about every second time.

[nomadhome]

Coconut oil on wet hair after a wash, but jojoba on dry if I need something to tame excess frizz.

[Anlbe]

I voted mostly on dry because I slightly oil my hair most days, and it's only damp once a week tops. I put a reasonable amount on my hands and oil shoulders, decolte, neck and face, by this time there's just enough left to run my fingers through the length of my hair concentrating on the back of my neck - keeps the tangles away even if I forget to comb my hair before I go to sleep and lets my hair pretend it's naturally soft and shiny.

[harley mama]

I do both. But, more when my hair is wet/damp.

[Amber_Maiden]

I first do it on wet hair, but in the days after, while I stretch my wash, I use it on my dry hair.

[PrairieRose]

I use a tiny bit of coconut oil and or EVOO on damp hair. If I need it I will use a even tinier bit on dry hair, any more in just too much for my fine hair.

[Yasmine91]

Always dry because I can never tell how much oil I need to put if it's not completely dry after being washed. I could overdo it if I don't know how dry my hair is.

But if it's my weekly treatment then I coat my hair until it's soaked with castor oil and coconut oil :D

[krissykins]

Mostly on damp hair these days, sometimes still on dry hair. I use Nightblooming's Winter Panacea or jojoba oil to soften the ends without overmoisturizing them. :)

[Soltimus]

I'm completely new to the world of oil so I'm very much still in the process of experimentation. So far I've only used coconut oil on dry hair. I can't really see if there's a difference between having had my hair oiled up during sleep and just having put the oil in a few hours before I shower, though.

I don't know if I'll feel comfortable having oil in my hair during the day. My scalp is especially oily and even if I only apply the coconut oil at the length of my hair I'm nervous it might grease me up pretty bad.

[Egana]

I use it on my hair, dry, with a deep oiling the night before I wash in the morning. Then I CWC in the morning (diluted shampoo) or sometimes CO, and then air dry. I do not oil it when wet or damp - it makes my curls cranky (crunchy, someone else said - yes!)

[cooklaezo13]

I mostly oil on dry hair, both for light oiling and hot oil treatments, and it seems to work well for me.

[serin blackwood]

Just started experimenting with coconut oil. Seems equally divided between those who like it on dry or on wet.
So far my hair seems to like both, as long as it's only a tiny amount.

[Erika_92]

I oil my dry hair every night with a small amount of coconut oil. I find that my hair dryes greasy when I put oil in wet hair.

[Rilig]

I only oil when my hair is dry, but that's just because it lets me see when I've almost put in too much.

[nobeltonya]

I haven't really tried oiling wet.. I only oil dry at night, so I can comb it, bun for a little bit then braid to sleep. Whenever I try to alter my routine at all, I have problems.. this is what works for me. :)

[catamonica]

I just put two to four capfuls of olive oil in my shampoo & conditioner. It makes my hair soft.

[Words]

Usually I oil on dry hair.

[EtherealDoll]

Only on dry hair.

[Iolanthe13]

Usually dry hair, here. I oil every night before bed (not the scalp) with a cone-filled Argan/Macadamia mix. The hair is smooth, soft and shiny in the morning, and since there are no tangles I think it's preventing damage at least.

[Carrie Ingalls]

I usually oil on dry hair because I primarily oil for the texture my hair has with oil in it (less slippery, less tangles, buns stay better as if they were damp).

Once or twice I have put oil on slightly damp hair, I didn't notice any major difference at the next wash.

[Safira]

Both. Sometimes I do DT with oil to damp hair, sometimes dry (but when hair is dry, I use it as overnight oil treatment).

[AcornMystic]

I oil mostly on damp hair, but sometimes I'll apply it on dry hair. I find that doing it on damp hair allows moisture to be locked into my strands and when it dries it doesn't look too oily. When I do it on dry hair it is because I think my hair needs just a bit more moisture, or it's simply to maintain the moisture already in it. I also do it on dry hair to keep the fly aways down. I have fine hair and it likes to defy gravity sometimes the baby hairs that previously fell out and are growing out say hello to people by waving about.

[Henrietta]

Mostly on dry hair, less often on damp hair. I use EVOO&castor oil and coconut oil on dry hair. On wet hair I apply baby oil.

[sfgirl]

I oil dry so I can tell if my hair needs it and I'm not over doing it.

[Shepherdess]

I usually only use oil on my hair when it is dry, once in a while I use it on wet hair if I have really bad tangles to help loosen them.

[melusine963]

I used to oil when my hair was still damp from being washed, but I found that it developped an odd smell after being left in too long. Now I wait until nearer to wash day and only oil my hair when it's dry.

[ispeakinriddles]

If you haven't read Flaxen's Oiling tutorial article (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=71) yet, I highly recommend that. It cleared up quite a bit of confusion for me when I first started oiling 2 and a half years ago.

There's a lot of temptation to try different types of oils since there are so many out there, and I definitely fall prey to that because I love experimenting. Currently I'm using about 4 different oils pretty regularly and I use them a few different ways:

1. When my hair is feeling dry, I do a pre-conditioning/deep oiling before I shower, using a combination of oils. I coat my length with almond oil and then do a combination of castor oil and coconut oil on the bottom 4 inches of my hair (some people heat it up together, I just mix it together in my hands). I let that sit for about an hour and then shampoo my hair with my Chagrin Valley shampoo bar. Sometimes I have to shampoo twice to get all the oil out.
2. After showering, when my hair is damp (about halfway air-dried), I put a bit of coconut oil in my length and ends as sort of a leave-in conditioner.
3. For daily oilings after brushing, I put almond oil on my length, about a dime-size squirt for each side of my hair, and then just rub it in gently with my hands throughout.
4. I also do scalp massages a couple times a week with jojoba oil (which is supposed to be the oil that most naturally resembles sebum), massaging it in with my fingertips as I massage my scalp.

[Venefica]

I oil my hair the day before I wash it to protect it during wash. I usually use almond oil for this. I just pour a little into my hands and then apply it to my hair and run a brush through it to make sure the oil gets everywhere.

[Laylah]

I oil my hair every day with coconut, olive or almond oil. Lately it's been mostly coconut. Before I oil, I spray my hair with a bit of water to make it just a little damp and, combined with oil, it makes my hair feel so soft and moisturized. If I don't have time or patience, I just oil, which isn't as good (the ends get dry faster) but is still better than nothing.

[afu]

i usually oil damp hair after showering and applying a little conditioner as a leave in (just regular conditioner). sometimes i might add some more to dry hair if my curls need more definition and find it helps buns to stay in. I have occasionally oiled prior to washing but never seem to have noticed an improvement from doing this. I use coconut oil usually. If i happen to stay over somewhere and havn't got my oil with me i'll use whatever is on offer - almost everyone has vegetable or olive oil in the kitchen!

[earthnut]

I've been experimenting with oils and have oiled both damp and dry hair. I find the oils to be more effective on dry hair.

Also, I found that my hair absorbed a lot more coconut oil (a very penetrating oil) than olive oil (a semi-penetrating oil) without feeling greasy. Like 10 or 20 times the amount!

[Johanna]

I do my oiling mostly on damp hair. Sometime on dry hair if I'm feeling in the mood :)

[Bedhead]

Oh no! I accidentally voted wrong! Take one away from 'Only on dry' and add one to 'Only on damp'.

Putting oil on dry hair creates a hay-like affect with my hair. I mist my ends only and have found more penetrative oils such as olive os sesame do my hair good. At the moment, olive oil creates a nice balance in my NW/SO regime. I only need to oil about every 5 days at this point and it's the only time my ends touch water, unless it rains.

In learning to use oils for my hair I finally understood that even if oil is a "moisturizer", it doesn't mean it contains moisture or adds moisture, it means it holds moisture, so because I didn't use water or any other product when deciding to use an oil, I had to make an exception to add moisture via misted water when working with oils. Even with shampooed hair or WO hair, my hair needed added moisture, so putting oil on dry hair wasn't an option for me then either. Anyway, this was a huge learning curve for me that Ktani helped me to understand.

[Jessy22284]

I'm new to oiling. I found that I really like to do my deep oiling with coconut and sweet almond mixed together and on dry hair. It feels better and I can tell when my hair is saturated. I also like to put some EO in my mister and spray that in my damp hair after showering before going to bed at night when I put it in a bun occasionally.

[midsummernight]

I use coconut oil on dry hair for my scalp before washing it. Then after shower I use a little almond oil as a leave in.

[lolar]

On damp and dry, never wet

[Sharysa]

Only on damp hair. If my hair's too wet, the oils get too diluted, and oiling my hair when it's dry makes it all sticky.

[jojo]

I use fushi good hair oilheavily on dry hair overnight pre wash and i use coconut oil from the ears down on damp hair, i get good results this way.

[Astraea]

For my curls, I oil on damp hair only. My mom successfully oiled my hair dry as a child and does that with her own but as an adult I experience more shedding this way. I'm also slightly heavy handed and have low porosity hair in many places so the water helps against oil just sitting.

[cranberrymoonz]

Usually, I use a little argan oil on the tips end the length when braiding. It helps to seal in moisture and it makes my hair very soft and smooth. But If my hair feels a little crunchy, It's better to hop in the shower and condition it first. Then I use a little coconut oil on the end to finish it all of. :)

[DarkCurls]

Almost always dry hair. I add SAO or coconut oil as soon as my hair is dry then put it up. Then add some more before braiding for bed, and repeat every night until the night before the next wash when I either slather on a lot more oil, or a deep conditioner. It absorbs well and though it feels unnaturally sleek and soft, if it's in an updo or braid it doesn't look too overly oily, so I don't mind going around with oiled hair.

If I'm wearing it down, I may smooth a few drops of oil over the canopy -- including scalp -- to smooth down the frizzies. Gel works better, but I don't like it much.

I've found that adding oil to damp or wet hair generally doesn't do anything -- if I overdo it it dries greasy, which defeats the point of washing, and if I add smaller amounts it takes forever to dry yet yields no results.
But I voted "Mostly on dry hair, less often on damp hair" because sometimes if my ends are feeling dry I'll wet them a little, then coat with oil before bunning. It seems to help soften them. I probably just haven't gotten the hang of damp oiling yet.

[Seeshami]

When ever I feel like it to be honest. I deep oil for an hour before shower time when The Naughty Mess is in desperate need, I have an oil I actually use after I condition on my ends in the shower, I don't "Rinse" it out but I mix it with the water in my hair and message it in during the last minute or so of my shower. Then there are times I have oiled my hair dripping wet and dry. I don't have a set oil schedule I just experiment to see what makes The Naughty Mess happy. And it's most certainly never the same thing twice, that would be to easy.

[Neneka]

I usually oil my hair dry. The need of oil isn't always the same so it's difficult to know the right amount when it's damp.

[AdaClare]

I normally only oil when my hair is dry - I use jojoba oil on the length and leave it in all day, then wash it in the evening.

[froglet]

I voted equally but really it depends on which part of my hair I'm oiling. When I apply castor oil to my roots it's always on dry hair otherwise I can't get it to disperse correctly, but the length of my hair only gets oiled when damp or misted.

[Natalia]

Oil the last about 4 inches wet and the rest dry. The more damaged bits on the end can soak up alot more and feel softer if oiled wet the rest gets an uneven greasy look if i do it wet so i wait till it dries in the morning.

[NataschaB.]

I always oil my hair with SAO after a wash, but it happens that I oil my hair while it's dry, if I feel like it needs it :)

[stephanie6211]

I always oil dry, a really heavy oiling the night before a wash. The only time I don't wash it out is when my ends are screaming for some love. In that case they suck up all the oil and there's nothing left to wash out :)

[SGBSteve]

I usually use coconut oil after getting out of the shower. I'll wait until its dried a little bit but still pretty damp. If I ever put coconut oil in when its dry I still have to run water through my hair to help it distribute evenly.

[Venefica]

I use almond hair on dry hair the day before I am going to wash it, and then I use Moroccoan oil on my damp hair when it is almost dry after washing.

[Fiferstone]

I only oil on dry hair (the oil doesn't absorb as well when it's wet for me), and I oil the night before I plan to wash with the shampoo bar. I tried using olive oil when I first started experimenting with oiling, but that was a nightmare (way too heavy, the repeated shampooings to get the oil out defeated the purpose of oiling in the first place). I use coconut oil exclusively, though I'd like to try Argan oil, though all the Argan oils I've found have contained cones (dimethicone mostly), and I've learned that my fine hair hates cones, so I avoid them like the plague.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Not sure about the question but if I oil my length, it is only on damp hair. If I oil my scalp, it is only on dry hair.

Yes, this is what I do.

[jacqueline101]

Do mine daily sparingly on dry hair.

[CoyoteSarah]

I use coconut oil on mine an hour or so before going in the shower, while I do all my other beauty stuff. lol Occasionally, I'll just slather my head with it at night, wrap it up and sleep on it also.

[neko_kawaii]

I oil heavily with coconut the night before I plan to wash, then when clean and damp apply a few drops of jojoba.

[phabieau]

I coconut oil at night after I wash, but before my hair dries all of the way. I don't like to oil when dry, I think it absorbs better when I sleep on it with slightly damp hair.

[labailaora]

Pretty much always on damp hair, and mostly on the ends. If it's going to be a while before I wash it (like at least a day), I might do a bit of oiling if it's really dry.

[WilfredAllen]

my hair doesn't like oil, so I just make sure I get lots of healthy fats in my diet and cut out shampooing as much as possible to let the natural greasies do their thing
I wished it liked oil because I liked putting it in and smelling all the fancy yummy veggie oils

[dwell_in_safety]

I dampen my hair the night before a wash and heavily oil with coconut oil. For a leave in I used to use jojoba oil but now use Nightblooming's Panacea, corresponding to the season. It makes my hair nicer than jojoba oil alone did and is pretty much just an oil blend, anyway.

[Fiorentina]

Mostly on dry hair, less often on damp hair

[Für immer]

Mostly on damp hair.

[mochichichi]

I oil on dry hair when I brush and wet hair as a post wash leave in.

[angel-baby]

I only oil my scalp when it's dry. I oil my damp midlength and ends to lock in moisture from my leave-in conditioner, but I also put a drop or two of oil on my dry hair each day to add shine and reduce frizz.