Hair Oils
Hair Oils
January 20th, 2023
People have used oil in hair care regimens for thousands of years. One of the earliest recorded use cases was of the ancient Egyptians, who applied castor oil to their hair. It wasn't until 1950 that a scholar named Martin Levey suggested using the distillation process to extract oils from plants in prehistoric Mesopotamia. He published his findings in a paper called the Evidences of Ancient Distillation, Sublimation and Extraction in Mesopotamia. With advances in technology, the distillation process looks different today, but it's generally the same and is how the majority of the oils you use every day are made. In this post, we help you understand the different types of oils and which ones you should be using on your hair.
Types of Oils
Plant Oils
These oils are pressed, crushed and refined from the fatty portions of a plant or botanical. They are less aromatic and have the ability to sink into your hair shaft, unlike mineral oils, which can make them a more effective moisturizing ingredient depending on your needs.
Mineral Oils
These oils are made from petroleum that is highly refined. They have a lower price point compared to plant oils and essential oils, which can influence which brands will include them in product formulas. They're known to create a barrier on the surface of your hair shaft to lock moisture in.
Essential Oils
These oils are distilled from leaves, roots, bark and other aromatic portions of plants. The distillation process turns the raw ingredients left over into a more concentrated, highly aromatic oil. They're used for their smell and are thought to have therapeutic benefits, but will irritate your skin if not heavily diluted with mineral or plant oils.
Silicone (not an oil)
While not technically an oil, silicone provides conditioning qualities that are similar. There are two types to be aware of: (1) soluble and (2) non-soluble. The main difference between them is that one can be broken down by water and the other cannot, meaning it requires harsher shampoos with surfactants to wash it away after continued use. You can tell the difference between them based on their ingredients, which I've listed below. You can also read more about silicones in my posts How Often Should I Shampoo? and Ingredient Lists.
Plant Oils
These oils are pressed, crushed and refined from the fatty portions of a plant or botanical. They are less aromatic and have the ability to sink into your hair shaft, unlike mineral oils, which can make them a more effective moisturizing ingredient depending on your needs.
Mineral Oils
These oils are made from petroleum that is highly refined. They have a lower price point compared to plant oils and essential oils, which can influence which brands will include them in product formulas. They're known to create a barrier on the surface of your hair shaft to lock moisture in.
Essential Oils
These oils are distilled from leaves, roots, bark and other aromatic portions of plants. The distillation process turns the raw ingredients left over into a more concentrated, highly aromatic oil. They're used for their smell and are thought to have therapeutic benefits, but will irritate your skin if not heavily diluted with mineral or plant oils.
Silicone (not an oil)
While not technically an oil, silicone provides conditioning qualities that are similar. There are two types to be aware of: (1) soluble and (2) non-soluble. The main difference between them is that one can be broken down by water and the other cannot, meaning it requires harsher shampoos with surfactants to wash it away after continued use. You can tell the difference between them based on their ingredients, which I've listed below. You can also read more about silicones in my posts How Often Should I Shampoo? and Ingredient Lists.
- Non-soluble: Dimethicone, Cyclomethicone, Amodimethicone, Pheryl trimethicone, Ceteraryl methicone, Dimethiconol, Stearyl dimethicone, Amodimethicone (non-soluble when Trideceth-12 and Cetrimonium Chloride are absent)
- Soluble: Cyclomethicone, Dimethicone copolyol, Lauryl methicone copolyol, any silicone with PEG as a prefix
Oils for Hair with High Porosity vs. Low Porosity
Finding the right oil for your hair texture can be challenging, but if you can identify the porosity of your hair it will help guide the process. Genetics and they way you care for your hair are the biggest influencers of its porosity. Styling tools with high heat, coloring, perming and other hair care/services can cause your porosity to change. Although the signs of highly porous hair are not widely considered “healthy looking”, the benefit for some can be more volume and fullness.
Hair with low porosity is considered to be “healthy”, but it comes with its own challenges. According to the Science-y Hair Blog “If you have fine or soft hair which is easily over-conditioned, those same oils may make your hair feel greasy and lank unless used in very small amounts. Lower porosity hair may do better with blends of penetrating oils and less-penetrating oils.” The chart below will help you determine your porosity and show you what oils have been found to "penetrate the cortex", or the second layer of your hair shaft that sits behind your outer cuticle. Your porosity level is a good thing to keep in mind when searching for new hair products.
Finding the right oil for your hair texture can be challenging, but if you can identify the porosity of your hair it will help guide the process. Genetics and they way you care for your hair are the biggest influencers of its porosity. Styling tools with high heat, coloring, perming and other hair care/services can cause your porosity to change. Although the signs of highly porous hair are not widely considered “healthy looking”, the benefit for some can be more volume and fullness.
Hair with low porosity is considered to be “healthy”, but it comes with its own challenges. According to the Science-y Hair Blog “If you have fine or soft hair which is easily over-conditioned, those same oils may make your hair feel greasy and lank unless used in very small amounts. Lower porosity hair may do better with blends of penetrating oils and less-penetrating oils.” The chart below will help you determine your porosity and show you what oils have been found to "penetrate the cortex", or the second layer of your hair shaft that sits behind your outer cuticle. Your porosity level is a good thing to keep in mind when searching for new hair products.
Signs of Hair with High Porosity |
Signs of Hair with Low Porosity |
Hair that is:
For oil treatments, use penetrating oils on your ends and a mix of less penetrating oils plus penetrating oils from your roots to mid hair shaft. |
Hair that is:
For oil treatments, mix penetrating and less penetrating oils. |
Sources: Enhancing Hair Health: Effects of Oiling, Inside and Out - Part I, Cosmetics & Toiletries
Enhancing Hair Health: Effects of Oiling, Inside and Out - Part II, Cosmetics & Toiletries
Oils - Which Ones Soak in vs. Coat the Hair?, Science-y Hair Blog
Beginner's Guide to Ingredients in Natural Hair Products , Textured Talk
15 Scientific Names for Common Ingredients in Natural Hair Products, 1Blessed Natural Mag
Enhancing Hair Health: Effects of Oiling, Inside and Out - Part II, Cosmetics & Toiletries
Oils - Which Ones Soak in vs. Coat the Hair?, Science-y Hair Blog
Beginner's Guide to Ingredients in Natural Hair Products , Textured Talk
15 Scientific Names for Common Ingredients in Natural Hair Products, 1Blessed Natural Mag
Signs of Hair with High Porosity |
Hair that is:
For oil treatments, use penetrating oils on your ends and a mix of less penetrating oils plus penetrating oils from your roots to mid hair shaft. |
See below for sources.
Signs of Hair with Low Porosity |
Hair that is:
For oil treatments, mix penetrating and less penetrating oils.. |
Sources: Enhancing Hair Health: Effects of Oiling, Inside and Out - Part I, Cosmetics & Toiletries
Enhancing Hair Health: Effects of Oiling, Inside and Out - Part II, Cosmetics & Toiletries
Oils - Which Ones Soak in vs. Coat the Hair?, Science-y Hair Blog
Beginner's Guide to Ingredients in Natural Hair Products , Textured Talk
15 Scientific Names for Common Ingredients in Natural Hair Products, 1Blessed Natural Mag
Enhancing Hair Health: Effects of Oiling, Inside and Out - Part II, Cosmetics & Toiletries
Oils - Which Ones Soak in vs. Coat the Hair?, Science-y Hair Blog
Beginner's Guide to Ingredients in Natural Hair Products , Textured Talk
15 Scientific Names for Common Ingredients in Natural Hair Products, 1Blessed Natural Mag
Penetrating Oils |
Less Penetrating Oils |
Not Recommended |
Coconut (Cocos Nucifera) Oil Sunflower (Helianthus Annuus) Seed Oil |
Olive (Olea Europaea) Oil Argan (Argania Spinosa) Oil |
Mineral Oil Jojoba (Simmondsia Chinensis) Oil |
Penetrating Oils |
Coconut (Cocos Nucifera) Oil Sunflower (Helianthus Annuus) Seed Oil |
Less Penetrating Oils |
Olive (Olea Europaea) Oil Argan (Argania Spinosa) Oil |
Not Recommended |
Mineral Oil Jojoba (Simmondsia Chinensis) Oil |