Hair oiling isn’t simply a TikTok trend: It’s a tried-and-true practice that can help you achieve lustrous strands with consistency. It’s easy to integrate into a regular hair care routine, but it can seem daunting to a complete beginner. If you’re curious about hair oiling, we’ll guide you through its many benefits and share tips on how to incorporate it seamlessly into your hair care regimen. 

What Does Hair Oil Do? 

Hair oiling is the practice of spreading oil onto your hair (and sometimes scalp) to promote softness and shine. Although its origins date back to ancient Ayurvedic medicine, it’s enjoyed a revival lately thanks to social media. Given hair oiling’s recent popularity, you may be wondering, does oil actually moisturize hair? Yes — if you want to show your mane some love, oils can be a key part of the hair moisturizing process! Locking in moisture, oils condition hair to give your strands a soft, silky, and shiny boost.    

How to Apply Oil to Your Hair Properly

Although the concept of hair oiling is simple, there’s definitely a right way to do it. Here’s how to oil your hair — we’ll go over what to do and how long to leave oil in your hair

  1. Brush and detangle your hair to help the oil spread easily. 
  2. Add a pea-sized amount of oil to your hand. 
  3. Apply the oil down your strands. If you’d like to nourish your scalp, massage oil onto your scalp using a circular motion, then work the oil down your strands. 
  4. Leave the oil on for 20 to 30 minutes and shampoo your hair as usual. To cleanse and clarify the hair, we like to use Desert Essence Lemon Tea Tree Oil Shampoo and Conditioner

How Often Should You Oil Your Hair?

How often you should oil your hair comes down to personal preference. If you have drier strands, you may want to try hair oiling every week. However, you can still enjoy the benefits of hair oiling even if you only practice it two or three times a month. This schedule can be more ideal for those with oily hair, who may find that oiling too frequently can weigh down their mane. 

Choosing the Right Hair Oil: What Oil Is Good for Hair?

What is the best oil for hair? Some common plant oils for hair oiling include coconut, argan, sweet almond, sesame, moringa, and jojoba oil. If you have drier hair, you may want to search for a thicker oil like coconut oil — on the flip side, those with oily hair may prefer a more lightweight oil like sweet almond oil. 

Spotlight on Jojoba Oil for Hair Oiling: Benefits and Uses

One of our favorite hair oils is jojoba oil. Rich in vitamin E, jojoba oil is very similar to the sebum in our bodies and can nourish skin and hair without leaving a greasy residue. In hair care, it can help tame frizz, smooth out the appearance of split ends, increase shine, and relieve dryness and tension in the scalp.  

If you want a hair oil with jojoba, we carry a range of jojoba oil products at Desert Essence. When it comes to 100% jojoba oil, you can choose from many options, including organic or value size picks. For jojoba oil blends to incorporate into your hair and scalp oil treatment, also be sure to check out:

Ready to transform your hair care routine? Unlock the botanical secrets to luscious locks with our curated selection of cruelty-free hair care products at Desert Essence.