11 Best Natural Oils for Hair Repair, Moisture, and More

Table Of Content

• Best hair oil for thin hair
• Keep it Overnight
• A Step-by-Step Guide to Hair Oiling
• Castor oil
• How do you properly cleanse your hair when using hair oils?

When you massage, you're effectively spreading the oil, ensuring that every inch of your scalp and hair gets its nourishing share. This uniform distribution aids in preventing dry patches and facilitates consistent nutrient absorption. However, factors like environmental stressors, excessive washing, or chemical treatments can strip away this essential protective layer, making external oils a savior for hair nourishment. In the bustling rhythm of modern life, many find themselves grappling with hair woes, from frizziness and breakage to lackluster tresses.

Best hair oil for thin hair

“Malassezia, the bacteria that causes dandruff, feeds on the oils secreted by your scalp," she says. "Adding more oil to your scalp increases the chance of an inflammatory response.” Um, no thanks! It's "a process of infusing your hair with natural oils to restore luster and hydrate hair," says dermatologist Candace Spann, MD. Oiling your hair when it is dry is the most recommended and effective practice. You can heat the oil a little before applying it to improve the penetration. Once you have applied the oil, take a few minutes to massage your scalp using your fingertips. This will further stimulate blood circulation and help the oil penetrate your hair and scalp.

Keep it Overnight

Now that we’re older, we recognise that hair oiling has always been important in building familial bonds and is an act of love. Oils like coconut, red ginseng, peppermint, and rosemary may be very beneficial for restoring scalp and hair health. In the study, peppermint oil outperformed saline, jojoba oil, and minoxidil in terms of hair thickness, growth, and density over 4 weeks. So if you’ve experienced hair loss, rosemary oil def might be worth rubbing into your noggin. Some research supports a link between rosemary oil application and hair growth. And according to a 2014 study, coconut oil may help relieve symptoms of atopic dermatitis (aka eczema) in children when applied to the skin, including the scalp.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Hair Oiling

Apply a few pumps or one to three palmfuls of oil onto your scalp gently and use one-two pumps on your strands depending on density and hair texture, says Dr Gupta. Start at the scalp, and then “gently use your hands to apply oil to your mid-lengths and ends to give them much-needed moisture, especially if you colour or chemically treat your hair," she says. During a late-night TikTok sesh, I came across one of Saini’s how-to hair-oil videos, in which she advocated that everyone use heated oil on their scalps. Growing up in a time when I wasn’t reflected in the media, it was so refreshing to see something that spoke directly to me.

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“Coating the surface of the hair can help protect it against the elements/environment (sun) as well as chemicals and heat,” says Dr. Luke. The key is to massage the oil into your scalp gently and ensure even distribution throughout the hair. Olive oil is a heavy, moisturizing oil that can deeply condition hair, improve its strength, and reduce frizz. One of my favorite oils, this one has a nozzle tip to easily drip it directly onto my scalp before massaging. It uses basil leaf and baobab oils to help break down oils and gunk on my scalp, as well as balance my scalp microbiome.

Divide your hair into sections to ensure thorough application. You can create a middle parting and then divide each side into two sections, creating a total of four sections. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. According to Ayurveda, the texture and health of hair is determined by the doshas.

Can You Leave Oil On For 2 Days?

Scrunching a few drops of olive oil into your hair can also help keep curls smooth. Always warm the oil a little According to Dr Kapoor, warm oil penetrates better. “Basically oil molecules are very big and it is not easy for them to seep inside your scalp. Warming the oil helps in breaking these molecules and your scalp gets better nourishment,” she says. Sturdivant-Drew suggested working a dime-sized amount through strands of dry hair and a nickel-sized amount for “really, really dry” hair. Merinsky recommended using a blob the size of a quarter and rubbing it between your palms before distributing it evenly through your strands.

How do you properly cleanse your hair when using hair oils?

Suitable for all hair types, especially good for dry or damaged hair. Almond oil is light, rich in vitamins E and A, and helps in sealing in moisture and smoothing the hair shaft. Sesame oil is beneficial for maintaining scalp health and promoting healthy hair growth. It’s rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, which can nourish the hair follicles. Sesame oil is especially good for those with dry, damaged, or chemically treated hair due to its deeply nourishing properties.

“The oil should be delicately applied to dry hair and scalp using gentle, circular motions,” she says. You can also use a silicone scalp massager to really get in there if you're averse to digging your fingers into your scalp (and it helps me prevent from scratching with my long, gel-X nails). Then, gently massage into the scalp for 10 to 15 minutes in circular motions before smoothing through the lengths of your hair.

Keep reading for my product recommendations, as well as how to properly oil your hair and how often you should be hair oiling, according to experts. Oiling your hair and scalp promotes the overall wellness and health of the hair. Oils have fatty acids that are very essential in making the hair look and feel healthy. The natural lipids in the hair are lost due to external factors such as pollution and the usage of chemical treatments and products. If you have frizzy and dry hair, oiling should be an essential part of your hair care schedule. "Some hair oils can be used on the scalp to promote hair growth [and reduce shedding]," Witherspoon shares with SHAPE.

Kimble has her own line of color-safe and sulfate-free she loves and recommends. The combination of castor, peppermint, argon, almond, and avocado oils in this blend is great for healing, nurturing, and smoothing dry hair, she says. With sweet almond oil as the key ingredient, this hair formula encourages your strands to grow back healthy and lush, while nourishing what you already have. Plus, you’ll get extra shine and bounce without any sulfates, parabens, or phthalates. Moreover, it did so without causing dryness and itching like Rogaine can.

It’s a nut-free option, plus it’s vegan, paraben-free, phosphate-free, phthalate-free, and sulfate-free for a worry-free addition to your hair routine. Here, the best hair oils from hair experts, and everything you ever wanted to know about hair oil. Tea tree oil is an essential oil distilled from Melaleuca alternifolia, a flowering plant native to Australia and New Zealand. It is traditionally used to treat acne and other skin infections but has also been shown to reduce dandruff caused by seborrheic dermatitis. Although it’s one of the lesser-known oils, baobab oil is a favorite among those with curly hair. Sourced from the fruit of the baobab tree native to Africa, this oil is said to enhance hair’s elasticity, increase suppleness, and add a non-greasy shine.

How to oil your hair: benefits, best formulas

Table Of Content

• The Art of Scalp Massaging
• Back to our roots
• What About Shampoo Infused With Peppermint Oil?
• Common Challenges and How to Address Them
• This Lotion Will Get Your Skin Smooth & Silky In No Time — Reviewers Agree

It's a simple change, but your non-greasy roots and ends will thank you. "Hair oiling was a default part of haircare when I was younger, but I stopped aged 11, when I noticed my peers thought it was weird," says Saini. "I lost half of my hair in 2019 and turned to the hair I had once abandoned. This isn’t a TikTok hack or a “slugging” trend – it’s a way to nourish the entire head." And according to a 2017 study, rosemary oil can kill fungi and bacteria that can lead to an otherwise unhealthy scalp. Biotin (one of the B vitamins) is another key hair care supplement.

The Art of Scalp Massaging

The last thing you want to deal with while on vacation is a cosmetic bag oil spill. Cleveland suggests considering castor oil or rosemary oil for hair growth, and almond oil or chamomile oil to soothe and hydrate the scalp. Jojoba oil, which Grace recommends for those looking to focus on scalp health, has a similar composition to our natural sebum (a natural oily substance found on the scalp). “There is also a high concentration of vitamin E in jojoba oil, which is a well-known antioxidant that helps the skin and hair protect itself against oxidative damage,” explains Dr. Luke. Suitable for all hair types, particularly for dry, damaged, or dandruff-prone hair.

Back to our roots

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Also known as hair slugging, hair oiling involves applying oil directly to the hair and scalp to help lock in moisture. Warm the oil in the microwave for a few seconds (it should be warm, not hot), then section hair and apply from scalp to tips. Cover with a cap and sleep in it overnight, then shampoo in the morning. That said, oiling your hair is a good idea Hair oiling is the most nourishing thing that you can do for your hair. “Just like facial helps in blood circulation, hair oiling also rejuvenates the blood in your scalp which helps in hair growth,” explains Dr Kapoor.

What About Shampoo Infused With Peppermint Oil?

Every Saturday morning, my mom would sit us down to oil our scalps with a special blend of coconut oil, amla oil, almond oil, and castor oil. Now that I live on my own, I still take the time to oil my scalp once a week—but rather than make my own blend, I use one of the many hair oils on the market. And dare I say, it's the reason I constantly get compliments on my healthy, smooth, long hair.

Common Challenges and How to Address Them

The key lies in understanding individual hair needs and adopting the right techniques. A lighter-weight option than sesame oil or coconut oil, almond oil might be a good pick if you have super oily hair. You can risk messing with your hair’s natural essential oils, and it could end up a little greasy or even too dry. For a hot oil treatment, warm the oil slightly (by dropping the container in warm to heat up) and apply it to wet or damp hair after shampooing.

Oiling hair regularly reduces hygral fatigue, or the swelling and drying of hair. Oils protect the follicle from surfactants by filling the gap between cuticle cells. Peppermint oil is an essential oil from the leaves and flowering parts of the peppermint plant.

May protect your hair from the sun

It also gives the hair impeccable shine, leaving it healthy and vibrant. While Labrecque prefers to apply to damp hair, using a few drops of argan oil as a final step in your styling routine for an extra shine boost is not uncommon. In a world where there is a new haircare product craze every day, one timeless beauty secret stands strong—hair oil. From ancient civilizations to modern-day hair care routines, using hair oil has prevailed as a nourishing and transformative way to care for our tresses.

Ideal Oiling Durations for Hair Types

While some animal studies on the effects of peppermint oil on hair growth have been conducted, there is a lack of research to conclude that peppermint oil promotes hair growth in humans. Porsche’s go-to argan oil is lightweight, repairs, seals, controls, and protects hair for a weightless shine. Though women can definitely benefit from this, it’s a great option for men looking for something that's effective but comes without all the bells and whistles.

“Both hair and skin are made up of keratin, and are made to protect our bodies. Compare your hair to a plant and the scalp to soil,” D’Ulisse says. “Your scalp, made of skin, needs to be healthy in order for your hair to grow in a healthy environment. Ingredients that will heal your skin will help your scalp and hair in the same way because they have the same makeup. Your scalp and hair will absorb beneficial ingredients just as much as the rest of our skin."

He adds, ‘There’s a particular focus here on alleviating tension from the roots. And using a hair oil that has adaptogens will calm down your nervous system and balance energy. As with any beauty remedy, it's important to factor in your lifestyle and hair care routine. If you prefer multi-purpose products, look for hair oils that may also double as skincare. Also, opt for travel-friendly packaging if you're frequently on the go.

Hair, in its natural state, is safeguarded by sebum, an oil produced by the scalp's sebaceous glands. This natural lubricant acts as a protective barrier, ensuring moisture retention and offering a shield against external aggressors. Fast-forward 24 years and now I practically beg my mum for a hair-oiling session. I don’t care about leaving the house with oil-drenched lengths and I actively hunt down hair-oiling recipes on TikTok.

How Stress Can Affect Hair Loss And What To Do About It

Table Of Content

• Common symptoms
• Medications to treat hair loss
• How do trees and green spaces enhance our health?

There’s no outright way you can “prevent” balding, but there are steps you can take to halt any further loss of hair on your scalp. Poisons that can cause hair loss include arsenic, thallium, mercury, and lithium. If you ingest a large amount of warfarin, which is found in rat poisons, it can also cause hair loss. Taking large amounts of vitamin A or selenium is also toxic and can cause hair loss.

Common symptoms

Male-pattern baldness typically appears first at the hairline or top of the head. If you’re looking for a hair growth boost, these products may just do the trick. While many can help improve hair health, they rarely get to the root of the problem.

Medications to treat hair loss

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Some people pull on their hair, often to relieve stress. It's not easy, but try to come to terms with your hair loss. One way to do this is to make a list of all your good qualities and focus your energy on celebrating these attributes.

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How do trees and green spaces enhance our health?

When the treatment is stopped, hair loss will begin again within 12–24 weeks. It ranges from normal hair density to a bald crown, which is rare. The scale helps document female pattern baldness, a condition your doctor might call androgenic alopecia. You probably know it as male pattern baldness, but it affects about 30 million American women. Experts think genes and aging play a role, along with the hormonal changes of menopause. Your hair could thin all over, with the greatest loss along the center of the scalp.

There are several types of hair loss, and it can affect adults of any gender and even children. You may lose hair just on your head or from your body as well. It's typical to lose some hair every day as part of your hair’s usual growth cycle. For most people, the lost hair grows back, and you maintain a full head of hair. But illness, hormonal changes, stress, aging and inherited conditions can interfere with your hair’s growth cycle.

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Most people lose anywhere from 50 to 100 strands of hair each day, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. On days you wash your hair, you might lose up to 250 strands. A hair transplant is usually not covered by insurance. The cost (often thousands of dollars) is prohibitive for most people. With new techniques, many women benefit from hair transplantation surgery. But there are risks, including infection or shock that can cause hair to fall out of the transplanted areas.

How does stress affect hair?

Free to everyone, these materials teach young people about common skin conditions, which can prevent misunderstanding and bullying. Hair loss can sometimes be a sign of an underlying disease. Topical tretinoin (Retin-A) is sometimes used in combination with minoxidil to treat androgenic alopecia.

When to see a doctor

Hydrocortisone 1% is available over-the-counter—anything stronger requires a prescription. For symptoms of extreme inflammation, including stinging and acne-like bumps around the base of the hair, it’s a good idea to see a dermatologist. Depending on the severity, they may recommend corticosteroid injections for additional relief, she adds.

Some types of hair loss can eventually lead to baldness. Most healthy people lose up to 100 strands of hair per day. As part of your hair’s growth cycle, new strands grow and take the place of the ones you shed. You can often resolve nutrient deficiencies with dietary changes or supplements, though it never hurts to get guidance from a doctor or registered dietitian first. A trained healthcare professional can help identify and treat nutrient deficiencies caused by an underlying medical condition. If you notice hair loss, talk to your doctor as soon as you can.

When a man has hereditary hair loss, the first sign is often a receding hairline or bald spot at the top of his head. In women, the first noticeable sign of hereditary hair loss is usually overall thinning or a widening part. It can take the form of "thinning" or involve a total loss of hair. It can be gradual or sudden; it can affect the old and the young.

For women who are experiencing a receding hairline (frontal fibrosing alopecia), talk with your doctor about early treatment to avoid significant permanent baldness. Although reducing your stress levels might seem insurmountable, making sure you’re eating the right things will go a long way to setting a good foundation for optimum hair growth. A healthy balanced diet is also important in stress reduction too as it can support a healthy immune system, repair damaged cells and even reduce elevated cortisol levels. Getting enough protein in your diet is essential as it provides the building blocks for proper hair growth; meat, tofu, eggs, beans, grains, nuts, and fish are all good protein sources. Some studies suggest that telogen effluvium can also be connected to low levels of iron, so include iron-rich foods like leafy vegetables, lentils and liver where you can. If you like the idea of adding supplements to your routine, there are some which are specifically formulated to contain ingredients that increase hair thickness and health.

“Hair goes through cycles, where it grows and then falls out,” explains Ob/Gyn Lynn Simpson, MD. “So you should expect some shedding.” You can expect to lose between 50 and 150 hairs daily. SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. When these flakes mix with the oil that’s produced by the scalp, they can clog your follicles and impair the hair’s nutrient supply, which ultimately weakens its structure. Incorporating gentle, hydrating products into your hair care routine can also help strengthen your strands and improve texture.

How to prevent balding and what is causing it, according to experts

Table Of Content

• 10 habits for good health
• Healthline's review
• Caregiving crisis
• How we vet brands and products
• What are the symptoms of hair loss?
• Treatments for stress-related hair loss

You also have the option of topical corticosteroids, but they aren’t necessarily as effective. Oral corticosteroids may cause a range of unwanted side effects. Hair loss can happen for many reasons, but regardless of the cause, it can feel pretty distressing — even if it’s temporary. Your doctor gently scrapes skin samples from your scalp and sends them to a lab for testing.

10 habits for good health

Minoxidil tends to be more effective when used along with another treatment for hair loss. Many people see some regrowth when using minoxidil, but it takes time to see results, usually about 6 to 12 months. When you start to shed more strands — and fewer or none grow back — the condition is considered alopecia (hair loss).

Healthline's review

If you think you have age-related hair loss, talk to your doctor about treatment early on. Below, we’ll explore common causes of hair loss in women and the treatment options available. You can prevent hair loss caused by chemical hair treatments by not using them.

Caregiving crisis

It’s important to note that minoxidil may cause initial shedding, but this effect will likely decrease with use. Hims also offers a full money-back guarantee within 90 days. Canceling a subscription can take 48 hours and must be done at least 2 days prior to the next month’s charge, or you’ll be charged for an additional month.

How we vet brands and products

Hair loss and hair thinning can be temporary or permanent. It’s usually genetic, but it can also be triggered by diseases or disorders that attack the hair follicles. If you have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), your hormones are always out of whack.

Prevention

“Anti-androgen medications, such as spironolactone, may also be prescribed to counteract the effects of excess androgens,” Dr. Mitchell says. This man took finasteride to treat his male pattern hair loss, and within 1 year (B), he had noticeable improvement. This is considered the most effective treatment for people who have a few patches of alopecia areata, a condition that causes hair loss. In one study of 127 patients with patchy alopecia areata, more than 80% who were treated with these injections had at least half of their hair regrow within 12 weeks.

The FDA also recently approved a new drug for severe cases of alopecia areata called Litfulo (generic name, ritlecitinib). The medication stimulates hair growth by quieting part of the immune system. Hair loss in women is just that — when a woman experiences unexpected heavy loss of hair.

You may need more than one surgery to get the effect you want. Hereditary hair loss will eventually progress despite surgery. In the type of patchy hair loss known as alopecia areata, hair loss occurs suddenly and usually starts with one or more circular bald patches that may overlap. Before pursuing hair loss treatment, talk with your doctor about the cause of your hair loss and treatment options.

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Shrinking can begin as early as your teens, but it usually starts later in life. It can help to address the physical aspects of hair loss. Try to find out everything you can about hair loss and the treatment options available to you. Minimize the use of high-heat styling tools, hair extensions and harsh treatments like perms. Avoid hairstyles like tight buns and braids that pull on your scalp, potentially causing traction alopecia.

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Surgical procedures to treat baldness are not usually covered by insurance. Your shorter hairs — like eyelashes, arm and leg hair, and eyebrows —have a short anagen phase (about one month). Your scalp hair can last up to six years or even longer. Hair grows on almost all of your skin surfaces — not the palms of your hands, soles of your feet, lips or eyelids. She is interested in exploring topics such as fitness, meditation, and healthy lifestyles in her writing.

Ask your stylist about alternatives, such as organic hair dyes and other products that don’t contain ammonia, peroxide, or para-phenylenediamine (PPD). Read our list of the best shampoos for thinning hair. To use minoxidil, you apply it to the scalp as directed, usually once or twice a day. You can search by location, condition, and procedure to find the dermatologist that’s right for you. If you’d like to try acupuncture, a healthcare professional can offer a referral. You can also search the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine directory.

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Can you tell the difference between hair loss that's temporary and hair loss that needs treatment? Many types of wigs, including ones that can be custom-made for you, are available. If you’re looking for a concealer, such as a spray or powder that can hide hair loss, you’ll find many products available online. With endless choices, it can be helpful to have a dermatologist guide you in selecting one. Finasteride tends to be more effective if you begin taking it when you first notice hair loss. A dermatologist may also prescribe this medication to treat a woman who has hereditary hair loss and cannot get pregnant.

Hims offers a variety of subscription products for male hair loss that include either minoxidil, finasteride, or both. The company also offer a selection of vitamins, like biotin gummies. If the stress stops, your body will readjust and the excessive shedding will stop. When the shedding stops, most people see their hair regain its normal fullness within 6 to 9 months. No matter which term you use, it means that you’ve inherited genes that cause your hair follicles (what each hair grows out of) to shrink and eventually stop growing hair.

Alopecia areata affects up to 6.8 million people in the U.S. You can only receive PRP therapy from a healthcare professional. While research on the benefits of ketoconazole for hair loss shows promise, experts agree on the need for randomized controlled trials to support these findings. If you have a deficiency, your doctor may suggest multivitamins or supplements like iron and biotin. Don't take any supplement before checking with your doctor. They may interact with other medications or supplements you take.

Looking at your scalp lets your doctor check for any infections or swelling and see where your hair’s falling out. Hair usually regrows when your hormones get back to normal. Your hair can regain its usual fullness 6 to 9 months after childbirth. TE is typically reversible and often resolves 6–8 months after your body readjusts or the trigger is gone. You can sometimes identify TE by looking at the strand.

Doctors sometimes prescribe other treatments off-label to reduce the incidence of hair loss in women. And any medical conditions that lead to hair loss should be treated directly to address the condition, not just its symptoms. Another cause of hair loss is called telogen effluvium (TE), which is typically temporary. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), TE isn’t actually defined as “hair loss,” but rather as excessive hair shedding. If your hair loss is caused by an underlying disease, treatment for that disease will be necessary. If a certain medication is causing the hair loss, your doctor may advise you to stop using it for a few months.