Oiling hair dry or wet ?

[jhill923]

When you guys oil your hair do you do it dry or wet ?
I ask because I oil my hair in between washes (dry) with EVOO however, I then have to put it up and I definitely wouldnt go out with my ends oiled it would look weird. So I have to oil when I know Im not going anywhere.....

Im just wondering if oiling the ends when wet works better as far as it drying enough so its not noticable, and maybe doing it with coconut instead of EVOO.

[Fingolphin]

I always oil it dry, as I just don't see how doing it wet can avail anything because oil and water don't mix. However, there are some here who swear by oiling wet.

[nazzooyzo]

i oil my hair when dry. i only ever do it before bed and then wash it out the next morning.

[Eolan]

Like me! :waving: I oil my hair when it's wet or at least damp, after I have washed it. A light oiling then does ALL the difference to me. When I do a deep treatment before I wash, I put it on dry hair. Nowadays I don't use oils so much for that, I use Nightbloomings Panacea instead.

[EricaLee83]

I do it both ways. In between washings when dry and after washing when wet. As long as I don't use too much you can't tell at all. It was just trying to find that perfect amount that took a few tries. I use coconut oil. I think it may depend on your hair type also. My hair sucks the moisture right up so I think I can get away with using a tad bit more than norm.

[spidermom]

I oil my hair dry the day before I plan to wash it, although I've tried it both ways. When my ends are all dried out, it seems to work best if I oil it while it's clean and damp, then finish with a coney serum. But my hair was recently cut and my ends are fresh and not dry, so I'm going back to pre-wash oiling.

[ElusiveMuse]

I oil my hair dry, usually in the morning and at night, always before I wash.

[CaityBear]

I'd try using coconut oil because it's not as heavy. And make sure not to use too much. It shouldn't cause your hair to look too greasy.

I prefer oiling while damp using coconut oil.

I have also added oil to dry hair if it looks a bit dry and frizzy. Usually I use coconut oil as well.

And sometimes I'll had a lot of oil to dry hair before I wash my hair. And that's usually coconut oil or EVOO.

[Aveyronnaise]

I use coconut oil for a prewash treatment , usually overnight , and then camellia oil for dry ends on dry hair.
I haven't oiled a ton on wet hair but time to time
i will take my coconut oiled hands and run them through the freshly washed hair.

[Cleopatra18]

I do both.After washing my hair,I add a little oil (usually hemp oil in winter) all over the length.By the time my hair dries it doesnt leave any residue and I find it keeps my hair soft and manageable. Usually by day 2 I oil my dry hair and repeat the process as often as needed untill the next wash.
In the Indian hair thread,I think someone mentioned that the routine over there is to always oil damp hair,wash day or not.

[Tiina]

I oil with jojoba when my hair is about 80-90% dry. Too dry and the oil is too hard to spread/looks oily and too wet it doesn't seem to stay. If I do a heavy oiling however (I usually use coconut + castor) I put it on dry hair and leave it on for some hours.

[MeganE]

It depends on what I'm going for.

I read somewhere that oil doesn't add moisture, what it does is to help keep moisture in. So whenever I'm oiling to moisturize, I always add water first. Sometimes I just spritz my hair with my water bottle and then apply oil, but I get the best results if I let my hair soak in water before applying the oil. I use coconut oil, and I put it in hot water first, so it turns liquid. Then I rub some on my hands, and apply it to my wet hair. My hair absolutely holds the oil even when it's wet, so much so that if I don't use enough shampoo, my ends are still coated with it when I get out. I have used the coconut oil dry, too, and my hair wasn't nearly as soft afterwards. So I always water first, I figure it's kind of a waste of my oil to use it without maximizing what it can do.

But I also use coconut oil for frizzies and fly aways, a very small amount on my palm and then I smooth it over the top of my hair. I use little enough that it doesn't show, but it does seem to help keep my hair a bit smoother. I'm growing out a lot of pre-LHC mechanical damage, so I need all the help with fly-aways that I can get!

ETA: I just re-read your original post, and obviously I misunderstood the question the first time. Whenever I use oil that I'm leaving in, I use a small enough amount that it doesn't show, so I haven't noticed a difference between applying wet or dry (though sometimes I apply wet). I don't use a lot of oil except right before a shampoo, or occasionally overnight, and then I shampoo in the morning. But like I said, it's always on wet hair, and that gets good enough results for me that I don't use a lot of oil any other time.

[In2wishin]

If I am oiling my hair as a treatment I do it dry. If I am oiling my ends as a leave-in I do it wet: it seems that the tiny amount I use gets distributed better on wet hair.

[aurorabridge]

I think that oiling wet and dry before going out is fine, just adjust how much is used.

I EVOO straight out of the shower with a light coat over my waves to add definition and it works really well. My hair has the results of mousse but without the stickiness and does not look oily. I EVOO dry when my ends feel rough with just a few drops so the oil isn't noticeable.

[HintOfMint]

I oil it wet so my hair dries with less frizz. That's really the only reason I oil, it's a bit of product that keeps the cuticle from lifting as the water evaporates.

I just don't oil it soaking wet, I towel dry it a bit first.