The Deep Oiling Thread

[CurlyCap]

Hey Everyone!

It seemed to me that everyone talks about deep oilings in a lot of different types of threads, but there wasn't one place to go for information. Which is a shame because there's lots of different techniques and requirements based on hair types, ime of year, and what type of hair toys you have at home.

So I wanted to start a Deep Oiling thread where people can come chime in about their adventures or just ask for advice. Feel free to talk about any oiling adventures as needed!

[lmfbs]

I recently started doing deep oiling with coconut oil. It's really, really helping get moisture into my hair - and it's making a huge difference to my velcro ends!

[CurlyCap]

To get the ball started, last night I deep oiled with coconut oil because my stand by of avocado oil wasn't doing it (for some unknown reason).

I covered my hair with ~4 palmfuls of solid state coconut oil, twisted the sections into tiny cinnamon buns and covered with a shower. Then I got lazy and decided to wear the shower cap to bed (heat! lol, yeah, that's the reason).

Still have to co-wash tonight. :D

[Amber_Maiden]

I deep oil with:

Coconut oil once and a while- because it makes my hair crunchy.
I also use neem oil sometimes for a deep oil the night before I wash, or the day of.
I've been deep oiling with a mix of jojoba oil and grape seed oil.

I really like to deep oil my hair and leave it in a couple of days- sometime sup to six days, until i wash it out.

[afu]

I oil my hair after washing to keep moisture in (coconut, sweet almond mixture with a few drops of pepperminf EO at the moment). I like to deep oil when I'm bunning because it makes my hair much easier to deal with. However, for adding condition I wonder if there's actually much point seeing as Ktani's articles state that oils can only properly penetrate after clarifying. Either way, the oil is offering some protection at least and keeping flyaways under control

[CurlyCap]

I oil my hair after washing to keep moisture in (coconut, sweet almond mixture with a few drops of pepperminf EO at the moment). I like to deep oil when I'm bunning because it makes my hair much easier to deal with. However, for adding condition I wonder if there's actually much point seeing as Ktani's articles state that oils can only properly penetrate after clarifying. Either way, the oil is offering some protection at least and keeping flyaways under control


I dunno about this.

I actually have rather "porous" hair. I put that in quotes because I think that's how people would describe my hair, even though I don't know if porosity is the reason for it's behavior.

Simply put, my hair gains and loses moisture very quickly.

As a curly girl, I put in a good amount of leave-in conditioner every day and when I oil, I put the oil right on top. Sometimes I put it on damp hair (for instance, right after a co-wash), but just as often it goes on dry hair. I've never had a problem with oil penetrating my hair. I can tell when it has because, in my hair it adds a type of flexibility. My hair is naturally very brittle, which I always thought was odd for curly hair.

[afu]

CurlyCap I have the same sort of routine as you :)

Also it might be worth me adding that deep oiling works best for me on dry hair and then I lightly oil damp hair after a wash. Applying a lot of oil to damp hair and leaving it for a few hours or overnight makes my hair turn to frizz (although very soft)

[lilliemer]

Thanks for starting this thread. I have a few questions about deep oiling, I've been using coconut oil for some time but more as a light coating than a deep treatment.

Does "deep" refer to the duration of the oiling or to the amount of oil that actually goes in the hair?

If in terms of quantity of oil, how much qualifies you for a "deep" oiling...e.g., the hair has so much oil in it that it's all clumpy and looks wet? Or, for length of time, how long do you leave it in?

Do you co-wash afterwards to get it all out?

Do you deep oil in addition to moisture treatments such as SMT?

[heidi w.]

I have an how to oil hair video for stick straight hair types. IF I heavily oiled, I would simply pile on more.

That's the only change I'd make....how much oil I would use.

To keep it easy, I placed this video on youtube, and included a bit of detangling how-to, oiling and BBBing how-to and how to do an easy updo with a hairstick for those with about hip length or longer hair. Shorter hair types can try the updo and may be able to do it with a bit of trickery....This hair updo takes up a lot of length.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjVwPKMQDYk

heidi w.

[heidi w.]

Thanks for starting this thread. I have a few questions about deep oiling, I've been using coconut oil for some time but more as a light coating than a deep treatment.

Does "deep" refer to the duration of the oiling or to the amount of oil that actually goes in the hair?

If in terms of quantity of oil, how much qualifies you for a "deep" oiling...e.g., the hair has so much oil in it that it's all clumpy and looks wet? Or, for length of time, how long do you leave it in?

Do you co-wash afterwards to get it all out?

Do you deep oil in addition to moisture treatments such as SMT?

I just simply put more oil on my hair than usual and let it be on my hair for around at least an hour, sometimes less, such as 30 minutes.....then I have always simply washed it out with shampoo, and then conditioned per usual, and then oil as I demonstrated in my youtube video once my hair is all dry and detangled. I don't know if CO washing serves to reliably remove the oil. Those who CO wash can tell you more about that.

heidi w.

[CurlyCap]

Does "deep" refer to the duration of the oiling or to the amount of oil that actually goes in the hair?

For me, it's the amount of oil. I can oil whenever I want as as type of sealing, but when I deep oil, I mean that I'm going to saturate the hair with as much oil as my hair can hold. I think a lot about polishing furniture when I oil my hair. Sealing is like dusting with a oiled rag. A deep oil is like pouring a puddle of oil directly on the table and walking away. Even if I clean it up the next day, that will have penetrated a lot deeper and have a more lasting effect.


In terms of quantity of oil, how much qualifies you for a "deep" oiling...e.g., the hair has so much oil in it that it's all clumpy and looks wet? Or, for length of time, how long do you leave it in?

I'm a curly girl, and I notice that across the board the 3bs and up have oil hungry hair. Maybe others will chime in with different experiences.

With that in mind, I usually use at least a cup of oil. If the oil is super drippy like avocado oil, it may be less. But it's very typical for me to gather all my hair into a bun-like thing on the top of my head and pour. Coconut oil is like 4 palmfuls. Thicker than coconut I tend to avoid because it's so hard to spread.

I leave oil on for at least 30 minutes, preferably under a shower cap to get a little warmth going. It's a lot of oil and I a) don't want to waste it and b) like to get the best penetrance I can. If I can wear my hair in a bun the next day, I'll leave the shower cap on overnight and wear my hair in a bun the whole next day as well.


Do you co-wash afterwards to get it all out?

Sorta. I do co-wash to get the excessive oil out of my hair. I don't want to to touch my hair and come away with greasy fingers. But I also feel like my hair in general hides a lot of oil/product and so I never have to worry about getting it all out. I think about whatever doesn't come out as a different type of leave in. :D

It usually takes 2 co-washes to clean up a deep oiling. One to get the drippys gone and one to just style/detangle/do-normal-stuff.


Do you deep oil in addition to moisture treatments such as SMT?

Yep! I never leave my hair without a leave-in conditioner (again, a curly girl thing). So even after a deep oiling, I usually have some moisture product in my hair. Also, there are deep treatments for moisture that I love (and that I mostly do on a whim because I want to play with squelchy hair products instead of oil).

I don't think of moisture and oiling as the same thing at all. Oil adds flexibility and shine to my hair, like oiling a wood table. It prevents brittleness and breaking. Moisture allows my hair to curl and clump, returns it to it's most natural state...and feels good.

[sparrowswing]

For day-to-day wear, I use Heidi's method from the video. For deep oiling, I keep the same technique but add oil until it seems saturated (so my hair looks kind of wet), using a 50/50 mixture of olive and coconut oil that's been working quite well so far. [I don't use nearly as much as CurlyCap - I think a couple of spoonfuls on average - but the difference may be curly vs. straight.] Then I typically braid it, cover it with my sleep cap (I have two; one for oiled hair and one for normal) and leave it overnight. I don't know the science behind the statement about oil only absorbing after clarifying, but I can certainly tell a drastic difference in my hair if I skip a treatment between washes. And I don't have any trouble getting the oil out of my hair with V05 (cone-free) conditioner, though I do usually leave it in for about 15 minutes.

I will say that coconut oil penetrates better, which is why I continue to use just that daily, but olive oil seems to help my hair more. The softness post-wash just can't compare to anything else I've tried. I just wish it didn't weigh my hair down so much and make it so stringy.

[longhairedwolf]

Thanks for posting that video, Heidi! It was very informative.

[myHairGrowth]

I deep oil with amla oil (homemade). Amla soaked in coconut oil. I think its helping my hair to be more healthy. After wash I ll leave in some coconut oil to tame the frizz.

[Amber_Maiden]

Does "deep" refer to the duration of the oiling or to the amount of oil that actually goes in the hair? The amount, but time does play a factor as it allows the oil to work its magic!

If in terms of quantity of oil, how much qualifies you for a "deep" oiling...e.g., the hair has so much oil in it that it's all clumpy and looks wet? Or, for length of time, how long do you leave it in?

I use enough for my hair to look wet. I leave treatments in for anywhere from 3 hours to 6 days!

Do you co-wash afterwards to get it all out?

Yes, sometimes.

Do you deep oil in addition to moisture treatments such as SMT?


Sometimes, but not usually.

[myHairGrowth]

Heidi, just now watched your video. You have a beautiful hair. It was a very helpful video. Thanks.

[jeanniet]

I oil quite a bit, usually daily, sometimes with coconut oil but more often with a lighter oil such as camellia. I don't seem to have an issue with penetration, and I don't clarify often (and I use a lot of conditioner, too). On a daily basis, I'd say I use about a teaspoon of oil, and then the night before a wash day I use more. Keeping my hair oiled makes a big difference with detangling. I've never has success with leave-ins, so I'd be sunk without oil!

[WickedWurlys]

I've always had succes w/co washing out the oil, but I notice that the amount of time leaving it on matters (10-15 min of V05 Kiwi Lime Clarifying Co).

I've also read that alot have had great success w/putting on the co directly on the oiled hair dry. I've personally never had to try that, but they swear that it works way better. :confused:

[DragonLady]

Timely thread!

I'm currently sitting here with my hair soaked in a mixture of coconut, almond and castor oil. Probably about a tablespoon of oil, total.

I will leave it in all night, and wash it out tomorrow with a shampoo bar, followed by a mixture of conditioner and molasses for moisture.

And my hair will love me for it for about a month. :D

[honeybunnie8]

I just did a caster oil and olive oil deep condition. lol
I used probably a tablespoon and wore it for at least an hour. I have not been successful with CO washing to get the oil out so I shampoo first then do a CO wash after.
After I get out of the shower I use just a tiny bit of oil on my damp hair.

[pepperminttea]

I'm a big fan of deep oiling. :D I do it before every wash, and normally use extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil.


Does "deep" refer to the duration of the oiling or to the amount of oil that actually goes in the hair?

If in terms of quantity of oil, how much qualifies you for a "deep" oiling...e.g., the hair has so much oil in it that it's all clumpy and looks wet? Or, for length of time, how long do you leave it in?

Do you co-wash afterwards to get it all out?

Do you deep oil in addition to moisture treatments such as SMT?

For me, the amount. I apply it in the same way as a light oiling, I just use more. :) When I'm done, my hair normally strings together a bit, and looks damp, but I wear it up until I wash it again so no-one notices; my braid just looks particularly shiny and polished. I normally just leave it in overnight, but I've been known to leave it as long as two or three days when life got unexpectedly busy.

I alternate CO washes and shampoo at the moment. A CO soak on dry hair under a shower cap for an hour is my best fail-safe way for getting it out without drying my hair out, but often I don't have the luxury of dry hair before washing (I swim twice a week). Shampoo works too though, it's just not as reliable for me.

I do SMTs now and then too; for me heavy oilings help reduce chlorine damage in the pool and make washes less drying, but my hair still needs moisture.


However, for adding condition I wonder if there's actually much point seeing as Ktani's articles state that oils can only properly penetrate after clarifying. Either way, the oil is offering some protection at least and keeping flyaways under control

Surface conditioning is important, too. :) For me it's the surface stuff that helps with detangling, and that hugely reduces the amount of long-term damage. And my experiments with oil shampoo make me think too much penetrating the hair shaft (in coconut oil's case, the lauric acid) isn't a good thing.

[afu]

I class a 'deep oiling' as having enough oil on my hair that it looks too greasy to leave the house (if applied to scalp) or needs to be bunned (if just applied to length)! Which normally means it is wet looking applied on dry hair.

I always CO it out (for me it comes out better with conditioner than with shampoo), I apply the conditioner on top of the dry hair/oil about 30mins before showering and then CO as usual. It works better for me to apply conditioner to dry hair, I think this is because oils and water don't mix so doing it this way gives more direct contact for the conditioner.

[lilliemer]

Thanks for all the info everyone - especially ambermaiden, pepperminttea, curly cap and heidi w. for your very detailed answers. I loved watching the video heidi w., your hair is amazing and I'm definitely going to try the detangle-oil-brush sequence...Although my hair can be quite curly it will tolerate brushing especially a few days after a wash. hopefully i can devise a routine that works! first experiment will be today with a mix of olive and coconut oils.

[ravenreed]

I deep oil with coconut oil before dyeing. I also occasionally do a deep oiling with a mix of argan and camellia oils, let that sit for a bit, and then CO it out. I usually do that when my ends are extra crispy and my scalp is dry and itchy. I oil right up to the scalp, and I often add a few drops of rosemary EO just for that area.

ETA: I do a nice scalp massage when oiling that area, and it helps quite a bit with flakes.

[LadyTheta]

I would associate deep oiling with an intensive conditioning, e.g. after a wash, I apply heavily palmfuls of coconut oil to my wet-damp clean hair, and then turban wrap my hair in a hot, wet towel. The heat is what makes it "deep" & intensive conditioning for my type of hair.

[Tisiloves]

I'm glad I'm not the only person who heavy oils for more than 24hrs. :)

[Cleopatra18]

I do heavy oilings regularly using coconut oil, but I'm considering changing it soon cause I just feel the results are not so great like before? I'm not sure. Maybe I apply too much.

[Mirsha]

I glop on coconut oil mixed with extra virgin olive oil before a wash, I don't really know if it's doing anything extra but it gives me peace of mind. I used to have trouble washing the oil out, but now I take more time fingercombing the conditioner through than I used to. It seems to help.

If I want to take the time I douse my damp hair in coconut oil after clarifying and leave that till next wash, which is usually a CO. I keep it braided otherwise it looks a mess.

I also slather oil on damp hair before doing a cassia treatment.

For the longest time I skipped oiling and my hair didn't feel much different than it does now.

[afu]

Thanks for all the info everyone - especially ambermaiden, pepperminttea, curly cap and heidi w. for your very detailed answers. I loved watching the video heidi w., your hair is amazing and I'm definitely going to try the detangle-oil-brush sequence...Although my hair can be quite curly it will tolerate brushing especially a few days after a wash. hopefully i can devise a routine that works! first experiment will be today with a mix of olive and coconut oils.

lilliemer I would be very careful using heidi w.'s technique on your hair type, bbb can do a lot of damage to curly hair. A lot of curly's find that a tangle teezer will distribute oil sufficiently through damp hair and never brush dry hair. I do like to brush through heavy oilings sometimes but i would always use a tangle teezer or wide tooth comb - a bbb is not coming near my head!

[PrincessIdril]

lilliemer I would be very careful using heidi w.'s technique on your hair type, bbb can do a lot of damage to curly hair. A lot of curly's find that a tangle teezer will distribute oil sufficiently through damp hair and never brush dry hair. I do like to brush through heavy oilings sometimes but i would always use a tangle teezer or wide tooth comb - a bbb is not coming near my head!

lol I'm the opposite, I refuse to let a tangle teezer near my head and use a bbb brush daily. (My hair just seems to prefer being brushed to being combed)

[afu]

I've always deep oiled with coconut oil in the past but I've recently started using a coconut/almond mixture as my leave in - does anyone deep oil with sweet almond? If so, how does it compare to other oilings?

[RitaCeleste]

The only sweet almond oil I have is in Aphogee's oil sheen spray. It has cones and will build up but it does soak in. I spray my hair lightly with the oil sheen spray and then in like 30 to 45 mins, it has soaked in and my hair doesn't look oily or quite as shiny. I can use this stuff after a wash and go. I do have Meadowfoam seed oil and it is light enough I can apply it lightly (a few drops) to dry hair and not look oily like I do when I get into the coconut oil. THe Meadowfoam seed oil has been nice though and the next oil I will purchase is the sweet almond oil.

[DragonLady]

I've always deep oiled with coconut oil in the past but I've recently started using a coconut/almond mixture as my leave in - does anyone deep oil with sweet almond? If so, how does it compare to other oilings?
-------------

I do. For me the almond oil seems to coat my hair more than sink in. Coconut oil seems to be absorbed, while the sweet almond stays on the surface.

[lilliemer]

lilliemer I would be very careful using heidi w.'s technique on your hair type, bbb can do a lot of damage to curly hair. A lot of curly's find that a tangle teezer will distribute oil sufficiently through damp hair and never brush dry hair. I do like to brush through heavy oilings sometimes but i would always use a tangle teezer or wide tooth comb - a bbb is not coming near my head!


lol I'm the opposite, I refuse to let a tangle teezer near my head and use a bbb brush daily. (My hair just seems to prefer being brushed to being combed)

hmmm...thanks for the thoughts...I have looked at the tangle teaser but haven't splashed out for it just yet. I am trying to eliminate [potentially] damaging things one by one so the bbb will be next if I am still seeing lots of damage. I have been off heat styling for over a year and stopped using hair elastics about 2 months ago. So far i see a significant improvement. I am only using the bbb a few times per week and never on freshly washed hair. My hair is very curly when freshly washed but won't hold curls overnight no matter what I do, so by the time it sees a brush it is already somewhat straighter, if that makes sense. I am hoping that not brushing out true curls minimizes the damage because i like brushing my hair and will miss it if I have to give that up too...I like the scalp stimulating feeling I guess.

And now to return to the regularly scheduled discussion regarding oiling...

[WaterMusic]

I do deep oilings of my scalp with Nightblooming's anointing oil right before washing, but my length isn't a huge fan of oil.

[pretty wings]

My hair always seems healthier when I do regular oil treatments the night before a shampoo wash. I coat my hair in coconut oil, braid or twist it up, and go to bed then wash it out the following morning. My hair feels conditioned and strong from doing this. I love other oils such as rice bran, sweet almond, and castor oil (for my scalp).

[Ephemeral]

I've always deep oiled with coconut oil in the past but I've recently started using a coconut/almond mixture as my leave in - does anyone deep oil with sweet almond? If so, how does it compare to other oilings?

I used almond oil for deep oiling and really liked it but then my hair let me know that it prefers coconut oil. :) So now I use either straight coconut oil or a combo of the two. Almond is a bit heavier than the coconut.

[afu]

I used almond oil for deep oiling and really liked it but then my hair let me know that it prefers coconut oil. :) So now I use either straight coconut oil or a combo of the two. Almond is a bit heavier than the coconut.

Thats strange, I have found the total opposite. I find coconut to be much heavier on my hair than almond. So far a combination of the two has worked really well - just the right amount of slip and grip. I havn't tried almond on it's own applied to damp hair yet so thats an experiment that needs tackling

[RedheadMistress]

- I started deep oiling years ago when I was lurking in the forums here, with Olive oil, nowadays I use unrefined coconut oil I get from a super awesome friendly collective shop called fareshares .
I started using Olive oil again while I was visiting in Sweden and didnt bring coconut oil, and I looove the effect on my hair, completely forgot.. It makes my hair more crispy but also straighter. Also I tend to supergrease my hair with oils hahaha and now wash it out for days . Just let it soak into my dry curls !

Or make an up do and not care hah . I never know how people can use a few drops . . I use spoonfulls and want to see and feel the effect straight away . .

Oh and I want to start using fancy oils like avocado oil, jojoba oil, almond oil, amla oil, idk all kinds of oils ! But can't justify spending all the money on that . . I spend money (hairwise) on bleach and dye and conditioner, which is enough . . and coconut oil .
The rest I try and do for free, make my own hairtoys/hair pins/scrunchies etc.

[door72067]

I use a few drops of baby oil almost every day on the length of my hair

when I am going to wash on a weekend day (or other day I happen to be home for the most part) I will put roughly a 1/4 cup of baby oil through my hair and rub it into my scalp, then bun my hair and leave it for hours

I recently got a sample of argan oil ...my hair doesn't seem to like it too much...I get dirty/greasy looking very quickly after using it, where, as I said, I can put a few drops of baby oil in my hair every day with only good effects (less flyaways/frizzies, keeping baby hairs under control, etc)


I've come to realize that for every thing that is touted by one, it won't work for a dozen others...the best advice is do a little research and try a few things, one at a time...and find out what works for ~your~ hair

[afu]

- I started deep oiling years ago when I was lurking in the forums here, with Olive oil, nowadays I use unrefined coconut oil I get from a super awesome friendly collective shop called fareshares .
I started using Olive oil again while I was visiting in Sweden and didnt bring coconut oil, and I looove the effect on my hair, completely forgot.. It makes my hair more crispy but also straighter. Also I tend to supergrease my hair with oils hahaha and now wash it out for days . Just let it soak into my dry curls !

Or make an up do and not care hah . I never know how people can use a few drops . . I use spoonfulls and want to see and feel the effect straight away . .

Oh and I want to start using fancy oils like avocado oil, jojoba oil, almond oil, amla oil, idk all kinds of oils ! But can't justify spending all the money on that . . I spend money (hairwise) on bleach and dye and conditioner, which is enough . . and coconut oil .
The rest I try and do for free, make my own hairtoys/hair pins/scrunchies etc.

I use lots too compared to most other people here - I think in general curlys can get away with a lot more oil than 1s. I find that sweet almond oil is much much cheaper than coconut so I combine the sweet almond with unrefined coconut. If you are in the UK at the moment I can give you a link to where I buy my almond oil - last time I just got 100ml to try out and it cost me £1-something.

[heidi w.]

Thanks for all the info everyone - especially ambermaiden, pepperminttea, curly cap and heidi w. for your very detailed answers. I loved watching the video heidi w., your hair is amazing and I'm definitely going to try the detangle-oil-brush sequence...Although my hair can be quite curly it will tolerate brushing especially a few days after a wash. hopefully i can devise a routine that works! first experiment will be today with a mix of olive and coconut oils.

If you have curly hair, BBBing may not work quite as well for you as it does me. I have stick straight hair, nary a bend or wave. I don't even recommend oiling my way if one has curly hair; curly hair frequently requires far more oil than I use. Curly-haired folks usually fare better when they oil their hair while it's still wet/damp by spritzing it on the hair. BBBing curly hair often leads to a bushiness to the hair. At least BBB right before bed; not before going out somewhere. Hide the poof, right?

heidi w.

[patienceneeded]

After lots of experimenting over the last year and a half (have I been here that long? WOW!) I have found that my length likes Argan oil, Coconut oil, and Sweet Almond Oil. Apricot Oil works nicely too. I have found that my scalp HATES oils of all kinds. If I get oil anywhere near my scalp, I get massive shedding. Every. Single. Time. So, I generally limit my oil to very small amounts, near the ends. I no longer "heavy oil" before washing or other times, I lose too much hair that way.

Oh, by far and away, the "best" oil I have found is baby/mineral oil. 4-5 drops on damp hair, the last 4-5" and it works wonders.

[hyettf16]

Lately I've been heavily coconut oiling my hair for 20-40 mins before washing so I don't need to condition. It works perfectly with a sulfate shampoo (Herbal Essences) on my scalp and a sulfate free one (Shea Moisture) on the length.

[Thistle4U]

I usually oil my hair once a week over night with shower cap on. I use coconut and argan oil, sometimes Ojon.

[RedheadMistress]

I use lots too compared to most other people here - I think in general curlys can get away with a lot more oil than 1s. I find that sweet almond oil is much much cheaper than coconut so I combine the sweet almond with unrefined coconut. If you are in the UK at the moment I can give you a link to where I buy my almond oil - last time I just got 100ml to try out and it cost me £1-something.


- That's madness ! I always see those oils as way more expensive . . but then again I get 200g of unrefined coconut oil for less than 2 pounds o.O

[earthnut]

There's already an oils thread here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=10971)though it's not specifically about deep oiling.

I made a post there about the properties of different oils. You can go to it directly by clicking "oil" in my signature.

[earthnut]

Does "deep" refer to the duration of the oiling or to the amount of oil that actually goes in the hair?

If in terms of quantity of oil, how much qualifies you for a "deep" oiling...e.g., the hair has so much oil in it that it's all clumpy and looks wet? Or, for length of time, how long do you leave it in?
I use oils three ways:
A deep oiling that takes a larger amount of oil (about 1/4 cup) and a longer amount of time (usually 30 minutes for me)
A pre-poo that takes a larger amount of oil (about 1/8 cup) but a short amount of time (a minute or two)
A leave in that takes very little oil (a few fingertips) but for a long amount of time (a day)


Do you co-wash afterwards to get it all out?
For the deep oiling, I usually use a tiny amount of mild shampoo (only a few drops really). Just enough to get the oil slick feeling off, but the hair is still slick.


Do you deep oil in addition to moisture treatments such as SMT?
Deep oiling replaces a deep conditioning. But I also do protein treatments occasionally and leave in a fair amount of conditioner after each wash.

[earthnut]

Thats strange, I have found the total opposite. I find coconut to be much heavier on my hair than almond. So far a combination of the two has worked really well - just the right amount of slip and grip. I havn't tried almond on it's own applied to damp hair yet so thats an experiment that needs tackling

"heaviness" is a subjective thing when it comes to oils. No-one agrees on how to order the oils.

Penetration ability is pretty agreed upon though. Coconut oil is much more penetrating than almond. For that reason I prefer coconut oil as a deep treatment and olive oil (which is very similar to almond) as a leave in. I have more information about penetration ability of oils if you click on the "oils" link in my signature.