I am guilty of switching haircare routine often. As in every time I wash and style my hair, I shake things up with my shampoo, conditioner, and styling products. Some days I want colour protection. Other times volumized curls. I have a rotation of mousses, blow dry creams, and curl boosters I like to mix and match depending on my mood (and the climate of course), but there is one thing I am forever loyal to in my regime: hair oil.
For me, using a hair oil is a non-negotiable prep step that’s the difference between an ordinary and an extraordinary hair day. Not only does a hair oil promote shine and imbue my hair with a healthy sheen, but it also protects my colour, untangles any knots, prevents hair breakage and split ends. At this time of year with endless days of high humidity, hair oil is also my secret weapon for controlling frizz.
I’ve recently been using a new hair oil from Aveda which I am totally obsessed with. The Miraculous Oil High-Shine Hair Concentrate ($55 at aveda.ca) is one of the best ever for a few different reasons. The texture is incredibly light which is super-important in a hair oil because you never want it to weight hair down or create greasiness. The vegan formula is a concentrated blend of Tsbaki seed oil and daikon seed oil and a few drops of this nourishing elixir go a long way.
I have medium-fine hair and apply this hair oil on clean damp strands, first warming a few drops up in my hands before running through my hair from roots to ends. I then like to brush it through with a paddle brush for maximum absorption and a little therapeutic scalp massage. This particular oil really ups the shine factor of my curls, and it makes my hair smell like heave thanks to Aveda’s signature Pure-Fume aroma (IYKYK) which is loaded with soothing lavender and ylang-ylang.
If you’ve been wary of trying a hair oil in the past, let’s clear up a few misconceptions about them. A hair oil should never make your hair greasy. If the one you have does you could be applying too much (minimalism is the key to success here), or a using a formula that’s too rich for your hair type. Also, be mindful of your application and don’t apply too much oil at the roots. If you have a naturally oilier scalp, a hair oil can actually help rebalance an overproduction of sebum.
Hair oil can be used on both wet and dry hair, and it’s important to note each application has a different benefit. It helps to lock moisture into hair when smoothed on wet strands; applied to dry hair it can control frizz and flyaways and is amazing for adding shine to curls and waves. You can also use hair oil to refresh lived-in locks. A few drops can help primp and polish hair between wash days.
Hair Oils We Love
Here are five more of our favourites for your shopping consideration.
This one not only delivers divine shine, but the glass bottle is designed to be refillable, and we love an eco-savvy beauty hero.
BUY: Kérastase Elixir Ultime L’Huile Original Hair Oil, $90 for 100ml, sephora.com
Sea Buckthorn is this hair oil’s secret weapon for creating glass hair. It’s featherweight in texture and provides unprecedented heat protection.
BUY: Amika Superfruit Star Lightweight Hair Styling Oil, $46 for 50ml, sephora.com
This ultra-luxe formula can also be used as nourishing hair mask. Apply to damp hair and leave on for 10 minutes before shampooing to reveal silky-smooth strands.
BUY: Oribe Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil, $74 for 100ml, sephora.com
For many of us, this argan-oil based formula was OG that introduced us to hair oil, and it remains one of the best. And that scent: totally iconic!
BUY: Moroccanoil Treatment Original, $62 for 100ml, moroccanoil.com
We love this unique hair oil because it’s designed to protect hair fibers from damaging metallic deposits which can happen when you wash your hair post-colour, balayage, or lightening service.
BUY: L’Oreal Professional Metal Detox Concentrated Oil, $45 for 50ml, beautysense.ca
