Hair oils are the magical ingredient of successful hair care. But there are so many different oils, that it can be difficult to pick the right one for your hair type.
So today, let’s bring some more clarity into the topic!
Disclosure: Some of the links below are so-called provision links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I can earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
Which hair oil for which hair type?
Different hair types can have very different needs. Someone with fine, straight hair certainly needs very different things from a hair oil than someone with thick and dry curls.
Luckily, oils can have very different properties. There is a perfect oil for every hair type and hair problem out there.
So let’s look at different types of oil for hair and you’ll find out which one might work for you!
Related: 7 curly girl approved hair oils for shiny locks
The best hair oils for fine hair
Fine hair usually gets greasy easily at the scalp. As it is so delicate, there can also be problems with split ends and breakage in the lengths.
So the perfect oil will help with both of these problems!
What you’re looking for is a light oil that doesn’t weigh down the strands, but still strengthens and moisturizes the tips.
Basically, the best type of hair oil for fine hair is LIGHT.
What are light oils for hair?
Some light oils that are perfect for fine hair are
All of these bring the nurturing effects of a good hair oil, but won’t leave your hair looking oily.
If you mostly want to use the oil to moisturize your tips a little on a daily basis, I recommend using jojoba oil (get some here!)*.
Jojoba oil is very close to the makeup of our natural sebum. So basically, you are giving your hair almost exactly what nature intended for it.
If jojoba oil still seems too much for your hair, try Camellia seed oil. I’ll be honest, it can be quite expensive. But it’s seriously so light, it almost doesn’t feel like an oil anymore.
My own hair isn’t particularly fine, but when I use Camellia seed oil, it just looks shinier afterward. Not oily at all!
The best oil for dry hair
If you have very dry hair, you are looking for something a little heavier. Dry hair needs way more moisture and nurture than thin hair and definitely needs some heavy oils to prevent brittleness.
Note that it doesn’t matter if your dry hair is straight or curly. Dry hair comes in all shapes and should be treated accordingly.
Related: How to use hair oils for healthy hair
What are heavy oils for hair?
Some heavy oils that will really help to deep-condition dry hair are
If you simply want to try out oil masks, start with olive oil. You probably already have it in your kitchen anyways and can just take it for a test.
For all of these oils, be aware that washing out can be quite some work!
The most difficult to wash out is castor oil. It is really, really sticky and should be mixed with a lighter oil like this almond oil*. Otherwise, you really won’t have much fun using it! (Yes, I am speaking from experience. Don’t laugh.)
The best oil for frizzy hair
Independent of hair structure and type, frizz can be a problem. Both people with thin and thick hair can struggle with this annoying phenomenon. But also here, hair oils can help.
To combat frizz, you want to use sealing oils. Those are oils that don’t penetrate your hair shaft but build a film on top of it. Effectively, they are sealing moisture in, hence the name.
There are both light and heavy sealing oils, so you can simply pick your favorite depending on your hair type.
Light sealing oils:
Again, Jojoba oil would be my first pick here. Same reason as above.
Heavy sealing oils:
From these heavy sealing oils, I wouldn’t use the first two to fight frizz.
Castor oil, because it is just too sticky as a leave-in. And linseed oil, because it oxidizes really quickly. You know what happens when oil oxidizes? It smells… Who cares about having gotten rid of frizz, if your hair smells?
Sesame oil is much more neutral. And cocoa butter is simply perfect for the job!
First of all, you’ll smell like chocolate. Do you even need a second point? Well, second of all, it makes your hair really shiny.
You can get some cocoa butter here!*
But make sure to mix it with a lighter oil like almond oil before applying it! Cocoa butter gets hard at room temperature, so it needs a lighter carrier oil to stay liquid.
Related: How to get rid of frizz – the ultimate guide
The best oil for damaged hair
If you have very damaged or high porosity hair, you want to do hair masks with penetrating oils regularly.
Related: What is hair porosity and why should you care?
Related: The best high porosity hair products
Unlike the sealing oils, penetrating oils do penetrate the hair shaft. They help the hair regain strength and elasticity.
Some penetrating oils you can use for your damaged hair are
Of these oils, I recommend using only argan oil or coconut oil as a leave-in. The other two are better suited for deep conditioning oil masks as a pre-wash treatment.
The reason?
Well, both avocado oil and olive oil them have a greenish tint and both smell like the product they are made of.
This might be only me, but I prefer not to smell like a salad bowl in everyday life.
Did this hair oil guide help?
If this little guide to hair oils for different hair types was helpful for you, I’d be really grateful if you could share it with someone else!
*These links are so-called provision links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I can earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
I absolutely love castor oil and argan oil! Funnily enough, I’m realizing I’ve never tried any of the oils on your list for frizzy hair- which I have. I’ll give the almond one a whirl 🙂
Ha, funny! I hope it does its job! 🙂