Oiling is an important part of hair care.
These best hair oils for hair growth are what you need for this important hair care aspect.
They have been carefully selected after comparing their benefits with that of many hair oils.
So if you are unsure of which hair oil to add next to your hair care kit, this article will help you make the right choice by letting you know the best ones out there.
You will be making the right choice because you get to know exactly what benefits each hair oil provides so that you can pick one that best fits your hair’s needs.
But wait, what if oiling your hair isn’t high on your hair care priority list?
Let’s start by seeing why hair oils are important if you really want to care for your hair.
Here are the benefits of hair oils for hair:
- Benefits of Hair Oil
- Best Hair Oils for Hair Growth
- Essential Oils for Hair Growth
- Carrier Oils for Hair
- Conclusion
Benefits of Hair Oil
1. Strengthens Hair
When your hair is dry, it becomes weak and would break easily.
Some hair oils penetrate the hair shaft, and there they infuse it with strength.
When you do overnight treatments with hair oils, your hair will become stronger because it gets enough time to take in nutrients.
2. Prevents Dryness
Hair oils contain fatty acids and this helps to ensure that your hair does not dry out.
They do this by replenishing your hair’s lipids. These lipids are what ensure that your hair stays lubricated and shiny.
A lot of factors (like heat styling, chemical relaxing, hair dyeing, and over-styling) make your hair lose its lipids and if you do not replace them by using hair oils, your hair goes bad.
3. Stimulates Hair Growth
Hair oils make your hair grow faster by fighting conditions that reduce your hair growth.
They stop your hair from breaking and prevent chemical or heat damage.
That way, each new hair growth is preserved alongside older strands and it becomes more obvious that your hair is growing.
4. Maintains Hair Health
Overuse of heat styling tools, improper combing, and a bad diet can affect your hair negatively.
Hair oils, especially essential oils, will help maintain your hair health despite these bad conditions.
Your hair’s health is secured with hair oils.
5. Maintains Scalp Health
Most hair oils contain properties that help to fight microbes and bacteria present on the scalp.
Thus, they are effective for the treatment of bad scalp conditions like dandruff and dry scalp.
They also help to promote blood flow to the scalp, especially when you do oil scalp massages.
Proper blood flow to the scalp encourages hair growth.
6. Eases Detangling
Hair oils make it easy for you to detangle your hair. When you apply them to the tangled ends, they become softer and easier to separate.
When you forcefully detangle your hair without using hair oils, your hair would break easily.
You will be losing lots of hair that you would have otherwise saved.
7. Seals in Moisture
The importance of moisturizing your hair cannot be overemphasized.
You do this by using leave-in conditioners, deep conditioning regularly, and making water your hair’s best friend.
But all these efforts would be wasted if you do not seal in the moisture you provide your hair.
That is where hair oils come in.
They seal in present moisture so that your hair stays moisturized and hydrated.
8. Stimulates Collagen Production
When you massage your scalp using hair oils, you feel refreshed. But that sweet feeling is not the only benefit.
Oil scalp massages stimulate the production of collagen within the scalp, making your hair follicles stronger.
Strong hair follicles can hold the hair well, so your hair doesn’t fall easily when you comb, style, or use heat tools.
If you do not oil your hair regularly, then your hair is missing out on these important benefits.
But you cannot use just any hair oil, some oils have side effects that could damage your hair.
Here are the carefully selected, best hair oils for hair growth:
Best Hair Oils for Hair Growth
1. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is one of the most popular hair oils. But its popularity is not an empty one, it lives up to the hype.
This oil is the richest natural source of Lauric acid, an ingredient that protects the hair roots.
Coconut oil also gets easily absorbed into the hair and penetrates the hair shaft more than any other hair oil. It contains vitamins like vitamin E and some minerals.
With these properties, here are the amazing benefits that coconut oil will provide to your hair:
Benefits of Coconut Oil for Hair
- It forms a protective barrier on the scalp. This barrier prevents bacteria and other bad stuff from attacking your hair.
- It protects your hair ends. Your hair ends are the most fragile part of your hair because they are older and they do not get a regular supply of natural oil as much as the other parts. Applying coconut oil will help keep those ends healthy so that they do not split easily.
- It reduces frizz. No one loves when their hair looks all dry and frizzy. Coconut oil will help you lose that frizz, giving your hair a smooth look. It also helps to make detangling an easier job.
- It adds shine to the hair.
How to Use Coconut Oil for Hair
- As a pre-poo treatment, apply coconut oil to your hair before shampooing.
- For softer hair, apply coconut oil to all parts of your hair before you sleep. Cover with a shower cap or satin scarf overnight and wash it off the next morning.
- For healthier edges, apply coconut oil to your front hair every morning.
- For deep conditioning, add a few teaspoons of coconut oil to your hair mask before use.
Note:
- Avoid this hair oil if you have coarse hair.
- Include coconut oil in your diet for more results
- Do not use coconut oil in its solid form.
2. Argan Oil
Another amazing hair oil is argan oil.
This hair oil is rich in effective antioxidants like vitamin E. It also contains fatty acids such as oleic and linoleic acid.
Argan oil is well-known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Here’s how these nutrients and properties benefit your hair:
Benefits of Argan Oil for Hair
- It improves scalp health. Like coconut oil, argan oil can also form a barrier on your scalp to protect it. Its anti-inflammatory properties enable it to fight scalp inflammation and other unfavorable scalp conditions.
- It prevents hair damage. Because of its richness in fatty acids, argan oil can prevent the hair from being damaged by heat styling and chemical processes. Sun effect can also cause damage to the hair but argan oil can prevent that, thanks to its antioxidant properties. If your hair gets exposed to the hot sun often, use argan oil to prevent possible damage.
- It keeps the hair moisturized. Although argan oil does not provide moisture to the hair, it acts as a moisturizer for hair by helping it seal in present moisture. It also smoothens your hair shaft, contributing to softer hair.
- It prevents hair loss. Argan oil prevents the hair from breaking or falling off. Its vitamin E content also helps to increase hair growth.
How to Use Argan Oil for Hair
- For scalp and hair benefits, give yourself a scalp massage after adding about 10 drops of argan oil to your hair and scalp. Leave in your hair for hours, preferably overnight, before washing off.
- To prevent heat damage, apply it to your hair as a protectant before using heat tools.
- Add a few drops of argan oil to your shampoo before use.
- To condition hair, apply a few drops of argan oil to your hair after shampooing. You do not have to wash it off.
Note: Pure argan oil designed for cosmetic use is the best for your hair, not the mixed one.
3. Jojoba Oil
Jojoba oil is used not only for hair but also in skin and nail care.
This natural oil is known as an excellent moisturizer. It contains vitamin E, vitamin C, and B vitamins – ingredients that your hair needs.
It is also a natural source of copper and zinc.
Here’s what you stand to gain by using jojoba oil for hair:
Benefits of Jojoba Oil for Hair
- It improves hair strength. Jojoba oil contains copper and zinc, and these minerals strengthen the hair. Using this hair oil will make your hair stronger and silkier.
- It prevents dryness. Jojoba oil will prevent your hair and scalp from drying out, especially during dry weather. It also prevents your hair from breaking or having split ends.
- It improves scalp health. It does this by leaving your scalp moisturized and preventing inflammation.
How to Use Jojoba Oil for Hair
- Add a few drops of jojoba oil to your shampoo or conditioner before use.
- For deep conditioning, apply a few teaspoons of jojoba oil to your hair and cover for 25 minutes before washing off.
- Use jojoba oil-based hair products.
Note:
- Contrary to popular claims, jojoba oil does not induce hair growth. Peppermint oil or minoxidil are better options for this purpose.
4. Castor Oil
Another outstanding oil in the world of hair oils is castor oil.
This oil is a rich source of ricinoleic acid, a fatty acid that has moisturizing and humectant properties.
This is what this practically means for your hair:
Benefits of Castor Oil for Hair
- It helps your hair moisture. Castor oil infuses the hair with moisture. And thanks to its humectant properties, it effectively prevents moisture loss.
- It increases hair flexibility. Because castor oil increases the hair’s moisture, it also makes the hair more flexible. Increased hair flexibility makes your hair easier to style and manipulate without causing breakage.
How to Use Castor Oil for Hair
- Apply castor oil evenly to all parts of your hair and cover for about two hours before washing off.
- Add a few drops of castor oil to your hair mask before use.
Note: Castor oil is said to increase hair growth on eyebrows and eyelashes. But make sure you do a patch test before applying in those areas to be sure your skin will not react to it.
5. Grapeseed Oil
Grapes are healthy, nutritious citrus fruits that are often used to make wine.
Leftover seeds from this process are used to obtain grapeseed oil.
The oil is rich in vitamin E and certain fatty acids. Grapeseed oil is unique because it is lightweight.
Few hair oils provide nourishing effects like grapeseed oil without weighing down your hair or leaving it greasy.
So if you have fine hair and you want to enjoy oiling your hair, grapeseed oil is the way to go.
Here’s what you stand to gain:
Benefits of Grapeseed Oil for Hair
- Improved hair growth. Grapeseed oil contains linolenic acid which is known to induce hair growth. Its antioxidant content also contributes to this ability.
- Added moisture and shine to hair. Using grapeseed oil will also make your hair more moisturized and shiny. It even strengthens your hair follicles, preventing your hair from falling out easily.
How to Use Grape Seed Oil for Hair
- Apply to hair as a leave-in conditioner.
- As a pre-poo, apply a few teaspoons of grapeseed oil to your hair before you shampoo.
- Get occasional scalp massages using grapeseed oil for improved scalp health and hair growth.
6. Almond Oil
Another oil known for its interesting benefits for hair is almond oil.
Its ability to do wonders for your hair stems from its richness in vitamins, fatty acids, and proteins.
The best type of almond oil for hair is sweet almond oil, the oil extracted from sweet almond nuts, not the bitter ones.
It offers these benefits for hair:
Benefits of Almond Oil for Hair
- It improves your hair’s strength. Almond oil is an excellent lubricant, so it makes your hair resistant to breakage. By using almond oil, your hair will not fall out easily when you comb or style. You will enjoy combing your hair even more.
- It makes your hair softer. Thanks to its lubricating properties, you can expect softer hair when you use almond oil for your hair. This will not result from a one-time use, though. Regular use of almond oil will over time improve your hair texture, making it softer.
- It improves hair growth. By preventing easy hair loss, you’ll see improvement in the quantity of your hair after using almond oil for some time. This is because you will not lose as much hair as you used to. It keeps your hair healthy.
- It refreshes the scalp. Sweet almond oil does not hurt the scalp. Instead, it soothes it and gives it a nice, natural scent.
How to Use Almond Oil for Hair
- Daily apply a reasonable quantity to your hair, focusing on the ends.
- Add a few teaspoons of almond oil to your hair conditioner, use it to deep condition your hair after shampooing.
- Apply even to all parts of your hair before getting a massage.
7. Tea Tree Oil
Originating from Australia, this oil is another wonderful gift from nature to human hair.
It has antimicrobial, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties.
So it can benefit your hair in these ways:
Benefits of Tea Tree Oil for Hair
- It keeps the scalp clean. Tea tree oil is an active cleanser, meaning that it frees your scalp from any buildup or dirt that may be clogging its pores. This keeps the scalp clean, encouraging hair growth.
- It keeps the scalp healthy. Tea tree oil is effective in treating dry and itchy scalp. It also regulates the way your scalp produces natural oil or sebum. And it prevents scalp inflammation.
- It improves hair health and growth. Tea tree oil makes the hair follicles healthy, encouraging longer and healthier hair growth.
How to Use Tea Tree Oil for Hair
- Add a few drops of tea tree oil to carrier oils and apply to your hair.
- Use shampoo or hair products that contain tea tree oil.
- Add a few drops of tea tree oil to your usual shampoo or conditioner.
- Tea tree oil should not be applied to your scalp directly. Learn the precautions you should take before using tea tree oil for hair here.
8. Lavender Oil
If you want your hair to grow faster, try lavender oil.
Research confirms that this hair oil is effective for increasing the rate of hair growth.
This is rightly so since it has cell growth generating properties.
It can also fight microbes and bacteria on the scalp.
Hence, it is one of the best hair oils for hair growth out there.
Benefits of Lavender Oil for Hair
- It increases the rate of hair growth.
- It prevents unfavorable scalp conditions such as dandruff, dry scalp, and even head lice.
- It provides soothing scalp effects.
How to Use Lavender Oil for Hair
- Add a few drops to any carrier oil of your choice, leave on your scalp for about 15 minutes before shampooing.
- Get a scalp massage using a mix of lavender oil and any carrier oil.
- Use hair products that contain lavender oil.
9. Onion Oil
The amazing thing about this hair oil is that you can easily prepare it yourself at home.
And it has many benefits for hair.
If you are a little skeptical about onions benefitting your hair, consider these facts:
Onion is a rich source of sulfur, an important nutrient for hair growth.
Onion contains antibacterial and antioxidant properties.
And in this clinical trial, onion oil was effective for hair regrowth after just two weeks.
Clearly, it is good for the hair.
Benefits of Onion Oil for Hair
- It improves hair growth and can even help with the treatment of hair loss.
- It keeps the hair and scalp healthy with its antibacterial and antioxidant properties.
Note: As long as you have one middle-sized onion at home right now, you can follow this recipe to make onion oil for your hair and enjoy the benefits.
10. Avocado Oil
Avocado oil is an excellent hair oil choice because it contains monounsaturated fats.
So it gets infused deep into the hair more than many hair oils (the ones that contain saturated fats).
Here are the benefits that avocado oil offers your hair:
Benefits of Avocado Oil for Hair
- It protects the hair from damaging effects. The fats contained effectively coat the hair follicles, protecting them.
- It makes it easier to detangle and comb hair.
- It treats dry and flaky scalp.
- It adds shine to hair.
How to Use Avocado Oil for Hair
- For dry and flaky scalp, get a scalp massage using avocado oil
- Add avocado oil to your hair conditioner.
- Prepare a hair mask using avocado itself, you will be getting the benefits of avocado oil also.
Hair oils vary in classification.
The popular ones are either essential or carrier oils.
It is important to know what type of hair oil you are using.
Read on to explore the two major classifications of hair oils.
Essential Oils for Hair Growth
Essential oils are plant-based oils. They are oils obtained from plants through distillation or cold pressing.
Essential oils are usually very concentrated and maintain the strong fragrance of the plants they were derived from. It is as if they capture the “essence” of the plant.
Essential oils have a long history with aromatherapy and now, their usefulness in hair care is widely known.
Here are examples of essential oils and their specific benefits for hair:
1. Tea tree oil
Tea tree oil is obtained through steam distillation of tea tree leaves. It is an effective scalp cleanser.
This essential oil has also been proved to keep bacteria and microbes away from the scalp, promoting healthy hair.
2. Lavender oil
Gotten from the beautiful flower spikes of the lavender plant, this hair oil is known to speed up the growth of hair cells.
It also improves scalp conditions like itchiness and flakiness.
Lavender oil adds luster to the hair as it deeply moisturizes it.
3. Peppermint oil
Peppermint oil is made from parts of the flowers and leaves of the peppermint plant.
It is effective for improving blood circulation within the scalp, promoting hair growth.
4. Ylang-Ylang oil
Ylang-ylang oil is derived from the ylang-ylang (or Cananga) tree common in places like Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia.
The oil is great for those with dry scalp, as it encourages oil production within the scalp.
5. Lemongrass oil
This oil is obtained through steam distillation of the lemongrass.
A widely known benefit of lemongrass oil is for curing dandruff.
It effectively fights dandruff, making the scalp flakes free.
6. Chamomile oil
This oil is derived from the flower of the chamomile plant. It is well-known for making the hair soft and shiny.
It also soothes the scalp, creating a favorable environment for hair growth.
7. Frankincense oil
Frankincense oil is derived from the gum of trees known as Boswellia trees.
Species of these trees are found in Africa, India, and the Middle East.
The oil is beneficial for improving scalp health and moisturizing the hair.
It also stimulates blood flow to the scalp and hair follicles, encouraging hair growth.
8. Sandalwood oil
This essential oil keeps the hair ends healthy. It also leaves a nice scent on the hair.
It is obtained through the distillation of the woods and roots of the sandalwood tree.
This tree is common in East India and is known as one of the most valuable trees in the world.
9. Cedarwood oil
This oil is gotten from the barks or leaves of the cedarwood.
Among other benefits, using cedarwood oil for your hair helps to adjust the rate at which your scalp produces oil to the need of your hair.
That way, your hair is neither too dry nor too greasy.
10. Rosemary oil
If you are familiar with the common food-seasoning, rosemary, then you know where rosemary oil comes from.
It is obtained through steam distillation of rosemary leaves.
Rosemary oil helps with the treatment of alopecia and control of scalp itchiness. Other benefits of rosemary oil are here.
Because essential oils are highly concentrated, they are not to be used directly on the scalp.
The best way to use essential oils for hair growth is to use a hair product that contains it or add a few drops of the essential oil to carrier oil.
Are you asking, “What are carrier oils?” Here you go:
Carrier Oils for Hair
Carrier oils are also made from plants but the fatty parts of plants such as seeds, nuts, and kernels.
Unlike essential oils, carrier oils have little or no fragrance.
The little fragrance is mostly the smell of the nuts they were derived from.
Carrier oils are easily absorbed and retained in the hair and scalp, unlike essential oils which get evaporated easily.
They are called carrier oils because they are mainly used to dilute essential oils, in a sense ‘carrying’ the essential oil into the hair and scalp.
Examples of popular carrier oils are:
1. Coconut oil
This oil is derived from the coconut palm fruit, dried or fresh. It is a rich source of Lauric acid.
Coconut oil remarkably adds shine to the hair. It also eases detangling because it makes the hair softer.
Read more about coconut oil for hair and see why it is loved by many.
2. Castor oil
Castor oil is the oil obtained from castor beans; the seeds of the Ricinus Communis plant.
It is a powerful moisturizer, and it also has properties that enable it to seal in moisture.
It is best mixed with other hydrating oils for optimum moisturization.
3. Sweet almond oil
This carrier oil is made from sweet almond nuts, commonly grown in Israel, Turkey, and Syria.
It is different from bitter almond oil, which is an essential oil.
Sweet almond oil offers hair benefits such as softening, strengthening, and preventing breakage.
4. Jojoba oil
Jojoba oil is derived from the seeds of the jojoba plant.
It is a highly nutritious oil that enriches the hair with nutrients necessary to keep it healthy.
Jojoba oil also has moisturizing and stimulating effects.
5. Olive oil
6. Grapeseed oil
7. Black seed oil
8. Sunflower oil
9. Tamanu oil
10. Avocado oil
Conclusion
You’ve come a long way.
Now you know the ten best hair oils for hair growth and their benefits. You can also tell if a popular hair oil is an essential oil or carrier oil.
But this knowledge will not benefit your hair unless you start using the oils. So get to work, dear hair lover.
Scroll up again if you need to, choose any of the above hair oils available in your location, and start applying it to your hair following the directions above.
You will be doing your hair a whole lot of good!