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FrozenBritannia
December 6th, 2011, 04:18 PM
Which oil is the best for fine and/or thin hair?

Lamb
December 6th, 2011, 04:25 PM
Neither.

No, really. You'll have to try for yourself.
Some people prefer to oil every day, some only once a week or even less frequently. It all depends.

For starters, I'd recommend this article by ktani:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=190

And this, by heidi w. and Flaxen:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=71

rocket_surgeon
December 6th, 2011, 04:28 PM
I think it depends a lot on the individual. My hair is fine and has medium thickness, but I have a dry scalp. I can put pretty much any oil on my hair (in reasonable amounts) and it will look okay. I'm not very fond of coconut oil as a usual oil this time of year, though; it's too cold outside and solidifies on my hair. A castor oil/coconut mixture seems to work well in winter, though.

girlcat36
December 6th, 2011, 04:30 PM
I'm experimenting with grapeseeed oil right now. I steer clear of coconut in the winter.

FrozenBritannia
December 6th, 2011, 04:54 PM
Neither.

No, really. You'll have to try for yourself.
Some people prefer to oil every day, some only once a week or even less frequently. It all depends.

For starters, I'd recommend this article by ktani:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=190

And this, by heidi w. and Flaxen:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=71 interesting reads, thanks!


I think it depends a lot on the individual. My hair is fine and has medium thickness, but I have a dry scalp. I can put pretty much any oil on my hair (in reasonable amounts) and it will look okay. I'm not very fond of coconut oil as a usual oil this time of year, though; it's too cold outside and solidifBies on my hair. A castor oil/coconut mixture seems to work well in winter, though. I never even thought about how the cold will effect it... :doh: guess I'll not be trying that one again till spring!


I'm experimenting with grapeseeed oil right now. I steer clear of coconut in the winter.
What are your findings so far?

Mina17
December 6th, 2011, 05:10 PM
I have read that camellia oil works well on fine hair. I just got some a couple of days ago to try and so far I'm liking it. It's really light doesn't give me the greasy, heavy feel that coconut and some other oils do. I haven't been using it long enough to know whether it works well for conditioning and protecting my hair though.

girlcat36
December 6th, 2011, 05:28 PM
What are your findings so far?

I applied a medium oiling of grapeseeed to mostly dry hair overnight. I co-washed it out with VO5; it was still rather oily after that. I would have to leave the co-wash on longer, or use shampoo, too. I will continue to experiment(I just bought it yesterday). I am a little concerned that it is considered a 'drying' oil.

LittleB
December 6th, 2011, 05:33 PM
Pure argan oil works well on my fine hair. Coconut works well, too, you just have to use very sparingly. I prefer argan, but it is quite expensive.

Chiara
December 6th, 2011, 06:33 PM
I find I can only use a little oil, below the ears, the night before I wash it. I use coconut oil at the moment, and very little of it.

FrozenBritannia
December 6th, 2011, 06:48 PM
I have read that camellia oil works well on fine hair. I just got some a couple of days ago to try and so far I'm liking it. It's really light doesn't give me the greasy, heavy feel that coconut and some other oils do. I haven't been using it long enough to know whether it works well for conditioning and protecting my hair though.
Where do you Buy it? I have never seen it in the grocery store.

Pure argan oil works well on my fine hair. Coconut works well, too, you just have to use very sparingly. I prefer argan, but it is quite expensive.

How expensive is quite expensive?

MsBubbles
December 6th, 2011, 07:09 PM
For regular, de-cotton-candying of my hair, I love camellia oil. All the others I tried (jojoba, coconut, others I can't remember) are just too heavy.

Delila
December 6th, 2011, 08:12 PM
I'm a camellia oil fan too. Bought mine online. There's a huge thread here about sources, probably best to explore that to find one that works for you.

My hair also responds well to shea butter, but it is kind of heavy.

I keep meaning to make up some of Fox's Shea Butter conditioning cream and see how my hair likes it. I haven't experimented with the recipe since I bought my camellia oil, and I'm tempted to try them together.

ETA: made a little bit of Fox's Shea Butter conditioning cream (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=4586)last night (using 1/2 and 1/4 teaspoons as measures just to keep from wasting product) and I like it! I put some on the length of my braid last night, and when I undid my braid this morning, my hair seemed especially happy. 1/2 teaspoon shea butter, melted, mixed with 1/4 teaspoon camellia oil and 1/2 teaspoon GM 12 minute conditioner (a deep conditioner, kind of thick).

islandboo
December 6th, 2011, 08:14 PM
I prefer camellia oil too, although I do use jojoba or coconut for the occasional overnight deep oiling. I got mine on Amazon.

missmelaniem
December 6th, 2011, 08:42 PM
i like jojoba and argan

i get my jojoba from trader joes and use one and only argan

Kelikea
December 6th, 2011, 08:54 PM
I like coconut oil shampoo. If you go heavy on the oil to shampoo ratio, you get more of an oiled look. I did this 2 days ago, but now the oil is soaking in and my ends are getting really soft. Not sure how the freezing temps are going to affect this tomorrow...

Deborah
December 6th, 2011, 09:07 PM
I have super fine hair, and I find that all oil just lays on top of my hair. Nothing penetrates. This does not worry me. I think my hair is simply not porous (I consider that a good thing) so I don't need oil. Not everyone does.

Once in a great while I used to put the tiniest possible amount of plain shea nut butter on the ends if they seemed dry from over-washing or something. This left the ends feeling a little nicer, but my hair did get oilier faster. Then again, I don't get dry ends anymore, probably because I don't use shampoo at all. Since my hair is not being stripped, it doesn't need anything put back. Makes sense to me. I don't need conditioner used as conditioner either.

For some of us, if we don't chemically or mechanically dry out our hair, it won't need oils, butters or conditioners. Maybe you don't need these things either.

Mina17
December 7th, 2011, 03:53 AM
Where do you Buy it? I have never seen it in the grocery store.

There is a thread on camellia oils that lists several sources. I got mine from hedys-haven on ebay. Her prices are very reasonable and you can get small amounts to try. There are also several sellers on amazon.com that people have recommended.

Lissandria
December 7th, 2011, 04:04 AM
I love coconut oil- soaks in beautiful. Sets my curls well. If I only use a little it's not too heavy at all even though Im a baby fine.
I dislike Jojoba Oil. Heavy and waxy. I would love to try Shea Butter and make some Fox's one day with my excess of Coconut oil :P and try that, too. Camellia Oil sounds lovely as does Nightblooming's Triple Moon Oil. However for me knowing that coconut oil is one of the very few that actually penetrates the hair shaft (lauric acid molecules are small enough) in addition to adding protection with coating, will mean that I will always use it on my hair in some capacity. If I found it too heavy as a leave in or another Oil I liked better as a leave-in, I would definitely still use it for a pre-wash heavy oiling, tis a miracle oil. Guess that's my two cents on Oil. :)

jojo
December 7th, 2011, 09:41 AM
I like EVOO but my hair does better with mustard seed oil in winter, my hair is very fine but thickish in volume so it can take the heavier oils.

PrairieRose
December 7th, 2011, 09:57 AM
I have super fine hair, and I find that all oil just lays on top of my hair. Nothing penetrates. This does not worry me. I think my hair is simply not porous (I consider that a good thing) so I don't need oil. Not everyone does.

Once in a great while I used to put the tiniest possible amount of plain shea nut butter on the ends if they seemed dry from over-washing or something. This left the ends feeling a little nicer, but my hair did get oilier faster. Then again, I don't get dry ends anymore, probably because I don't use shampoo at all. Since my hair is not being stripped, it doesn't need anything put back. Makes sense to me. I don't need conditioner used as conditioner either.

For some of us, if we don't chemically or mechanically dry out our hair, it won't need oils, butters or conditioners. Maybe you don't need these things either.
Interesting....What do you use to wash your hair?

FrozenBritannia
December 7th, 2011, 10:12 AM
Very interesting all! I will have to look if eBay.ca and amazon.ca sell oils etc. I would like to try to mix up an oil shampoo maybe. Has anyone tried rose oil?

Deborah
December 7th, 2011, 10:24 AM
Interesting....What do you use to wash your hair?

I wash just once a week, mostly with conditioner only. For this I like Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut, but sometimes I'll use VO5 Kiwi Lime, or Tame, or something else that is quite light. Other times I'll wash with Borax (yep, the laundry stuff), or Indian herbs. Mostly it's conditioner though.

I put 1/4 cup of the conditioner in a quart bottle, add 1 teaspoon of Citric Acid Powder, then fill the bottle with pretty hot water, shake the heck out of it, and use it all to wash. Once thoroughly rinsed, I use a final rinse of 1/2 teaspoon Citric Acid Powder in a second quart bottle filled the rest of the way with very cold water, shaken well. I pour all of it over my hair, and leave it in. This method works wonderfully for me, better than the usual CO methods. It seems to clean better, and it does not cause my hair to feel oily quickly.

Tizzles
December 7th, 2011, 10:50 AM
My hair is fine and thin (but thanks to LHC getting thicker w/ lots of baby hairs growing in!) and short. I use coconut oil, even in the winter, because where my hair is so short, I don't dare leave the house with oil in it or I look like a freak, so I'm inside the entire time the oil is on my hair. I use coconut oil for scalp massage and oiling my front damaged ends if they feel dry. I will usually sleep in this over night, and be lazy the next day and wash it out sometime in the evening and let my hair air dry.

For heavier oiling, I either use a lot more coconut oil or the Dabur Amla hair oil. Be warned, the Dabur oil has a really really strong scent to it, I never smell it after I CO it out, but some people just can't stand the smell. I'm not very versed in essential oils and smells of certain things since I'm new to this myself but maybe someone more experienced can help me explain what Dabur Amla oil smells like. I love that stuff for helping me with dandruff, psoriasis, and itchy scalp and it makes my hair soft as can be accompanied by a CO.

I want to try camilla and almond oils though, I still have a huge tub of organic coconut oil and a half a bottle of the Amla oil left so I shall be waiting a while!

Hope that helped some.

ktani
December 7th, 2011, 10:55 AM
I'm a camellia oil fan too. Bought mine online. There's a huge thread hear about sources, probably best to explore that to find one that works for you.

My hair also responds well to shea butter, but it is kind of heavy.

I keep meaning to make up some of Fox's Shea Butter conditioning cream and see how my hair likes it. I haven't experimented with the recipe since I bought my camellia oil, and I'm tempted to try them together.

I think camellia oil would be an excellent choice for that.

The original and innovative recipe became and still is very popular, http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=4487

and Fox gave tips too, on these pages.
http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=4487&page=4

http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=4487&page=8

http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=4487&page=9

ETA: I just added this list to the article I wrote on oils. It includes camellia oil and it is not a drying oil, http://www.soapcalc.net/calc/OilList.asp Just click on iodine value.

vanillabones
December 7th, 2011, 12:01 PM
Coconut oil is my favorite. My hair is very fine and thin. Coconut oil didn't work for me during the summer so I used jojoba oil which I also like just fine just not as much as coconut. I use it as a deep treatment (not often) or just a finger nail scrapings worth in wet hair right after the shower, or on dry hair if my ends are feeling velcro.

I also want to try sweet almond oil, fine hairs seem to like this oil. I recommended it to my sister for this reason and she has some but I have never tried it.

ktani
December 8th, 2011, 11:42 AM
Coconut and argan oils are wonerful for hair and can be for skin too. They both have more than one kind of application, conditioning and chelating being just two.

Camellia oil is a light oil and has been shown to help protect skin against aging.

I think this study was posted before. I may have posted it or someone else.

It is for Camellia japonica, one of the preferred camellia oils here.
http://www.aseanbiodiversity.info/abstract/51009607.pdf
"In this study, we confirmed that CJ oil reduces transepidermal water loss ... In addition, according to patch test, CJ oil did not induce any adverse reactions, indicating that CJ oil is safe to use.In conclusion, the data acquired in this study demonstrate that Camellia japonica oil can induce the synthesis of type I collagen, has high moisturizing effect, and is safe to use. These results suggest that Camellia japonica oil might be introduced as a possible anti-wrinkle agent for the management of skin ageing."

On fine hair it is lighter than some other oils, smoothes cuticiles better for some people here accoring to reports, than other oils and for a cream like Fox's Shea Butter Cream above (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=1896926&postcount=24), would help keep the recipe light as well. ETA: Camellia japonica is not a drying oil either.

Anje
December 8th, 2011, 11:46 AM
Really depends, but most folks with straighter fine hair seem to stick to lighter oils which are less likely to make their hair get stringy. Camellia and coconut are good on that front, as is jojoba. My hair seems to appreciate sesame more than most (but be sure you get the light colored, non-roasted stuff; the dark roasted type is smelly). I often like olive too, but it's heavier and really easy to over-do.

girlcat36
December 8th, 2011, 01:30 PM
It's official. My hair hates grapeseed oil. It just sits on my hair and makes it stringy. I guess camellia oil will be the next up.
I do have a question---perhaps ktani can answer---why does my hair seem to like castor oil even though it is so heavy and thick?

ktani
December 8th, 2011, 01:52 PM
It's official. My hair hates grapeseed oil. It just sits on my hair and makes it stringy. I guess camellia oil will be the next up.
I do have a question---perhaps ktani can answer---why does my hair seem to like castor oil even though it is so heavy and thick?

Grapeseed oil is a drying oil. See second list. http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=190

Castor oil is not a drying oil. You can mix it with a lighter oil that is also not drying or use less.

Drying oils can be very problmatic.

girlcat36
December 8th, 2011, 02:00 PM
Grapeseed oil is a drying oil. See second list. http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=190

Castor oil is not a drying oil. You can mix it with a lighter oil that is also not drying or use less.

Drying oils can be very problmatic.

Thank you. It did seem to compound my dry hair problem.

holomi
December 8th, 2011, 02:18 PM
I only use oil for a deep conditioning treatment before a wash. I like to use coconut and olive oil (both used sparingly).

ktani
December 8th, 2011, 07:30 PM
Thank you. It did seem to compound my dry hair problem.

You are very welcome.

hototogisu
December 9th, 2011, 09:16 AM
I think it depends on how you use it.

I pretty much use the same coconut oil blend all the time, but I use it either on my ends when they're feeling crunchy or as a pre-shampoo or colour heavy oil.

I never use oil as a leave in.

LittleB
December 9th, 2011, 04:55 PM
Where do you Buy it? I have never seen it in the grocery store.


How expensive is quite expensive?

I bought a 1oz bottle at Whole Foods for $17.99.
I know, crazy. But I really wanted to try it and was nervous about buying it online b/c who knows what you are really getting.

I'm glad that I completely love it, and I am very picky.

If you use the tiniest bit of coconut oil, that is great, too. But the argan seems smoother and more like a product, if that makes sense. Coconut oil goes from smooth to greasy very, very quickly.

So, bottom line, I like coconut for more of a pre-shampoo treatment or deep oiling. Argan for everyday "finishing/conditioning" type of oil.

LittleB
December 9th, 2011, 04:58 PM
I keep reading that camellia works so well for fine hair.

Does anyone know a reputable brand to buy from online? I am very wary of trusting online vendors for things like oils, but maybe there is a great reputable vendor I don't know about.

ArienEllariel
December 9th, 2011, 05:06 PM
light amounts of coconut oil works for me. castor oil is way too thick, even when mixed with other oils as a deep treatment kind of thing. olive oil is too heavy (and IMHO smells really gross in hair. use it for cooking :) ) I haven't found jojoba anywhere yet and haven't tried it but supposedly it's lighter than coconut oil.

FrozenBritannia
December 9th, 2011, 05:33 PM
I bought a 1oz bottle at Whole Foods for $17.99.
I know, crazy. But I really wanted to try it and was nervous about buying it online b/c who knows what you are really getting.

I'm glad that I completely love it, and I am very picky.

If you use the tiniest bit of coconut oil, that is great, too. But the argan seems smoother and more like a product, if that makes sense. Coconut oil goes from smooth to greasy very, very quickly.

So, bottom line, I like coconut for more of a pre-shampoo treatment or deep oiling. Argan for everyday "finishing/conditioning" type of oil.

Oi, that is a tad posh, itsn't it? Good thing you like it!!

LittleB
December 10th, 2011, 10:35 AM
Oi, that is a tad posh, itsn't it? Good thing you like it!!

I know. Whole Foods is crazytown.
After I run out of this argan, I will try to order from Amazon (which is half the price at least) and let you know if the quality is comparable.

FrozenBritannia
December 10th, 2011, 01:25 PM
I know. Whole Foods is crazytown.
After I run out of this argan, I will try to order from Amazon (which is half the price at least) and let you know if the quality is comparable.

Sounds good! Thanks :)

Dizzy_zzz
December 10th, 2011, 01:54 PM
In my experience, nothing more solid than coconut oil, unless you use *really* tiny amounts. I find jojoba works well for me, but that doesn't mean it will work equally as well for you. Experiment! :D

Delila
December 10th, 2011, 02:08 PM
I keep reading that camellia works so well for fine hair.

Does anyone know a reputable brand to buy from online? I am very wary of trusting online vendors for things like oils, but maybe there is a great reputable vendor I don't know about.

There's a big thread about camellia oil here somewhere. Unless I remember wrong, it has big sections of links for various types of camellia oil, various countries, etc.

I hunted around all the reviews and got some camellia japonica from Japan, but it was expensive and I delayed buying any at all for that reason. Probably should have gotten something cheaper four or five years earlier, LOL! Still, I do like it, even if I lived without it at all for so long.

Hairy Monster
December 10th, 2011, 04:22 PM
I have a very noobish question! I have fine hair that gets quite dry, and have been oiling it from time to time, but as an occasional conditioning treatment then washing it off after. How do you apply it to use it all the time? Fingers? Spray bottle? Sorry if this is an obvious question - I just cant work it out!

ktani
December 10th, 2011, 07:45 PM
I gave a friend of mine Fox's Shea Butter Cream recipe, to try with camellia oil this weekend, http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=1896926&postcount=24

And she LOVES it!

She like Fox did, likes Aubrey conditioners.

ETA: Her hair is fine and straight and really thick.

tgagurl27
December 10th, 2011, 09:42 PM
I like that morrocan argan oil for mine.. It's a nice light oil..I only use a small amount for the ends..I used to do a full on oil treatment with peppermint oil, coconut oil and rosemary oil I would have to wash it out though, otherwise my hair would look gross. I'm too lazy to do oil treatments now and a little embarassed to do them because I live in a flat with 3 other people and 2 of them are guys and I don't want to appear obsessed with my hair.. I shouldn't care but...

Mina17
December 11th, 2011, 04:44 AM
After a few more days of camellia oil use, I have to say I'm really loving it. It makes my wavy hair much more smooth and glossy without weighing it down and looking greasy. My hair absorbs the camellia oil better than argan oil. It seems harder to overdo it with this oil too which is good for me, since I have a hard time judging how much to apply.

JadeTigress
December 11th, 2011, 08:31 AM
I havn't experimented as much as I'd like to with oils, but a dab of coconut usually works ok as long as I don't use too much. Which can be difficult, because for me the line between 'just right' and 'way too much' is extremely thin. And just a few days ago I got out my Wild Growth hair oil again because I hadn't used it in while, and I'd forgotten how much I like it, so I'm sticking with that for right now. But no matter what oil I'm using, I absolutely can't use it on dry hair. It makes my hair awful. So no pre-wash oilings for me. It takes forever and ever and multiple washings to get out of my hair, and it's a huge pain with no real payoff. So if I use oil, it goes on right after washing, and only if I've not used any conditioner. Otherwise I look like just as much of a greasy mop as if I'd put the oil on dry hair.

LittleB
December 12th, 2011, 02:34 PM
After a few more days of camellia oil use, I have to say I'm really loving it. It makes my wavy hair much more smooth and glossy without weighing it down and looking greasy. My hair absorbs the camellia oil better than argan oil. It seems harder to overdo it with this oil too which is good for me, since I have a hard time judging how much to apply.

Mina17, What kind of camellia oil did you get?
I know there is camellia japonica which is more expensive, and a different version of camellia which is less expensive.

LittleB
December 12th, 2011, 02:36 PM
There's a big thread about camellia oil here somewhere. Unless I remember wrong, it has big sections of links for various types of camellia oil, various countries, etc.

I hunted around all the reviews and got some camellia japonica from Japan, but it was expensive and I delayed buying any at all for that reason. Probably should have gotten something cheaper four or five years earlier, LOL! Still, I do like it, even if I lived without it at all for so long.

Thank you. I found the thread and read some of it. Sounds like people really like this oil. I'll have to try it out when I'm out of my argan oil.
What website did you get your camellia from?

lesbia
December 12th, 2011, 03:47 PM
Mine like jojoba oil and coconut oil :)

elfgirl
December 12th, 2011, 03:54 PM
Over the past few years I've experimented with olive oil, jojoba oil, and coconut oil. I've found jojoba and coconut to work the best for me, although I use them both separately, and not at the same time. Looking over the thread though, camellia oil sounds intriguing :) I'd just have to find some.

But for now, I'm thinking I'll stick w/C.

Delila
December 12th, 2011, 03:59 PM
... What website did you get your camellia from?

I splurged and got mine from Japan. It's been a while, but I think it was this site:
http://www.naturaljapanesebeauty.com/njb.page12.html

Check the big ol' thread, though. There are lots of options.

I decided to go with the real-deal camellia japonica, but lots of people use other varieties and like it just fine. (the others cost less, and are easier to find, IIRC.)

Mina17
December 12th, 2011, 04:16 PM
Mina17, What kind of camellia oil did you get?
I know there is camellia japonica which is more expensive, and a different version of camellia which is less expensive.

I got mine from hedys-haven on ebay and she doesn't specify which one it is that she has, but it was pretty inexpensive so I would doubt that it's camellia japonica. I'm happy with it anyway and there were several people on the camellia thread that recommended her oil.