best hair oil for damaged hair

The Best Hair Oil for Dry Damaged Hair is No Longer a Secret

Finally, the *good* kind of oil to get in on.

We’ve bemoaned the drying effects of the winter season more than any other. The proof stares us in the face as we step out of the shower each morning: Roughness, tangles, brittleness, damage, ad nauseum—all due to the crisp, super dry air that assaults us daily during these months.

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.

best hair oil for dry damaged hair curly red hair
Hey, curlfriend! Hair oil can provide curly girls with the moisture (and definition) their ringlets need.

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 like roughness, porosity, and frizz may seem counterintuitive. Our cleanliness-obsessed society has conditioned us to abhor greasiness in all its forms. This is also one of the reasons that hair oils had quite a marketing hurdle to face.

Let’s Get Trendy: Coconut, Avocado, or Argan Oil for Dry Hair

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 for 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 for Argan Oil, we recommend the Love Beauty and Planet Smooth and Serene Argan Oil & Lavender Leave-In Smoothie Cream. This lavender 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.

best hair oil for dry damaged hair apply
The best hair oil for dry, damaged hair is particularly effective in smoothening and adding shine.

Hair oils are easy, economical, and effective

More refined and sophisticated formulas then became available, improving our user experience and eliminating any gross, sticky feeling we’d ever associated with that most defiled of words: “oil.” We were left with 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.

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