Like an effective face serum, some of the best hair oils are designed to deeply penetrate the hair shaft to help lock in moisture and luminous shine. Although hair oils tend to get a bad rap, professional hairstylists suggest they play an vital role in keeping both the scalp and your strands as healthy as possible. “All hair types benefit from using an oil,” Darby Backes, hairstylist at Whiteroom Salon in Brooklyn, tells SELF. “The type of oil you choose can differ depending on hair type and its porosity level (the measurement of your hair’s ability to absorb and hold moisture).”
If your hair is fine or highly porous (meaning that it allows moisture in easily and quickly loses it), hairstylists recommend sticking to lighter-weight oils, like grapeseed or jojoba. On the opposite end of the spectrum, people with textured or coily hair that doesn’t absorb moisture easily should look for slightly heavier oils, like castor or coconut, which contain fatty acids that help keep hair moisturized longer.
According to experts, hair oils can be used in many different ways throughout your hair-care routine, including as a “pre-poo” treatment (one that’s used before shampooing to detangle and hydrate hair), mixed in with your favorite deep conditioner, in combination with a liquid leave-in conditioner and cream (otherwise known as the L.O.C. method, from liquid, oil, cream), or as a stand-alone treatment to help soften hair follicles. While hair oils can help improve hair’s hydration levels overall, it’s important to note that these products are regarded more as lubricants, not day-to-day hair moisturizers, like a cream or leave-in-conditioner. Ultimately, explains Robin Groover, founder of Too Groovy Salon in Atlanta, the hair oils are what smooth and define the hair.
“One benefit of using an oil by itself instead of a cream or conditioner would be if you do not want to wet your hair in order to moisture it,” explains Candace Witherspoon, owner of Candace Witherspoon Salon in NYC. “On my clients, I usually apply oil just on the scalp, the ends of hair, or wherever there’s a need.”
To help you navigate which type of oil is the right fit for you, we’ve consulted 11 hairstylists on the some of the best hair oils that they always recommend to clients, from Olaplex to Cantu.