Does anybody here keep their hair oiled most of the time?

[Yame]

I'm sure this has been asked and discussed a million times before, but I am feeling too lazy to read through all the oiling threads for the relevant information.

I am pretty new to oiling... I just never felt the need to oil my hair, because it feels fine enough without it. However, now that my hair has adjusted to just once a week washing, it only starts getting oily towards the end of the week, a few days before the next wash day. And even then, it doesn't get oily enough for the oil to travel down my length.

Now, you might be thinking, what's wrong with that? Technically there is nothing wrong with it, except that when my hair is very clean, it's harder for my updos to stay... and I get tons of flyaways, so my buns look messy. Last week, I oiled my hair towards the beginning of the week, and had rock solid, shiny, glossy, and neat buns throughout the week. This week I didn't do that at first, and I missed it. So tonight I just oiled my hair, and I am thinking of starting to oil my hair a few days after wash day regularly now. So, washing on Saturday, wearing my hair down Saturday and Sunday, then oiling on Monday and keeping it oiled obviously until the next wash day.

Does anyone else do that? Would that be somehow bad for my hair (to leave oil in it for 4-5 days)? What oil do you use?

Last week I used coconut oil. But the thing about coconut oil, is that although I love the smell of it by itself, I hate the smell of it once it's on my hair. It's like it changes from this delicious, dreamy coconut smell into something disgusting. And it's not like my hair, by itself, smells bad! So I don't know why that happens. Tonight I used grapeseed oil because it's light and fairly odorless.

[jojo]

I oil very lightly to my ends every day and ive started using a little shea butter too, it really helps my ends and doesn't get greasy as its just the very ends, which are bunned most of the time!

[GeoJ]

My hair has some oil in it all the time, because I always oil it when it's still damp after washing. Then I sometimes add more oil after my hair dries, if I think it needs it.

[longhairedlady]

Yep, I wash once a week and usually keep it unoiled until about day 3 then I keep it oiled. :)

[Anje]

I typically oil my hair as soon as I take it out of the towel post-shower. Not heavily, of course, but I've always got a few drops in there.

One caveat on leaving oils in long-term: you'll usually do best if you use an oil with a lower iodine value. (These oils are termed "non-drying," which refers to the fact that they don't harden like an oil like flaxseed will.) If you use something with a higher iodine value, you risk it drying and forming a fairly immovable layer on your hair. The reason I bring this up is because grapeseed is higher in the iodine value range if I recall -- it tends to form gunk on the bottle I own, in any case. Coconut oil, being mostly comprised of saturated fatty acids, is very low, but anything under 115 g I2/100g oil is considered non-drying. So olive, sweet almond, and many other common hair oils are in that category.

[krissykins]

Like Anje, I oil right when I get out of the shower with Nightblooming's Panacea Hair Salve (winter blend). If my ends feel a little dry a day or two before wash day, I put some jojoba oil on there. I know it's not moisturizing, but it makes my ends less angry.

[Mairéad]

I put at least some small amount of oil in my hair. Some days I really glob it on now that I can put it in a little baby bun. I wash at night once or twice a week so I walk around with my oil soak in, usually under a hat.

[Kristin]

I lightly oil after I wash and then oil the ends as needed (usually nightly). I do overnight oilings at least once a week.

[Fairlight63]

I always have a little oil in my hair also. It helps me be able to detangle my hair to comb & braid it.

[Amber_Maiden]

Kind of. I use oil and silica serum, and I don't wash my hair for 7+ days. I just add for my oil to my hair as the week progresses.

[Egana]

I have been thinking about oiling more often as well. I like how it helps my strands curl together into pretty ringlets, and is shiny. I do an heavy oil treatment once a week, then a CWC the next morning, and then I don't wash it until after the next oil treatment. My hair is extremely dry, and just doesn't need to be washed more often than that. I used to WO throughout the week to revitalize the curls, but my hair is too big for my sink now. So I have been thinking of lightly oiling it through the week to get that same effect. If I try it, I'll let you folks know how it turns out.

Seems like it can't really do too much harm, can it? *grin*

[Yame]

I typically oil my hair as soon as I take it out of the towel post-shower. Not heavily, of course, but I've always got a few drops in there.

One caveat on leaving oils in long-term: you'll usually do best if you use an oil with a lower iodine value. (These oils are termed "non-drying," which refers to the fact that they don't harden like an oil like flaxseed will.) If you use something with a higher iodine value, you risk it drying and forming a fairly immovable layer on your hair. The reason I bring this up is because grapeseed is higher in the iodine value range if I recall -- it tends to form gunk on the bottle I own, in any case. Coconut oil, being mostly comprised of saturated fatty acids, is very low, but anything under 115 g I2/100g oil is considered non-drying. So olive, sweet almond, and many other common hair oils are in that category.

Thanks for the tip. Maybe I'll stick with coconut oil then.

[jacqueline101]

I oil as needed and after my weekly washing.

[Kaelee]

I wash every day and oil every day... I use coconut oil but mine doesn't smell ever (although I've never left it on more than a day. I haven't noticed any rancid smell on my sheets etc. though)

[coffinhert]

Now that I've figured it out. YES. Every time I wash my hair, while it's still wet I use my boar bristle brush to distribute a small amount of coconut oil throughout my length. I also rub a small amount of coconut/castor oil directly onto my scalp right after watching. This prevents me from getting seborrheic dermatitis. The oil on my hair length makes it shiny and soft but not greasy looking.

ETA: The day before I wash, I do a heavy castor/coconut oiling on scalp and lengths. Then I put it up for a day, then wash step. So I get a deep treatment before every wash, and light oil cover at all times.

[hanne jensen]

Sometimes I'll heavily oil before hair washes. I wash with Ktani's Movie Star Shampoo Method, so Ido end up using quite a bit of oil.

[|Xei]

I constantly have oil in my hair. I oil my hair after I towel dry/when its still slightly damp, and depending on how my hair looks, I might add more after my hair dries completely. I've never noticed the oil going bad on my hair (I use olive, coconut, or camellia), but I do wash 3 times a week. The oil keeps my hair smooth, adds a bit of shine, and keeps my ends from drying out.

[pepperminttea]

Nearly all the time, yes. A little light oil really helps. :) I'd be careful with leaving coconut oil in at this time of year though, it can re-solidify on your hair in colder weather.

[Lissandria]

I always have oil in my hair. Always. First thing after a wash, I reach for my giant tub of Coconut Oil, add a small amount to my hair (just until it's soft). I will add some to my ends and mid-lengths over the next few days as required. Then the night or day before a wash I scritch, heavily oil, apply scalp cream and braid my hair for 8+ hours. Then I CWC or CO wash it out. The cycle starts again. I think of it as a styling aid immediately post shampoo as it makes my hair look and feel great, and any subsequent applications as protective and re-moisturising for my hair. It gives great shine and softness and helps with fly-away strands. I think oiling is very beneficial to hair, especially long hair.

ETA: a good scrunch with coconut oil after a shampoo really helps 'set' my curls. I wanted to expand on my coconut oil as a styling aid statement.

[Pierre]

I wash with WO and my perfume is jojoba-based, so the only time my hair isn't oiled is right after hennaing.

[Nakjter]

I this week, the first day after washing my hair, I put aloe vera and shea butter pinch when my hair was wet. But the next day I put a few drops of olive oil, then coconut oil, coconut oil much in the media and tips ... and reached the fourth day and still felt bad the roots ..
;)

[Anywhere]

Now that I've figured it out. YES. Every time I wash my hair, while it's still wet I use my boar bristle brush to distribute a small amount of coconut oil throughout my length.

(snip)

:eek: I heard bad things about brushing with wet hair. Does it not damage it because it is a BBB?


and I oil my hair after my shower as well. I sometimes even spritz it with my mister bottle and then oil it if it is feeling dry later on in the week.

[jesis]

I oil with Coconut oil prewash because it makes my waves more pronounced and beautiful. After I get out of the shower, I put in Camellia oil before I put in my other products. I keep using Camellia oil on my ends only until I wash my hair next. Works like a charm!


:eek: I heard bad things about brushing with wet hair. Does it not damage it because it is a BBB?


and I oil my hair after my shower as well. I sometimes even spritz it with my mister bottle and then oil it if it is feeling dry later on in the week.

I always comb my hair in the shower. It doesn't damage it if you're really gentle and sometimes it's impossible otherwise to get the tangles out of my curls.

[squee]

I do, and I use olive oil with EO in it (rosemary mostly)

[Gumball]

My hair tends to be some level of oiled most of the time. Usually it isn't on wash day or the day after, as I apply it to dry hair for the best result for me personally. It sincerely cuts down on my hair knotting/tangling when I comb it, and really reduces the breaking/snapping during brushing also. It goes between lightly oiled and heavily oiled, and my hair's texture is very compliant with heavy oilings.

I use coconut oil.

[Intransigentia]

I pretty much always have oil in my hair too. As soon as it comes out of the towel after washing, it gets coconut oil from the nape down - I melt it in my hands, then finger-comb and put it in a bun overnight. "They" say to only use a tiny little bit, but I sometimes use as much as half a teaspoon (and my hair isn't even waist length yet), without it looking greasy when it dries. Depending how it feels over the next few days, I might add a bit more to the last six inches or so, and work it through with a BBB.

A couple things I've learned about coconut oil:
- the refined kind has no smell, and is almost as good as the unrefined, smelly kind
- I think the concern about coconut oil and cold weather is unfounded. I've had coconut oil in my hair at -30 with no problems. I think you'd have to have a LOT before it would be an issue.

[PrairieRose]

Shea butter on my ends works well or a tiny bit of coconut oil also works. I also discovered that my hair likes it's own sebum!

[Aerin]

I pretty much always have oil in my hair too. As soon as it comes out of the towel after washing, it gets coconut oil from the nape down - I melt it in my hands, then finger-comb and put it in a bun overnight. "They" say to only use a tiny little bit, but I sometimes use as much as half a teaspoon (and my hair isn't even waist length yet), without it looking greasy when it dries. Depending how it feels over the next few days, I might add a bit more to the last six inches or so, and work it through with a BBB.

A couple things I've learned about coconut oil:
- the refined kind has no smell, and is almost as good as the unrefined, smelly kind
- I think the concern about coconut oil and cold weather is unfounded. I've had coconut oil in my hair at -30 with no problems. I think you'd have to have a LOT before it would be an issue.
Yes! This is exactly what I do. The refined kind is works really well, and I now use it pretty much all the time. I can use up quite a bit and still not have my hair look greasy.

[Theobroma]

I see someone has already pointed out that refined coconut oil is odourless! So I'll just add my voice as yet another person who's happy to oil almost daily as needed. I wash once every five to seven days and the first thing I do when my hair comes out of the towel is apply a mixture of coconut oil and shea butter (plus AVG in the summer months). All it does is make my hair soft and shiny -- no ill effects at all. :)

[IubireaDraga]

I wonder.... since it's getting cold outside and coconut oil is solid even in room temerature it feels strange to put it in my hair and go out... I mean, wouldn't that make the oil in my hair solid and therefor make my hair more stiff?

xD don't know if it sounds logical haha but I would like to know if somebody know anything about this?? :S

[ladonna]

I made a post awhile back about stinky coconut oil, because I hate to waste anything I have kept using the oil and for some reason my hair doesn't stink from it. Why, I don't know, maybe I just got used to a new smell.
I also use sweet almond oil because it smell's pretty and a little jojoba oil. My hair is always oiled or it get's dried out really fast and I get ton's of split ends.

[Gothchiq]

I use a leave in conditioner containing olive oil. This sits on my hair at all times. As long as the amount you use leaves your hair feeling nice and not greasy, then by all means oil it.

[louiba]

i also oil a lot. but i have fine, straight hair, so i prefer to stay a few days without after shampooing. then start using light oils on my tips and lastly i do a deep oil treatment the night before shampooing again.

i've read that oiling frequently can darken the hair and i really wouldn't want that (mine is a dark blonde/light brownish colour). have any of you had this problem?

[Chamy]

I have oli in my hair, one way or the other, all the time. I have never noticed any negative side-effects because of this.

[Intransigentia]

I wonder.... since it's getting cold outside and coconut oil is solid even in room temerature it feels strange to put it in my hair and go out... I mean, wouldn't that make the oil in my hair solid and therefor make my hair more stiff?

xD don't know if it sounds logical haha but I would like to know if somebody know anything about this?? :S

I've never had a problem, even at -30. Maybe it would be an issue if you really glopped it in by the fistful, but in small amounts the coating on each hair is so thin it doesn't seem to make a difference.

[slz]

Another systematic post-wash oiler here. After my weekly shampoo, I comb my damp hair with aloe juice (lots), then my butter mix (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/blog.php?b=92272) (a bit on the heavy side, too) then in a braid it goes. And towards the end of the week, I might re-oil it once or twice at night when I comb on an as-needed basis (to be pondered with the "too lazy to do anything at all" factor), butter mix or plain coconut oil.
So yeah all in all my hair is more or less constantly oiled, although a light oiling once a week after shampooing would not be sufficient to maintain hair oiled until next shampoo, but then my oilings are never light by any stretch of the imagination.

[celebriangel]

I oil after every wash while my hair is still damp, and I also mist my hair periodically between washes and add more oil, focusing on the ends.

Seems to work great for me and keep the ends protected. My hair seems to soak up oil such that it doesn't look oily at all when I wear it down, just shiny and soft.

So my hair is rarely without oil. It feels rougher and naked without it to me.

[ellen732]

:eek: I heard bad things about brushing with wet hair. Does it not damage it because it is a BBB?

I was thinking the same thing. Wouldn't a BBB stretch the hair when it's wet and make it snap?

I keep mine oiled in between washings too. I usually use a little oil at night before bed, coconut or olive oil, and before I put it up in a bun for the day I smooth it with Fox's Shea butter cream which has coconut oil in it as well.

[Jean Stuart]

I mixed my coconut oil with some jojoba and that is usually on my ends all the time.

[Cirafly24]

I almost always have some kind of oil in my hair. I do heavy pre-wash oilings with coconut oil...sometimes I leave it in for 2 days before washing, especially if I'm wearing braided buns. I find that oiled hair makes the best braids :). After washing I usually apply a bit of my homemade shea butter hair salve while my hair is still wet.

[battles]

I tried camellia oil today, and I absolutely love it. I plan to keep that in my hair all the time, but I'm not sure about waiting until after it's dried to put it in or to put it on damp hair. It looked shiny and really smooth on dry hair earlier, and I'll have to see how it looks the other way. :p

[CurlyCap]

My hair always starts out with oil in it. Then my hair eats it for breakfast, and it all disappears! :D

Oil sources:
1. 50% oil conditioner. Usually olive oil, avocado, and some shea. Maybe some castor.
2. Scalp gets castor sometimes.
3. Hair gets shea sometimes.
4. Oh, who am I kidding. If I have some oil, I try to stick some in my hair!

[hototogisu]

I oil a few times a week, but not constantly. My scalp really really likes to be kept quite clean. I do oil very heavily prior to coloring - this has made a huge difference.