The best hair oil can bring life back to dull, dry strands and up-level styles with softness and shine. “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 Rōz founder Mara Roszak of her treatment and styling oils.“Our hair loves moisture.” Indeed, what’s not to love about a product that makes the hair gleam while flooding it with nutrients?
Vogue’s Favorite Hair Oils:
- 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 Lightweight: Rōz Santa Lucia Styling Oil, $45
If there is one catch, it’s that finding your best match in a hair oil requires a little research—and perhaps a patch test or two. Celebrity hairstylist Ro Morgan notes: “To choose the right oil for you, consider your hair texture, scalp condition, climate, and/or desired hair results. You may have to test a little of the oil on the skin of your hand to see how fast it absorbs.” Luckily, there’s no shortage of oils on the market, from cult-classics to biotech innovations, find our edit of the best oils for any type of hair below.
In This Article:
Best Hair Growth: 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.
- Benefits: Hair growth, scalp care, split-end repair
- Best For: The oil is safe for all hair types, but particularly beneficial for 3A to 4C curls and chemically-treated hair.
- Size: 2 fl oz
Best Lightweight: 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.
- Benefits: Facilitates a smooth blow-up, adds shine, reduces frizz
- Best For: All hair types and textures
- Size: 2 fl oz
Best 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.
- Benefits: Conditions, strengthens, adds shine, tames frizz, heat protection
- Best For: Color-treated, dry, or damaged hair
- Size: 1.7 oz
Best Bond Repair: K18 Molecular Repair Hair Oil
- Why We Love It: A little of K18’s highly-concentrated formula goes a long way. One to three drops of this potent salve is all that’s needed to smooth out frizz and flyaways while increasing shine. The star ingredient is K18’s biotech-developed peptide, which seeps into the innermost layer of the hair fibers to repair broken bonds within the strands and reverse any damage making them appear brittle and frayed. The high-tech product also has avocado oil for heat protection, while a blend of sunflower oil, hemisqualane, and squalane hydrate the hair for a healthy gleam.
- Key Ingredients: K18Peptide, avocado oil, sunflower oil, hemisqualane, squalane
- How to Apply: Apply one to three drops on damp hair, from mid-lengths to ends, before styling. The oil can also tame flyaways on dry hair.
- Benefits: Boosts shine, reverses damage, and reduces frizz and flyaways.
- Best For: Dry, dull, or damaged hair that’s straight, wavy, curly, or coily
- Size: 1 oz
Best For Styling: Verb Ghost Oil
- Why We Love It: With the lightest possible feel, Verb’s cult-loved oil does have somewhat of a ghostly touch (but in the best way). The quickly vanishing frizz-tamer draws on moringa oil for featherweight hydration; it also conditions the hair to amp up softness and shine. With a subtle grapefruit scent, the oil can be used on damp hair for pre-styling heat protection; it also serves as a smoothing agent and shine-booster on already-dry hair. Plus, because it’s so lightweight, the oil can be mixed with nearly any other styling product for ultra-sleek results.
- Key Ingredients: Moringa oil
- How to Apply: Apply two to three pumps to damp or dry hair.
- Benefits: Adds shine, hydrates, tames frizz and flyaways
- Best For: Fine hair
- Size: 2 fl oz
Best For Curly Hair: Bread Beauty Supply Hair-Oil
- Why We Love It: Bread Beauty Supply specializes in clean hair-care for 3A to 4C hair types, with products designed to make wash day feel easy, breezy, and ultra-moisturizing. “I want our audience to feel like she can approach lazy-girl hair too, and that goes for all types and textures,” brand founder Maeva Heim once told Vogue. She described its Hair Oil—a multipurpose formula anchored by Kakadu plum and safflower oil—as a “lip gloss for your hair.” The oil can be used as a pre-wash treatment, as a finishing gloss, or to hydrate the strands after a cleanse.
- Key Ingredients: Kakadu plum oil, coconut extract, safflower oil
- How to Apply: The oil can be used on wet hair after washing, or on dry hair between wash days. It can also be used as a pre-wash treatment: Apply it to dry hair and the scalp, then let it sit for two hours before washing.
- Benefits: Softens and smooths out curls, while adding a glint of gloss.
- Best For: Hair types 3A to 4C
- Size: 1.69 oz
Best Scent: Ranavat Mighty Majesty Fortifying Hair Serum
- Why We Love It: I have fine hair that threatens to wilt into a limp, greasy disaster when I even look at hair oil—until Ravanat came along. After I trepidatiously applied a drop of the treatment to my hair, a miracle occurred: Rather than flattening my style, the oil poufed it up with fresh, blowout volume. Plus, it smells divine, thanks to an infusion of jasmine oil that protects the scalp from dandruff and fungus. The fast-absorbing serum also has amla berry to strengthen hair follicles, and sunflower oil for hydration.
- Key Ingredients: Jasmine oil, amla, sunflower oil
- How to Apply: The oil can be used on dry hair to add shine and control frizz, or left on overnight as a repair mask. Massage it into the scalp, focusing on the part-line and the sides of the head, where hair tends to thin out.
- Benefits: Hair growth, shine, frizz control, scalp control
- Best For: Thinning or dandruff-prone hair
- Size: 1.7 oz
Best 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.
- Benefits: Reduces dryness and itchiness, soothes sensitive scalps
- Best For: Dry scalps
- Size: 3.0 oz
Best 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.
- Benefits: Adds shine, softness, and color vibrancy; strengthens and repairs brittle hair
- Best For: All hair types
- Size: 1.0 fl oz
Best 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.
- Benefits: Frizz control, hydration, color protection, added shine
- Best For: All hair types and textures; targets frizz and fading color
- Size: 1.7 oz
Best 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.
- Benefits: Detangles, prevents breakage, softens, adds shine, protects the hair from heat and UV damage
- Best For: Dry or dull hair of any type or texture
- Size: 3.4 oz
Best 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.
- Benefits: Hydrates, supports hair growth, smooths, prevents breakage
- Best For: Frizzy, damaged, or thinning hair
- Size: 1 oz
Best For Textured Hair: Pattern 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 cocktail 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.
- Benefits: Smooths, strengthens, boosts elasticity
- Best For: Dry scalp, damaged hair, curly or coily hair
- Size: 3.9 oz
Best 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.
- Benefits: Combats frizz, increases shine
- Best For: Color-treated hair
- Size: 1.7 fl oz
Best 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.
- Benefits: Hydrates, adds shine, strengthens hair fibers
- Best For: Frizzy or dry hair
- Size: 1.0 oz
How does hair oil work?
“Hair oil works by creating a protective layer around your hair shaft, which in turn locks in moisture and nutrients,” says celebrity hairstylist Dimitris Giannetos. “As a result, your hair will feel more moisturized and will have more shine to it.”
What are the benefits of hair oiling?
According to Giannetos, when applying hair oil to the scalp, it will feel more nourished and moisturized, which can ultimately promote healthier hair growth as well as reduce dryness. Hair oiling also adds shine to your hair. Though it can also be used simply to revive and smooth out dry, frizzy ends. Celebrity hairstylist and curl expert Sophie Rose Gutterman explains: “Using an oil is a great way to rehydrate the hair in between your shampoos. Especially if you’re adding heat to your hair, this can help repair previous damage and prevent future breakage.”
Who should use hair oil?
“If your hair is dry, damaged, or frizzy, I would recommend using hair oil,” says Giannetos. “These hair types see the best results with hair oiling, as the oil will target these issues and make your hair much more moisturized.”
How to Apply Hair Oil
“When applying hair oil to your ends, add a small amount of the product to your hands, then apply the product from the mid-length to the ends of freshly-washed, clean hair, ensuring that you’re not adding too much so that your hair can obtain the right amount of moisture,” Giannetos instructs. “You can either dry your hair with heat or let it dry naturally, which will lock in the product.” Gutterman adds: “If you want to apply the hair oil as a treatment, you can apply from roots to ends, put it in a bun, and wash it out the next day.”
How often should you apply hair oil?
“How frequently you apply hair oil is dependent on several factors, such as your hair type, lifestyle, and personal preferences,” says Giannetos. He goes on to explain that if your hair tends to be more dry or damaged, you’re probably going to want to oil your hair more often than someone who has oilier hair, whereas if your day-to-day lifestyle contains several workouts where you sweat, you may want to apply hair oil more often, since you likely wash your hair more frequently. “The amount of times you apply hair oil also depends on how you want your hair to appear, as some may want a more hydrated look than others. Although the frequency of applying varies on a case-by-case basis, I would generally recommend applying hair oil once a week, especially if it is your first few times doing so.”