The Best Oil for Damaged Hair: Is it Worth It?
It’s also that time of year when we bring out the big guns in the conditioning game, such as hair masks, deep conditioners, and the best hair oil for dry damaged hair, with the latter being the newest kid on the block. Most of us have it down to a science: Lather, rinse, repeat, then a weekly hair mask soak, if things are feeling particularly haggard, and off we go. Hair oils, as we know them today (clear and serum-like) are a more recent addition to the party. Using hair oil for dry hair concerns, such as roughness, porosity, and frizz, may seem counterintuitive, as in our cleanliness-obsessed society we’ve been conditioned to abhor greasiness in all its forms. This is also one of the reasons that hair oils had quite the marketing hurdle to face.
Let’s get trendy: Are you a coconut, avocado, or Argan?
Thankfully, the organic movement in recent years helped spur a paradigm shift in the way we all thought about hair oil for dry hair. Trendy botanicals such as coconut oil and Moroccan Argan oil, both hailed for their effective nourishing properties, suddenly spun the industry’s head and flipped the script on how we viewed using oils as a moisturizing ingredient. If you’re opting in for a coconut oil, we recommend the Love Beauty and Planet Hope and Repair Coconut Oil & Ylang Ylang 3-in-1 Benefit Oil. If you’re opting in for Argan Oil, we recommend the Love Beauty and Planet Smooth and Serene Argan Oil & Lavender Leave-In Smoothie Cream. This lavender for hair product boasts many of the same moisturizing benefits. Rich in essential fatty acids (EFAs), these ingredients helped infuse strands—especially the driest, most damaged, porous, been-through-the-wringer of types—with a renewed smoothness and softness, at a level (and efficiency!) previously seen with prior conditioning serums.
Hair oils are easy, economical, effective
More refined and sophisticated formulas then became available, improving our user experience and entirely getting rid of any gross, sticky feeling we’d ever associated with that most defiled of words: “oil.” What we were left with was a straightforward, simple solution to help with dryness, damage, and porosity—with some shine thrown in as well—all in as little as a few drops. Although hair oil for dry hair has a ways to go in terms of top-of-mind popularity, it’s definitely a go-to solution earning its way into stylists’ kits everywhere. Walk into most high-end salons these days, and chances are serum or lightweight hair oil figures into that final zhuzh before s/he sends you out the door. One of our favorites is Suave Simply Styled Anti-Frizz Smoothing Serum that’s infused with six oils that can make your dry hair soft, manageable, and have reduced frizz. For us home-care enthusiasts, the best oil for damaged hair can prove to be worth the extra real estate on your shelf. Used well, it can even help you streamline your routine, doing away with the need for extra serums and styling helpers. As a post-wash/pre-styling primer, it’s an overachiever that’s finally come of age and cuts to the chase in as little time (and effort) as possible. Exciting times, hair care fans! Want a lowdown on the different hair oils for your hair type? Click on our detailed hair oil guide.