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The Best Hair Oil Products For Super-Shiny Locks

The secret to healthy hair? Oil, apparently.

In need of a hair rescue solution? Whether you’re struggling with an itchy scalp, dry locks or sensitive skin, many skin and haircare experts are recommending investing in a good hair oil to get things back on track. Here’s everything you need to know before buying – as well as our roundup of the best hair oil products to try now.

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What Is Hair Oil?

Hair oil is a cosmetic product designed to help improve the condition of your hair. ‘Hair oil comes in a liquid format, which can be more or less viscous depending on the composition,’ adds Dr Catherine Leray, Head of Research and Development at THG LABS. ‘It is usually a combination of different oils that can be completely natural or a mixture with other emollients.’

What Are The Benefits Of Using It?

‘The main benefits of using hair oil is that it can improve the condition of hair by providing nourishment and lubrication,’ says Dr Leray. ‘It can lead to instant benefits such as improving shine, smoothness, softness, detangling or frizz. So it’s quite a key product for overall healthy-looking hair. Some hair oils are also very good for your scalp.’

Does Hair Oil Stimulate Growth?

Most people will also look to hair oil to see if it can stimulate hair growth – but does it work? ‘Applying hair oil to your scalp can definitely have a stimulating effect through the massaging action, but it should also be noted that there are multiple factors to take into consideration when discussing hair growth. There’s also little scientific evidence for individual neat oils which makes it impossible to conclude that hair oil can stimulate hair growth without looking at specific products and the clinical testing that has been carried out to come to this conclusion.

‘Saying that, a hair oil can help improve the scalp condition to provide a healthy environment for hair growth in the long run,’ she continues. ‘If hair growth is your key goal, you may instead consider a growth serum such as the Grow Gorgeous Hair Growth Serum Intense, which features a unique combination of active ingredients including caffeine and a biomimetic peptide that work to improve the quality and density of hair.’

Is There Anything We Should Consider Before Using Hair Oil?

‘Consider your hair type and your hair concerns as this will help to define and chose the hair oil best suited for your needs,’ advises Dr Leray. ‘But one shouldn’t overlook sebum production or scalp issues such as dry, itching or flaking, as using the right hair oil can also have some benefits for your scalp.’

How Do You Apply Hair Oil, Depending On Your Hair Type?

As Dr Leray notes, ‘Your hair type will have a massive impact on the amount applied and the frequency. Fine hair will likely need only a few drops along the length and ends, while porous hair would be able to cope with a more copious amount. Those with curly hair might enjoy using a hair oil to redefine their curls.’

Tips For Choosing The Best

As with any purchase, Dr Leray urges us to consider what we want the product for – as this will help to narrow down ingredients and treatments: ‘Consider why you’d like to purchase this product: is it for scalp health or more to tackle specific hair concerns or both?

‘I would also recommend considering your hair and scalp type,’ she continues. ‘Look at the ingredient list and research the ingredients or extracts that are being put forward on the packaging as well as the type of testing that has been conducted to demonstrate the efficacy of the product.’

The Best Hair Oil Products To Try Now

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Gold hair oil

Gisou

Gisou Honey Infused Hair Repair Serum, £35

gisou.com

Best For: Hydration

Struggling with dry, brittle locks? Not for much longer. Gisou’s latest serum delivers a fresh burst of Mirsalehi honey combined with Gisou’s signature Bee Garden Oil Blend and plant-based keratin, permeating hair fibres with a hydration boost. There’s also an added bonus, as this hair oil helps to shield strands from heat and UV using the antioxidant keraguard.

Purple and bronze hair oil bottle

Grow Gorgeous

Repair Heat Protection Leave-In Oil, £17.50

lookfantastic.com

Best For: Protection

This vegan formula is great for protecting strands against heat tools, as it reinforces the lipid barrier to more greatly shield the strands beneath. It’s also works to lock in moisture and create a glossy finish. Note that Grow Gorgeous that this product works best to restore bleached, over processed and heat damaged hair.

Dr Leray says: ‘The Grow Gorgeous Repair Heat Protection Leave-In Oil contains skincare active ingredients to nourish and protect hair, formulated with six precious oils and an oat lipids complex to reveal glossy and healthy-looking strands.’

Purple bottle

Aussie

3 Miracle Hair Oil Lightweight Treatment, £6.66

boots.com

Best For: Scent

One brand that’s been popping up everywhere on haircare shelves in recent years is Aussie – and for good reason. The brand’s lightweight hair oil, while temptingly delicious-smelling, uses a triple bonza oil blend of Australian macadamia nut, avocado and jojoba seed oil to nourish and condition hair. The results will leave strands feeling soft, looking shiny and smelling great.

Gold bottle on pink background

JVN

Pre-Wash Scalp Oil, £25

jvnhair.co.uk

Best For: Scalp Health

In Jonathan Van Ness we trust. JVN’s hair oil is packed with nutrients to help nourish the scalp and create a healthy environment for hair growth. Ideal for those struggling with an itchy, dry or flaky scalp. The brand is also currently partnered with 1% for the Planet, donating one percent of of all Pre-Wash Scalp Oil net sales to verified organisations working to protect the planet.

Orange and green oil bottle

MONPURE

Ultralight Healthy Hair Oil, £58

cultbeauty.co.uk

Best For: Lightweight Feel

Concerned that hair oil will give you instant greasy hair? Well you can fear not, thanks to MONPURE. The brand has developed a super lightweight hair oil that helps to hydrate your scalp and strands without leaving residue, and all while minimising frizz.

Oil bottle

Gisou

Honey-Infused Hair Oil, £68

gisou.com

Best For: Multi-Purpose Function

If you’re after a product that can ‘do it all’, try Gisou’s honey-infused hair oil. It works simultaneously as a pre-styling and finishing product, as well as a hair mask and overnight treatment. Enriched with Mirsalehi honey sourced from the brand’s own bee garden, its formula helps to rebuild and repair hair by restoring its natural moisture balance. The result? Softer, stronger and shinier locks.

Featured image: Helena I, Pexels