Best Hair Oil For Curly Hair: How To Choose The Right One?

There are different types of hair. And most noticeable among them is curly hair. The beautiful and lustrous curls are a treat for the eyes, but to maintain them as such is a horrendous task. To all the curly girls out there, you don’t have to worry about it anymore.

This article will show you how to keep your curls stylish and healthy using some natural methods. It details some of the best hair oils for curly hair. You will gain an insight into what determines the factors that differentiate hair types and how to decide which oil is best for your hair. So jump on and find out how to keep your curls stylish and shiny forever!

Curly Hair And Oils

Oiling hair is a traditional practice of protecting hair and scalp health. The process is carried out by pouring oil into the hair and giving a proper massage afterward which will help to increase the luster and shine of your hair. According to research published in the International Journal of Trichology, regular oil application on hair can prevent hygral fatigue otherwise known as the drying up of the hair.

What is the science behind hair oiling? Your hair has a natural oil called sebum produced by the sebaceous glands in the scalp that maintain your hair’s health. It is a natural conditioner that lubricates and moisturizes your hair. But for some people, this sebum production will be insufficient causing flaky and dry hair.

In such instances, hair oils can be highly effective as they mimic the activity of sebum on your scalp. Applying hair oil helps the strands to seal the moisture and doesn’t allow it to evaporate. This leads to proper nourishment of hair from the roots. 

Natural And Synthetic Hair Oils

Hair oils can be of two kinds- natural and synthetic. As the name indicates, natural hair oils are extracted from plants and trees. The extraction is mainly from seeds but in some cases, it is also made from leaves and stems. The process of extracting natural oil is mainly cold press.

It is a minimal intervention process that keeps the integrity of the ingredients and provides maximum benefits. Abundant with vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids, natural hair oil supports healthy hair regeneration and promotes hair growth. Some of the best natural hair oils include coconut oil, olive oil, argan oil, avocado oil, sweet almond oil, rosemary oil, tea tree oil, etc.

Now what are synthetic hair oils? These are hair oils primarily made using silicones. These are polymers used in the cosmetic industry that give an outer shine to damaged hair. One of the main benefits of using synthetic hair oil is that it can give a shiny conditioning to your hair. Some of the ingredients involved in creating synthetic hair oils include Cyclopentasiloxane, dimethicone, dimethicone, amodimethicone, etc. As they contain artificial additives, they can also cause skin irritation and allergic reactions.

You might also like to read: Sweet Badam Oil Benefits For Skin And Hair Health

Finding The Best Hair Oil For Curly Hair

Now, hair oils can be an excellent choice for keeping your curly hair shiny and moisturized. But before finding the best hair oil for curly hair, you need to understand the concept of hair porosity.  Hair porosity simply means your hair’s natural capacity to absorb and retain moisture. And what kind of hair porosity you have is determined by the nature of your hair, the outermost layer found on your hair. Based on this, hair porosity can be divided into three categories.

• Low Porosity– If your hair cuticles are packed together, this leads to low porosity hair.
• Medium Porosity– In this case, the hair cuticles are less tightly bound.
• High Porosity– If your hair cuticles are more widely spaced, this is called high porosity.

To understand this concept more clearly, you need to know about the structure of your hair. Your hair has typically three layers called, cuticles, cortex, and medulla. As mentioned earlier, cuticles are the outermost layer which is composed of smaller cuticles that give shingles on a roof-like appearance.

Next comes the cortex which is the thickest layer and contains proteins and pigments that provide color to your hair. Now medulla is the soft and middle part of your hair shaft. If your hair needs to stay healthy, the nutrients and moisture should be able to pass from the external layer of cuticles to the middle layer of the cortex. But if the cuticles are closely packed together, this will become difficult. Also, if the cuticles are packed separately and distant, the moisture retention will be impossible.

There are ways through which you can find your hair porosity level. Here is one simple method to find out.

• First, you have to thoroughly clean your hair with shampoo and water.
• In the next step, fill a glass with water.
• After your hair is thoroughly cleaned and dried, take a strand of it and drop it in the glass of water.
• Observe keenly to check whether the strand is floating on the surface or has sunk to the bottom.

What the results say:

• Low Porosity–  If you notice that the strand floats on the surface before sinking for a long time, your hair might have low porosity levels.
• Normal Porosity– Now, if you observe that the hair strand is floating in the middle of the water, you might have a medium or normal porosity level of hair.
• High Porosity– If you notice that the hair strand quickly sinks to the bottom of the glass once you have placed it in it, your hair might have high porosity levels.

Another crucial aspect that determines the appearance of your hair is hair density.  By hair density, it means the number of hair strands per square inch of your scalp. Whether you have thick hair or thin is determined by the factor of hair density. If you want to have a better hair care routine, you need to first identify your hair density. There are three different categories of hair density. They are:

• Low-density hair– In this case, there will be fewer hairs per square inch of the scalp and the scalp will be almost visible. So it is not ideal to use heavy hair care products on such hair. You can use volumizing shampoos to give it a more thicker appearance. 
• Medium-density hair– This kind of hair density refers to the fact that there will be a balanced number of strands per square inch of the scalp. Unless parted, the scalp will not be visible. So you don’t need to use any products to increase the volume of your hair.
• High-density hair- Compared to the other two, high-density hair has the most number of hair strands per square inch of the scalp. The hair will be full and thick and even parted, the scalp might not be visible. You might need to use heavier hairstyle products like butters and gels to keep the hair under control.

Here is a short list of hair oils suited for each kind of hair type.

• For curly hair– Go for cold-pressed oils such as coconut oil or castor oil.
• For fine hair– Argan oil and grape seed oil can be ideal for fine hair which can help seal in moisture and restore hair elasticity.
• For oily hair and scalp– Peppermint oil, rosemary oil, or citrus-based oils can be ideal for this hair type, and use it only once a week.
• For frizzy hair– The most recommended oil for frizzy hair is avocado oil. Based on a studies, avocado oil was found to prevent hair breakage.
• For dry hair– For nourishing and smoothing dry hair, using rosemary and camelina oils can be ideal.

How Do You Use Oil On Curly Hair? 

Unlike straight hair, curly hair doesn’t retain moisture well.  So this can lead to dry and brittle hair easily. Applying oil to curly hair can be best for protecting it from dryness and breakage. Some of the best hair oils for curly hair include olive oil, jojoba oil, coconut oil, grapeseed oil, sunflower oil, etc. You can use oil on curly hair in different methods.

One of the methods to use oil on curly hair is to use it as a nourishing oil before applying shampoo. You can choose moisturizing oils such as coconut or olive oil for this purpose. Try to warm up the oil a little bit and apply it to your curls and scalp before bedtime. After the night, cleanse the hair with a mild cleanser. You can also use oil on curly hair for detangling purposes. Apply a bit of oil on the hair and scalp before hair wash.

Another way to use oil on curly hair is to add a few drops of oil to your conditioner. This will provide you with a deep conditioning experience. Lightweight oils such as jojoba and almond oil can be applied as a leave-it-in oil for your curls that can give a soft appearance to your hair.

Benefits Of Using Oil On Curly Hair

There are multiple benefits of applying oil on curly hair. Some of these benefits are listed below:

• Retaining moisture– As curly hair naturally doesn’t have much moisture retention ability, applying oil can increase this capacity.
• Detangling the hair– Curly hairs are known as messy hairs due to their proper tangling up. Applying oil can soften your curls and help them detangle fast.
• Improves the strength of strands– During shampooing your hair can lose much protein but applying hair oil can replenish your hair scalp with protein. This enhances hair strand strength.
• Increases shining and softness– Regular oil application on curly hair can enhance its shine and make it more softer.
• Support scalp health and hair growth– Applying oil can promote blood flow in the scalp which will lead to better hair growth.

Also read: An Overview Of Walnut Oil: Benefits, Uses, Side Effects, And More!

Conclusion

After a detailed analysis of the article, it can be well understood that applying oil to hair is a beneficial practice for its overall health and growth. Hair oils can mimic the functions of sebum, a natural secretion produced by your hair scalp to retain moisture and increase hydration. There are two kinds of hair oils, natural and synthetic.

While natural hair oils are made from plant extracts, synthetic hair oil is created from artificial polymers. Using natural hair oils can be beneficial for hair as it doesn’t cause any issues to hair health. Hair porosity is the ability of the hair to retain moisture and nutrients. There are three kinds of porosity, low, medium, and high.

Hair density means the number of hair strands per square inch of scalp. Applying oils to curly hair can be beneficial in preventing tangles and improving its shine and appearance. It can also improve blood flow in the scalp and support overall hair health.

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