Hair oils are one of the most popular cosmetics. Why are they so commonly used and always praised? The secret lies in the properties, action and ingredients of these products. Most girls also value application methods, availability and price. All the information has been included in this ranking. Read it carefully and you will find your best and favourite hair oil. The comparison has been based on the tests and surveys carried out among volunteers – girls who are interested in hair care (just like you), and know a lot about cosmetic oils. If really want to choose a suitable product, learn their opinions.
Hair oil is a cosmetic which fulfils lots of functions and offers complex action. It is extracted from fruits, seeds and herbs through cold-pressing. Cosmetic oil shouldn’t be refined in order to preserve more nourishing and active substances. If you want your hair oil to be effective as long as possible, you should keep it away from light, dampness and air.
The main components of hair oils are natural ingredients. They are carefully picked, subjected to detailed control and grown in conditions for optimal development. This is the way of taking care of plants which are used for the production of hair oils. These products contain fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and many other active substances and nutrients. The amount of such substances depends on the method of extracting and producing hair oils. Unrefined products have much more ingredients.
The methods of application depend on the consistency and components of a product and personal likes of women. You can apply hair oils to dry or wet strands, before or after washing; you may add it to a hair mask or conditioner or use it as a styling cosmetic. Each method gives different effects. For example: if you apply the oil after washing and before blow-drying, your hair will be shiny, smooth and protected from heat. When you choose the amount of the product, you must consider: how long and thick your hair is, hair porosity type, type of the scalp and the condition of your hair. You usually wash the oil down after an hour and let it air-dry.
Oils are commonly used for hair oiling. What is this treatment? More or less three hours before washing you apply a cosmetic oil to hair and/or scalp. It is crucial to choose a suitable product – the one that lives up to all your expectations and is able to condition your hair. Right after the application, put on a shower cap and towel or warm hat for better action of the oil. The heat produced between the scalp and the cap is going to speed up the absorption of the oil’s ingredients. Remember to wash your hair thoroughly. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the effects!
Hair oils work splendidly. They fulfil numerous functions: scalp care, heat protection, nourishing, repair, adding shine and making styling easier. There are also hair oils that treat scalp diseases, hinder hair loss and prevent premature greying. Hair oils offer some more qualities. They moisturise both the strands and the scalp. They lock in water and keratin inside the hair. They rebuild split ends damaged due to straightening, blow-drying, colouring or improper brushing. What is more, hair oils tame unruly wisps and help to create every hairstyle. They help to fight the dandruff, irritation and results of excessive hair loss.
You can buy hair oils at drug stores, chemists and healthy food stores. Pick the products that are marked organic, stored in a proper way and have long shelf life. More and more brands are choosing to sell their oils online. If you decide to buy the product through the Internet, beware of fakes. Before you order a product, check opinions of a given oil, compare it with other products and read online forums where experts on hair care share their opinions.
Monounsaturated oils contain large amounts of oleic acid – omega-9. Use them if you have high or medium porosity hair (hair porosity will be discussed below). Monounsaturated oils include: apricot, cherry, peach, almond, avocado, macadamia. Polyunsaturated oils are rich in omega-3 and omega-6 acids. They are suitable for high porosity hair. Such oils are: raspberry, rose, blackberry, strawberry, linseed, evening primrose, sunflower, wheat, pumpkin seed, soya, cotton and amaranth. Saturated oils offer good absorption and are recommended for low porosity hair. If you have such hair, try out: coconut oil, palm oil, babassu oil, shea butter, mango butter or cocoa butter.
Before you pick a hair oil, determine your hair porosity – the way your hair cuticles are arranged. In low porosity hair, cuticles cling to the hair stem and create smooth surface. As a result, low porosity hair is healthy, shiny, hard to style and resistant to heat styling. It absorbs little water, air-dries very long, it is hard to dye and lighten. You should use saturated oils e.g. coconut oil, palm oil, shea butter or cocoa butter. Cut down on styling treatments. If you use a drier or flat iron too often, you may damage your strands. In extreme cases, your hair may change into high porosity.
Medium/normal porosity hair has features of both low and high porosity hair. Such hair is most exposed to damage. On the other hand, you can easily turn it into low porosity. Add the following oils to your hair care: avocado, sweet almond, apricot, cherry, plum, papaya seed, macadamia, peach. Use heat protection before straightening or blow-drying medium porosity hair.
High porosity hair is most damaged because of heat styling or hair colouring. These oils will come in useful: raspberry, blackberry, linseed, evening primrose, sunflower, pumpkin seed, soya, cotton seed, corn, Perilla oil. They are polyunsaturated oils. If you have curly or wavy hair, you should use such cosmetics. Moreover, give up on heat styling devices and hair colouring. Use products with large amount of proteins and when you do hair oil treatment – keep it as short as possible.
Looking at hair carefully is the easiest way. Take a closer look at you hair and answer the following questions: How does you hair look right after washing and blow-drying? What happens to your strands on a rainy day? Are they easy to style and detangle? How often do you dye or straighten your hair? Then, compare the results with the above-mentioned descriptions. You won’t have any problems with identifying your hair porosity. There are many online tests and surveys which will help you characterize your hair porosity. But it would be much better if you did the test yourself at home. Take two hairs and put them in a glass filled with water. If they sink to the bottom after a while – your hair is high porosity. If they float on the surface, your hair is low porosity.