In the quest for healthy, conditioned hair, only the best hair oil formulas will do to keep parched strands quenched—particularly through cooler temperatures. A nourishing hair oil will counteract the effects of the cold weather by conditioning and sealing moisture in the hair shaft to keep lengths shiny and healthy-looking, as well as silky to the touch. It doesn’t hurt that slathering one on can be as luxurious as slipping into a cashmere sweater.
“Hair oil has always been my go-to—a staple in my kit and the only styling product I use on my own hair,” says celebrity hairstylist and founder of RŌZ Mara Roszak.“Our hair loves moisture,” she adds. Celebrity hairstylist Ro Morgan lists “replenishing hair with vitamins and minerals that may have been lost during the shampoo process, [increasing] hydration, adding shine, and preventing breakage and frizz” as uses.
But before introducing a hair oil into your rotation, it’s essential to find the right one for your desired results. “To choose the right oil for you, consider your hair texture, scalp condition, climate, and/or desired hair results,” says Morgan. “You may have to test a little of the oil on the skin of your hand to see how fast it absorbs.” From new launches to cult favorites, here are the best hair oil formulas to address a wide mix of hair types and concerns.
The Best Hair Oils for 2023
- Best For Pre-Wash: Act+Acre Cold Processed Scalp Detox, $48
- Best For Damaged Hair: Olaplex No.7 Bonding Oil, $30
- Best For Shine: JVN Hair Complete Nourishing Shine Drops, $24
- Best For Scalp: Mielle Organics Rosemary Mint Scalp & Hair Strengthening Oil, $10
- Best For Breakage: Augustinus Bader The Hair Oil, $52
- Best For Dry Hair: Oribe Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil, $39
- Best For Curly Hair: Pattern By Tracee Ellis Ross Argan Oil Blend, $28
- Best For Gray Hair: Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Smoothing Anti-Frizz Nourishing Oil, $36
- Best For Frizz: Living Proof No Frizz Vanishing Oil, $33
- Best For Edges: Design Essentials Scalp & Skin Care Edge & Temple Strengthening Oil, $10
For the Scalp: Mielle Organics Rosemary Mint Scalp & Hair Strengthening Oil
- Why We Love It: Healthy hair starts at the scalp. Give yours a bit of TLC with Mielle’s often-sold-out formula that works well as a daily or intensive treatment. Powerful natural ingredients, like rosemary oil, are infused in this elixir to reinvigorate the scalp, strengthen hair, and nourish hair follicles for thicker, healthier hair over time.
- Key Ingredients: Rosemary, mint, biotin
- How to Apply: According to Mielle, use it as a scalp treatment by sectioning hair into four parts and dropping a small amount of oil into spots where the scalp is exposed. Use fingers to massage the product into the scalp, then comb it through the hair. The oil can also tend to split ends: apply it to the ends of the hair, wear a processing cap for 10 minutes, then rinse it out.
For Pre-Wash: Act+Acre Cold Processed Scalp Detox
- Why We Love It: Perhaps a pre-shampoo treatment is just the ticket to amp up your mane’s moisture. The Vogue editor-approved scalp detox treatment uses a blend of nourishing ingredients to balance the scalp, remove excess buildup, and soothe irritation—all crucial properties of healthy hair.
- Key Ingredients: Baobab and basil leaf, baobab oil, moringa extract
- How to Apply: According to Act+Acre, apply small dots to a dry scalp and massage the product in. Let it sit for about 20 minutes before rinsing it out with a cleansing shampoo and conditioner.
For Damaged Hair: Olaplex No.7 Bonding Oil
- Why We Love It: If dullness and fried ends are ailing your strands, look to Olaplex’s game-changing treatment: the No.7 Bonding Oil—a formula Morgan cites as the ultimate damaged hair salve. Infused with patented bond-repairing chemistry, as well as anti-aging oils, it repairs and strengthens, as well as extends color by renewing vibrancy and acting as a UV/heat protectant.
- Key Ingredients: Bis-aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate (patented bond-repairing technology), grapeseed oil, fermented green tea oil
- How to Apply: According to Olaplex, turn the bottle upside down and tap it to dispense a measured drop. Apply to wet or dry hair, and style as usual.
For Shine: JVN Hair Complete Nourishing Shine Drops
- Why We Love It: Pro hairstylist and educator Karen Miller might turn to the JVN Nourishing Shine Drops for enhanced shine. This weightless elixir is powered by vegan ingredients to not only add a glossy luster but protect your strands against damage and color fading.
- Key Ingredients: Hibiscus extract, hemisqualane, meadowfoam ester
- How to Apply: According to JVN, add a few drops into the palms and rub them together. Smooth the oil onto damp or dry hair from mid-lengths to ends.
For Smoothing: Bumble & Bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil
- Why We Love It: If a silky blowout or sleek updo is on the agenda, look no further than Bumble & bumble’s lightweight oil, which comes as a recommendation from Morgan. Powered by a six-oil blend, this nourisher works to prevent breakage, combat frizz, enhance shine, and protect thick hair types.
- Key Ingredients: Grapeseed, sweet almond, coconut, safflower seed, argan, and macadamia nut oils
- How to Apply: According to Bumble & Bumble, work a small amount through damp hair before heat styling, or run through dry hair to add shine.
For Softness: 14th Night The Hair Elixir
- Why We Love It: Inspired by her Persian heritage, Vogue alum Negar Mohammadi’s 14th Night oil treatment is a sumptuous medley of time-honored fruit, nut, and seed ingredients to strengthen strands and promote a shinier, softer mane.
- Key Ingredients: Argan oil, camellia flower
- How to Apply: According to 14th Night, shake the bottle before smoothing four to eight drops into wet hair from mid-lengths to ends, then air-dry or heat-style. To tame flyaways, rub three to six drops into the palms and work the oil through dry strands. Or, use the oil as a deep-conditioning treatment by rubbing a full pipette into the palms and smoothing the product through mid-lengths to ends. Let the treatment sit for 10 minutes before rinsing it out.
For Breakage: Augustinus Bader The Hair Oil
- Why We Love It: Applying its disruptive, science-backed skin-care principals to hair care, Augustinus Bader’s potent hair oil features the brand’s TFC-8 complex, which supports cellular renewal on the scalp to support stronger, healthier hair from the roots. Because this revitalizes hair from within, it should reduce breakage and split ends.
- Key Ingredients: TFC-8 complex (made from natural amino acids, vitamins, and synthesized molecules naturally found in skin to activate the body’s stem cells)
- How to Apply: According to Augustinus Bader, apply one to three drops to dry or towel-dried hair from mid-lengths to ends.
For Dry Hair: Oribe Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil
- Why We Love It: Oribe’s Gold Lust formula is known to expertly replenish dry hair. It’s made with a blend of oils, extracts, and shea butter for improved softness, shine, and smoothing. What’s more, this offers protective benefits against thermal damage and UV rays.
- Key Ingredients: Jasmine, cassis seed, and argan oils, shea butter, sandalwood extract
- How to Apply: According to Oribe, work it through dry hair to use as a pre-shampoo or overnight treatment; it can also be used as an everyday form of sun protection for the hair. Alternatively, use it on damp tresses as a protectant for heat styling.
For Fine Hair: Moroccanoil Treatment Light Hair Oil
- Why We Love It: Morgan recommends this Moroccanoil blend to those conditioning fine hair. Designed as the lighter texture and color counterpart to the original treatment, the Light formula improves hair health without weighing it down.
- Key Ingredients: Argan oil, linseed extract
- How to Apply: According to Moroccanoil, apply one to two pumps to dry or towel-dried hair and work it through mid-lengths to ends.
For Curly Hair: Pattern By Tracee Ellis Ross Argan Oil Blend
- Why We Love It: Designed for textures across the curly, coily, and tightly-textured spectrum (from 3B to 4C hair types), Pattern’s blend is miraculously lightweight, yet boasts a powerful co*cktail of oils to keep hair silky and protected.
- Key Ingredients: Argan, sunflower, castor, sweet almond, and shea oils
- How to Apply: According to Pattern, use the oil to add moisture to wet or dry hair. A little goes a long way, so rub a scant couple of drops ino the palms before working it through the hair.
For Color-Treated Hair: dpHUE Color Fresh Oil Therapy
- Why We Love It: Preventing damage and avoiding sulfates are two of the big callouts to maintaining color-treated hair. One must select products with care in order to keep color fresh and vibrant. To do so, Miller reaches for this dpHUE oil which promises to repair, condition, and smooth each strand without tinting or stripping color.
- Key Ingredients: Argan oil, liquid shea butter
- How to Apply: According to dpHUE, apply a small amount to the palms and work it through damp hair from mid-lengths to ends. It can also be used on dry hair to add shine and diminish frizz and fly-aways.
For Gray Hair: Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Smoothing Anti-Frizz Nourishing Oil
- Why We Love It: Experts say gray hair is more susceptible to damage. Those with mature hair types, or natural gray hair, should consider strengthening and reparative treatments to help hair protect itself. Powered by caviar extract, Alterna’s anti-frizz oil is rich in Omega fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals to protect against environmental stressors and improve hair’s moisture retention.
- Key Ingredients: Trademarked Seasilk, Color Hold, Enzymetherapy, Age Control Complex
- How to Apply: According to Alterna Caviar, work a small amount through damp or dry hair and style as usual.
For Frizz: Living Proof No Frizz Vanishing Oil
- Why We Love It: When Miller needs to stop frizz and flyaways in their tracks, she turns to this Living Proof oil. This fast-absorption formula is powered by amaranth seed extract and a five oil blend to replenish hair’s natural lipids—leaving you with silky smooth strands and optimal shine.
- Key Ingredients: Amaranth seed extract, Biomimetic 5-oil blend, hemisqualane
- How to Apply: According to Living Proof, work a small amount through sectioned hair that’s dry or damp. For fine hair, use one to two drops; coarser hair types may use more.
For Lightweight Wear: Rōz Santa Lucia Styling Oil
- Why We Love It: A mix of ultra-lightweight, plant-based oils, Rōz’s Santa Lucia blend is a universal daily styler and boasts a gorgeous herbaceous scent. With each use, wave goodbye to frizz and dull strands.
- Key Ingredients: Jojoba and argan oils, Roman chamomile, jasmine, aloe vera
- How to Apply: According to Rōz, work a few drops through damp hair from mid-lengths to ends and style as usual. A few drops patted into dry hair can add shine and tamp down flyways.
For Edges: Design Essentials Scalp & Skin Care Edge & Temple Strengthening Oil
- Why We Love It: Thinning edges got you down? Consider adding Design Essentials’ strengthening oil to your hair-care regimen. Inside the formula is a blend of over 20 essential oils that come together to counteract the effects of poor styling habits, excess tension, or even postpartum shedding that may damage the hairline and temple areas.
- Key Ingredients: Black castor oil, biotin
- How to Apply: According to Design Essentials, massage the product directly into targeted areas on the scalp or hairline. Leave it in and style as usual.
