15 Hair Oils to Nourish and Boost Shine
Oils have been used for hair-care purposes since just about the beginning of time — and with good reason. While the thought of slapping oil onto your hair might sound intimidating to some, especially if your body naturally overproduces the substance already, hair oils are actually great when it comes to keeping your hair looking "healthy and shiny year-round. The key is just figuring out which one might work best for you based on your needs and hair type. Whether you're searching for the best oil for hair growth or the best oil for dry hair, there are plenty of options on the market.
The best oil for hair typically consists of a base or carrier oil (such as avocado oil, camellia seed oil, argan oil, and olive oil) that makes up the majority of the recipe because they usually have intensive hydrating properties. Then they're topped that off with a treatment oil that targets specific ailments you'll want to address, like dryness, for instance, before an essential oil that's high in fragrance and potent in beauty benefits is thrown into the mix. Additionally, though they are primarily liquid, hair oils can also come in the form of a paste (think about that giant tub of Blue Magic Hair Oil that never seemed to run out when you were younger).
If you're prone to throwing on your invisible lab coat and mixing up your own hair-care cocktails, there are hair oil recipes that are easy to make at home in your kitchen. If you prefer the convenience of a pre-made product, there are plenty of products on the market these days that have made it easier for you to get your hair oil fix. Whether you're looking for an oil to fortify your strands or to promote hair growth, read ahead to see which hair oils are our favorites.
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Best Hair Growth Oil
Mielle Rosemary Mint Scalp and Hair Strengthening Oil ($10)
The Mielle Rosemary Mint Scalp and Hair Strengthening Oil has gone viral on social media more times than we can count, and for good reason. To start, it has over 74,000 five-star reviews on Amazon, and users say it's the best rosemary oil for hair growth out there.
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Best Hair Oil For All Hair Types
Crown Affair The Oil ($40)
Crown Affair's The Oil is a vegan hair oil that's formulated for all hair types. It helps combat dryness and frizz, all while adding shine. Key ingredients include Tsubaki seed oil and meadowfoam seed oil.
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Best Hair Oil For Curly Hair
Squigs Gooseberry Delight Hair Oil ($34)
This hair oil won a PS Best of Beauty award, and after one use, you'll be able to see why. You can use it as a pre-shampoo treatment for pillow-soft hair or as an easy way to quickly add shine. It's on the thicker side, so it works best for those with thick hair or curly hair. But we promise, however you incorporate it into your routine, you won't want to be without it ever again.
Read our full review of the Squigs Gooseberry Delight Hair Oil here.
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Best Hair Oil For Color-Treated Hair
Moroccanoil Treatment ($35)
Rich in argan oil and vitamin E, the treatment oil can be used pre- or post-blow dry to help combat dryness, condition split ends, and tame flyaways. It also features linseed extract, a flaxseed-derived ingredient known for improving hair health.
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Best Hair Oil For Dry Hair
Kérastase Elixir Ultime Oil Serum ($30)
This popular formula features three, star ingredients: argan oil to strengthen the hair, corn oil to soften the hair, and procaxi oil to leave you with a luscious shine. It's also great for all hair types, but especially for those with dry hair looking to add more moisture to their ends.
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Best Hair Oil Low Porosity Hair
Bread Beauty Supply Everyday Gloss Hair Oil ($24)
The Bread Beauty Oil is described as lip gloss for your hair. It gives you an anti-greasy, glossy finish while softening and smoothing the hair. It can also be used on wet or dry hair. If you have low porosity hair, this is a great pick that will penetrate hair to get it looking smoother and feeling softer.
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Best Drugstore Hair Oil
OGX Extra Penetrating Hair Oil ($11)
This affordable formula is a TikTok favorite, thanks to its accessible price point and its strengthening and smoothing properties. It's made with cold-pressed Moroccan oil as well as silk proteins.
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Best Hair Oil For Fine Hair
Now Solutions Organic Jojoba Oil ($11)
If you prefer more organic beauty products, this one from Now Solutions is strong enough to lock moisture into your strands but also light enough that it won't make your hair feel weighed down. As a bonus, it's also rich in vitamins and nutrients and can help promote curl elasticity and scalp health.
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Best Luxury Hair Oil
Oribe Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil ($57)
On the more luxurious side of the spectrum, Oribe's Gold Lust oil has received killer ratings on Sephora for its multitasking abilities. It can be used as a detangler while also providing heat protection and shine thanks to its inclusion of argan and jasmine oils.
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Best Hair Oil For Damaged Hair
Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair! Strengthening Treatment Hair Oil ($30)
The oil from Briogeo is a reparative product that nourishes and strengthens the hair to prevent any further damage from heat or split ends. It's made with macadamia nut derivates, as well as ceramides.
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Best Multi-Use Hair Oil
SheaMoisture 100% Pure Jamaican Black Castor Oil ($11)
Castor oil is a staple hair product in many routines, helping with hair growth thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties. You can also add it to a lotion, hand cream, or body product to give your skin an extra hit of moisture.
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Best Heat Protectant Hair Oil
Bumble and bumble. Hairdresser's Invisible Oil ($47)
There's a reason that the keyword for this hair oil's packaging is "invisible." It's made with a blend of six different oils to soften and protect the hair from breakage and UV damage, yet it's so light that you'd barely even feel that it's there.
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Best Hair Oil For Frizzy Hair
Verb Ghost Weightless Hair Oil ($20)
Verb's Ghost Oil features ingredients like moringa seed oil, which detangles the hair, and bamboo extract, which strengthens damaged hair. It's also a worthy option for combatting dryness and taming frizz.
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Best Hair Oil For Styling
Olaplex No.7 Bonding Oil ($30)
Our hair typically gets put through a lot, and if you're looking for a product that's good for repairing damage caused by heat, this one's for you. It features anti-breakage properties and was made to strengthen the bonds of the hair to keep it looking and feeling healthy from the inside out.
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Best Hair Oil For Coily Hair
Shu Uemura Essence Absolue Nourishing Protective Hair Oil ($72)
A hairstylist favorite, this Shu Uemura formula is rich in camellia oil, which can be quickly absorbed by the hair to provide subtle shine, moisture, and UV protection.
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— Additional reporting by Renee Rodriguez
Danielle Jackson was a former assistant editor for PS Beauty.
Renee Rodriguez is a staff writer and social producer for PS. She writes across all verticals, but her main areas of expertise focus on fashion and beauty content with an emphasis on reviews and editor experiments. She also produces social content for the PS TikTok and Instagram accounts.