Best hair oils for curly hair 2024

Almond oil contains an excellent blend of vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids, and magnesium. This combination of vitamins and minerals aids in strengthening your hair, reducing the risk for hair loss and leaving your hair to feel soft and silky. One study published in Skinmedicine reported that rosemary oil was just as effective in increasing hair count as minoxidil, the active ingredient in the hair growth product Rogaine. A 2023 study found that grapeseed oil was superior to other oils in repairing frizz, split ends, and other damage, especially when applied directly to the hair.

Our staff and testers

It attaches to the end of your hairdryer (try ionic dryers to cut drying time in half) and coaxes stunning ringlets out of hair. "As someone who has a difficult time keeping my hands off my head as I dry my curls in an attempt to get to my roots, I love this design," adds product tester Bianca Lambert. It's ideal for tight curls, and it's formulated with sweet almond oil to keep them nourished.

How to Use Jojoba Oil for Hair

Simply oiling and detangling before a hair wash goes a long way in minimizing hair fall during your wash. Float Test – The simplest way to check your hair’s porosity is by dropping a few strands of your loose hair in a bowl of water and checking if it floats or sinks. If the strand floats somewhere in the middle of the glass, it is indicative of medium/normal porosity hair.

SheaMoisture Coconut And Hibiscus Body Oil

Each work together to help seal the hair's cuticles, smooth frizz, and create a protective barrier against damage. Plant-powered, with avocado and grapeseed, our testers found this formula helped rehydrate hair, without suffocating or weighing it down. Keeping flyaways in check, it also boosted shine, and smoothed damaged ends, while half of our testers noticed less breakages after use. Make your style last until wash day, with Living Proof’s lightweight elixir, formulated to add shine, while improving hair health. A match made in heaven for afro hair textures, this helped curls look more defined and bouncy.

16 best hair oils of 2024, according to experts and shoppers - TODAY

16 best hair oils of 2024, according to experts and shoppers.

Posted: Fri, 23 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

This simple oil blend of safflower, jojoba, and lavender is so nourishing to curls but never makes them feel greasy or heavy. This is another one of my all-time favorite deep-conditioning treatments. It contains ingredients that really nourish dry, thick hair like shea butter and jojoba oil. This serum from Nutrafol, the brand known for its hair growth supplements, is also one of Dr. Graf's go-tos thanks to its robust formula. "It contains growth activator ingredients such as ashwagandha and collagen peptides," she explains. For hair that's grown sparse, turn to Vegamour's dermatologist-recommended serum made with biotin, citrus oil and caffeine.

There are several factors to consider when shopping for the best body oils. These formulas are highly versatile and can often be used for more than hydrating dry elbows and knees. “Some oils contain antioxidants and non-comedogenic ingredients that can benefit the skin, scalp and hair—even for sensitive or acne-prone skin types,” says Halim. There’s a lot of misinformation on the internet, hair oiling can help "protect your hair from damage, improve the look of split ends, and prevent breakage," she says. "It’s especially useful if your hair has been stripped by washing and styling products."

Hair porosity

While the "I woke up like this" look has never been cooler, those of us with curly or wavy hair know that it's not as effortless as it sounds. While genetics determine curl formation, the key to creating shiny, bouncy, static-free tresses is finding products that are specifically formulated to provide hydration and create definition. Coconut and olive oils are beneficial for thicker/coarser and higher-density hair as they are heavier oils and easily absorbed. Avocado oil is also good for thicker hair and with its amino acids, vitamins and minerals, it can boost hair growth as well as health. Argan oil works wonders on low porosity hair because its small molecules easily penetrate the hair shaft, providing moisture. Other excellent oils for their absorbent properties are jojoba and grapeseed.

Best Hair Growth Oil with Rosemary

Do you ever feel like your platinum hair constantly turns brassy, no matter how much purple shampoo you use? According to celebrity hairstylist Jennifer Korab, light or bleached strands can soak up the color in a yellow or gold-toned oil, eventually becoming brassy. That’s why it’s best to stick to clear oils like Verb Ghost Oil if you have light hair.

Best Pre-Wash Treatment

Much to everyone's dismay, long, full hair doesn't appear overnight — as much as you might wish it would. According to Philip B., celebrity haircare specialist, "hair grows half an inch a month," so it takes time and care to grow hair long. That's why there are so many oils and serums on the market created to help hair grow faster. Slip ‘n’ Slide Test – Clasp a small portion of your hair between two fingers and slide scalp upwards, if it feels bumpy your porosity is high and if smooth, it is lower in porosity. Porosity refers to the hair’s ability to absorb and hold moisture which in turn determines how easily moisture and oils pass in and out of them.

Olive Oil is another great sealant and avocado oil is a wonderful moisturiser for coily hair. A favourite amongst our testers, it left 86% with softer, smoother, more hydrated lengths, with over half seeing some added bounce to their curls. Great for those with coloured hair, it also improved vibrancy for all of our panel. If you’ve invested in a decent hair cut, the last thing you need is to splash the cash on a pricey oil too, which is where this purse-friendly gem comes in. For the bargain price of £8.99, it left all our testers with more defined waves and curls, with almost everyone seeing added bounce.

Cuticles determine how porous one’s hair is, with high porosity hair having more cuticles open whilst low porosity hair has fewer open cuticles. Thus, high porosity hair absorbs moisture and products better but is also more susceptible to damage and environmental factors such as heat and pollution. On the other hand, if your hair has low porosity, it not only repels moisture but keeps damage away too.

"You should always follow the manufacturer’s instructions as to how and when to apply these products," adds Aral. "While some could be targeted for scalp, some could be for the hair strands or both and the usage could vary based on the end benefit of the formula." Now that there are so many types of hair oils with different benefits, uses and application methods, it's important to read the fine print and check with the pros as needed.

Sure, you want to tame frizzy hair, but keeping frizz at bay doesn’t mean your hair has to fall flat. This silicone-free oil keeps hair bouncy while making frizz quite literally vanish, like the name suggests. “The oil absorbed into my hair in under 15 seconds,” says our tester. “My hair looked soft and moisturized, and it didn’t feel weighed down.” The cocktail of five lightweight oils replenishes your hairs’ lipids while the healthy hair molecules block humidity, keeping hair smooth. Even in New York City’s sweltering summer, the formula didn’t budge. “This hair oil left me with a beautiful, natural sheen and controlled the frizz well,” our tester adds.

Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab executive director Birnur Aral, Ph.D., has led clinical and consumer testing in the Beauty Lab for over 15 years. She has R&D experience through her seven-year stint at Unilever U.S. and contributes her expertise across beauty categories, including haircare products. For this piece, she worked with beauty writer Katie Berohn to curate the best hair growth oils based on her haircare ingredient evaluations.

She notes that it’s packed with a rich botanical blend of ingredients such as turmeric, amla seed oil, and and edulis seed oil. Everywhere you look in the hair care world, the answer seems to be “not really.” Well, I’d like to disagree. Women with fine hair can use oils to improve the health of their hair.