The Hair Oils You Need In Your Life, And Pronto

Just when you thought winter was over, we’ve hit with another cold front (at least on the East Coast). So it's important — at this time, especially — that we take good care of our skin and hair to save it from the dry, chilly winds. Wind blown hair leads to tangles and knots — resulting in brittle, unruly hair, after all. You can try and tuck your locks into your sweater or tie an old fashion silk scarf around yourself to keep your hair safe. But lately I’ve been experimenting with hair oils to keep my hair moisturized and to prevent static in in (because that drives me crazy!). I also recently got my hair highlighted, and while I love the results, it has left my hair feeling a little damaged — so I've been trying to do some mega repair control to get my silky strands back.

Many beauty gurus have raved about natural products such as coconut oil, olive oil and jojoba oil so I started my experimenting. I've already tried olive oil and jojoba oil in the past (and recently tried coconut oil). While I appreciate the nature-friendly ingredients and they're benefits, I have to warn you: The process gets really messy. Maybe it’s the product snob within me, but I prefer using products made for hair because it’s usually a pump or spray bottle — making it much easier to apply. Without further ado, though, here's your guide to the best oils for your hair!

Coconut Oil

Spectrum Organic Coconut Oil, $7, target.com

Coconut oil leaves hair feeling thicker and fuller, resulting in more volume. It really binds and penetrates your hair strands and leaves your locks strong and shiny. Although I’ve never struggled with dandruff, when doing my research I found that coconut oil is an amazing fix for dry scalps (especially in the winter). But alas — I can’t get over how messy it gets trying to apply heated coconut oil from a bowl onto my hair. The best, least messy way I could think of applying the oil was to coat a plastic wide tooth comb in it and brushing the product into my hair until it felt saturated — this still left a fairly annoying mess.

Olive Oil

Star Extra Virgin Olive Oil, $7, target.com

Olive oil is known for its prevention of hair loss and for creating a healthy scalp to promote healthy hair growth. I feel as though it’s just as effective as coconut oil but less messy because you don’t have to melt it and it normally comes in a bottle.

Jojoba Oil

Desert Essence 100 Percent Pure Jojoba Oil, $10, walgreens.com

I started using jojoba oil on my face before finding that it had benefits for my hair as well. Jojoba is the only oil that shares similar cellular structures to sebum (natural oil produced by skin) so this is great hair oil for those with sensitive skin.

All the products I've covered so far can be found at your local health foods store, but the next three hair oils can only be bought at higher end salons and beauty supply stores. I’ve tried countless samples and bottles of different hair oils and these three were my favorites thus far. Most recently, I had some of my hair lightened and noticed that it became damaged, so I started to do some intense research and experiment with different oils for my hair. Here are three of my favorite hair oils and products to fight away potential damage.

Shu Uemura

Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil Shampoo, $57, shuuemuraartofhair.com

This can be used as a styling tool, pre-shampoo treatment or leave-in conditioner. A little goes a long way, so make sure to start off with tiny amounts when styling. This will leave your hair feeling so silky smooth that you won’t want to stop touching it. Shu Uemura is best for people with thick hair who need a heavier oil to control possible frizz. Another pro? It smells amazing.

Chi Silk Infusion

Chi Silk Infusion, $26, ulta.com

I think this one is fairly popular amongst the hair oils, probably because of how adored the brand is (thanks to their straightener!) but it lives up to the hype. It uses pure natural silk, wheat and soy proteins to infuse your hair with hydrating properties while protecting it from thermal heat. It leaves your hair feeling moisturized but not overly greasy.

Biosilk Silk Therapy

Biosilk Silk Therapy, $26, ulta.com

I’ve never been disappointed by any of Biosilk products from their shampoo and conditioners to their hairsprays — I love them all! Their Biosilk therapy oil is no exception. It contains essential amino acids for hair and fills any voids in cuticle layer — leaving your hair strong and healthy. I’ve noticed that compared to the others, Biosilk therapy leaves hair incredibly shiny without weighing it down or making it look greasy.

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