We talk a lot about how brutal (and I do mean brutal) the cold winter air can be on our skin, but not enough noise is ever made about how our hair can also take a beating due to ever-reducing winter temperatures. In the same way that freezing temperatures can strip moisture from your skin and cause dryness that can only be remedied by layering thick occlusives on your face and body, it can also cause your hair to become drier, more brittle, and more prone to breakage. When it’s mid-winter and your face, arms, and legs are drier than usual, a common solution is to rub yourself down with an oil—so why not apply that same logic to your hair?
Hair oiling is an Ayurvedic practice that’s been around for centuries, and it’s a habit that plenty of people swear by for achieving healthy, shiny, moisturized hair. To find out more about the benefits of hair oiling and if it’s right for you, read ahead.
The Benefits of Hair Oils
The benefits you’ll see from regularly applying hair oils is largely dependent on the type of hair oil you’re using in the first place. Some oils can be used to add moisture back into the hair while others sit on top of the hair and can be used to seal said moisture inside.
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Keeping your hair moisturized: Your scalp naturally produces sebum, which is an oil that’s meant to keep your hair and scalp moisturized on its own, but on top of the fact that curlier and wavier hair textures already tend to be drier than others because these oils aren’t able to travel from the scalp all the way down the natural bends of the hair shaft, some shampoos and styling products also contain harsh ingredients that can strip those oils away anyway. Additionally, as stated before, dry air can also dry out the hair, so oils like coconut and argan contain molecules that are small enough to actually penetrate the hair shaft and provide a decent amount of hydration when it’s needed.
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Smoothing frizz and flyaways: Frizzy hair is most often a sign that your hair is lacking moisture. It’s why your hair poofs up and gets staticky when it’s hot or humid outside—your hair is so dry that it’s trying to hydrate itself by stealing moisture from the air. When water inside the hair shaft is lost due to cold weather, an oil can be used to replenish that moisture while also sealing the cuticle and preventing outside air from getting in. Again, oils like argan and coconut, as well as almond, can help if frizz is a major issue.
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May support hair growth: You can take this with a grain of salt since the research on this is pretty limited, but it’s long been said that certain oils can be beneficial for hair growth. Rosemary, peppermint, castor, and tea tree oils are just a few that are often associated with stimulating hair follicles, increasing blood circulation to the scalp, reducing dandruff and flaking on the scalp (because a healthy scalp is key to healthy hair growth), and increasing length retention.
How to Apply Hair Oils
There isn’t just one way to apply oil to your hair to reap its benefits. Some oils can double as pre-shampoo treatments that can be applied to your strands as a way to detangle or moisturize before washing (this can especially come in handy if shampooing often dries out your hair), but you can also add a few drops of your favorite oil to the conditioner you regularly use or use it as a leave-in or styling treatment. If you prefer to apply oil directly onto your hair or scalp, make sure you’re paying attention to the type of oil you’re using and if it’ll actually do what you want it to do. You don’t want to add a sealing oil to your hair thinking that it’ll moisturize, and you don’t want to apply a super-thick oil to your scalp that can actually cause buildup instead of preventing dryness. Depending on your hair type or texture, hair oils can be applied two to three times a week—it may help to slightly warm it up (you can do this by simply rubbing it between your hands) so that it’s better able to get underneath your cuticles. Also, if you’re using an oil on your scalp, don’t stop at applying it and simply letting it sit on the surface. Follow up by gently massaging it into your scalp for ten to fifteen minutes using either your hands or a scalp massager.
Who Shouldn’t Use Hair Oil?
If your hair or scalp is naturally very oily, then you should probably avoid using hair oil. The same thing can be said for people with certain scalp conditions like seborrheic dermatitis or psoriasis, since these can be caused by an overproduction of sebum, leading to flakiness and dandruff. You can also skip hair oils if you have thin or fine hair, as some oils might weigh your hair down, making it look greasy or stringy.
Choosing the Best Hair Oil For You
Choosing a hair oil that’s right for you is a lot like choosing any other hair product, in that it mostly depends less on your hair type and more on what you want the oil to do for you. If dryness is wrecking your hair and moisture and frizz are your biggest concerns, look for a thin oil that can actually seep inside your cuticles and do its job.
These days, there are a ton of options to choose from, between natural oils and name-brand blends, but our Black Bamboo Frizz-Free Hair Oil is a great place to start if you’re looking for a product that can address a handful of concerns at once. It’s a lightweight oil that features over 35 active ingredients, including 17 different amino acids (these are the building blocks of proteins, and they can support healthy hair growth by reducing breakage and keeping the hair moisturized) as well as a peptide complex. Squalane and argan oil can soften and moisturize the hair, while black bamboo is said to relieve scalp irritation, repair breakage, and reduce frizz.
Sometimes the thought of using a hair oil can bring about the fear of said oil sitting on top of the hair and rubbing off other surfaces (like your pillowcase or clothing), but our Frizz-Free Hair Oil is a quickly-absorbing product that leaves behind a non-greasy finish that doesn’t transfer. Even better, it can be applied to wet or dry hair to get rid of frizz and dryness, and it requires no rinsing. Apply daily or as often as needed.
My Hair Is Unusually Dry This Winter—Should I Be Using Hair Oil?
We talk a lot about how brutal (and I do mean brutal) the cold winter air can be on our skin, but not enough noise is ever made about how our hair can also take a beating due to ever-reducing winter temperatures. In the same way that freezing temperatures can strip moisture from your skin and cause dryness that can only be remedied by layering thick occlusives on your face and body, it can also cause your hair to become drier, more brittle, and more prone to breakage. When it’s mid-winter and your face, arms, and legs are drier than usual, a common solution is to rub yourself down with an oil—so why not apply that same logic to your hair?
Hair oiling is an Ayurvedic practice that’s been around for centuries, and it’s a habit that plenty of people swear by for achieving healthy, shiny, moisturized hair. To find out more about the benefits of hair oiling and if it’s right for you, read ahead.
The Benefits of Hair Oils
The benefits you’ll see from regularly applying hair oils is largely dependent on the type of hair oil you’re using in the first place. Some oils can be used to add moisture back into the hair while others sit on top of the hair and can be used to seal said moisture inside.
How to Apply Hair Oils
There isn’t just one way to apply oil to your hair to reap its benefits. Some oils can double as pre-shampoo treatments that can be applied to your strands as a way to detangle or moisturize before washing (this can especially come in handy if shampooing often dries out your hair), but you can also add a few drops of your favorite oil to the conditioner you regularly use or use it as a leave-in or styling treatment. If you prefer to apply oil directly onto your hair or scalp, make sure you’re paying attention to the type of oil you’re using and if it’ll actually do what you want it to do. You don’t want to add a sealing oil to your hair thinking that it’ll moisturize, and you don’t want to apply a super-thick oil to your scalp that can actually cause buildup instead of preventing dryness. Depending on your hair type or texture, hair oils can be applied two to three times a week—it may help to slightly warm it up (you can do this by simply rubbing it between your hands) so that it’s better able to get underneath your cuticles. Also, if you’re using an oil on your scalp, don’t stop at applying it and simply letting it sit on the surface. Follow up by gently massaging it into your scalp for ten to fifteen minutes using either your hands or a scalp massager.
Who Shouldn’t Use Hair Oil?
If your hair or scalp is naturally very oily, then you should probably avoid using hair oil. The same thing can be said for people with certain scalp conditions like seborrheic dermatitis or psoriasis, since these can be caused by an overproduction of sebum, leading to flakiness and dandruff. You can also skip hair oils if you have thin or fine hair, as some oils might weigh your hair down, making it look greasy or stringy.
Choosing the Best Hair Oil For You
Choosing a hair oil that’s right for you is a lot like choosing any other hair product, in that it mostly depends less on your hair type and more on what you want the oil to do for you. If dryness is wrecking your hair and moisture and frizz are your biggest concerns, look for a thin oil that can actually seep inside your cuticles and do its job.
These days, there are a ton of options to choose from, between natural oils and name-brand blends, but our Black Bamboo Frizz-Free Hair Oil is a great place to start if you’re looking for a product that can address a handful of concerns at once. It’s a lightweight oil that features over 35 active ingredients, including 17 different amino acids (these are the building blocks of proteins, and they can support healthy hair growth by reducing breakage and keeping the hair moisturized) as well as a peptide complex. Squalane and argan oil can soften and moisturize the hair, while black bamboo is said to relieve scalp irritation, repair breakage, and reduce frizz.
Sometimes the thought of using a hair oil can bring about the fear of said oil sitting on top of the hair and rubbing off other surfaces (like your pillowcase or clothing), but our Frizz-Free Hair Oil is a quickly-absorbing product that leaves behind a non-greasy finish that doesn’t transfer. Even better, it can be applied to wet or dry hair to get rid of frizz and dryness, and it requires no rinsing. Apply daily or as often as needed.