We Tested 13 Hair Oils For Every Hair Need, and Here's What We Recommend

Tester feedback: "This oil is so weightless that when you run it through your hair, it almost feels like it's not really there," former Allure editor Jihan Forbes wrote. "But then, as you work it in, you see your hair getting smoother and shinier, without the heavy feeling that many oils can leave behind. This is a great finisher if you've blown out or straightened your hair and you want a sleeker look without that oily texture. If you've got Afro-textured hair like mine, you can use this to add a touch of moisture to your strands or, as I like to use it, to add some shine to a pulled-back bun or puff."

Key ingredients: moringa oil, argan oil, bamboo extract | Hair it's best for: everyone, including people with frizz or fine hair | When to apply: wet, damp, or dry hair | Additional benefits: eliminates frizz, nourishes split ends | Scent: earthy, citrus, floral | Sizes: 2 oz., 4 oz.

Best Hair Oil for Frizzy Hair: Rôz Santa Lucia Styling Oil

Why it's worth it: Frizzy hair doesn't have to ruin your day. We keep Rôz's Santa Lucia Styling Oil handy because it protects against heat and humidity—two of the foremost causes of frizz—and smooths using five plant-based oil extracts. We especially love the vetiver and citron scent, which elevates this oil to hair-perfume status. If you want to level up from the drugstore hair oil you've been using for a few years but aren't ready to drop a Benjamin on anything too fancy, this one serves as a perfect middle ground.

Editor's tip: "This is, hands down, my favorite hair oil," says Allure shopping director Shanna Shipin. "It smoothes frizz, smells heavenly, and has consistently calmed my hair—which seemingly expands by two feet in circumference—when the humidity hits. But what I love almost as much as the oil's performance is that the brand's founder, Mara Roszak, grew up in Laurel Canyon (a legendary area in Los Angeles), and Rōz's entire line perfectly captures the magic and mythology of the landscape!" She says you can use this hair oil on wet or dry hair—especially if you have thick, curly, dry, or frizz-prone hair. If you have hair on the thin or oily side, you'll want to primarily to the bottom parts of your strands when applying.

Key ingredients: jojoba oil, argan oil, Roman chamomile, jasmine, aloe vera | Hair it's best for: frizzy hair | When to apply: damp and dry hair | Additional benefits: heat protection | Scent: vetiver, citrus | Sizes: 0.5 oz., 2 oz.

Best Hair Oil for Curly Hair: Bread Beauty Supply Hair-Oil Everyday Gloss

Why it's worth it: Feel free to douse your hair with Bread Beauty Supply's Hair-Oil Everyday Gloss, well, every day—no matter your hair type. This lightweight Best of Beauty winner coats your scalp with antioxidant vitamin C-rich kakadu plum oil while triglycerides and safflower oil moisturize and add shine. Take it from Forbes: "I find that there are very few oils that actually make my hair feel moisturized—this is one of them," she attested. "I used the oil the next morning [after washing and conditioning] when my hair was mostly dry: Even without a leave-in conditioner, my hair felt super soft. [The oil] doesn't leave behind a greasy feeling, either."

Editor's tip: You can use it one of three ways: 1) Apply to wet hair after shampooing and conditioner 2) Apply on dry hair between wash days 3) Apply and leave it on as a pre-wash treatment for at least two hours before showering.

Key ingredients: kakadu plum, safflower oil, soybean oil | Hair it's best for: waves, curls, and coils | When to apply: on damp or dry hair | Additional benefits: detangling | Scent: fruity | Sizes: 1.7 oz., 3.3 oz.

Best Hair Oil for Dry Hair: Oribe Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil

Why it's worth it: Oribe's Best of Beauty-winning Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil is a luxurious pick that thick and fine hair types alike can indulgently enjoy. It successfully targets issues like dry hair and frizz, thanks to a mix of argan and jasmine oils. To create a subtly perfumed effect, the product is scented with sandalwood, bergamot, edelweiss flower, and lychee. Pro tip: apply it to damp hair before heat-styling to speed up drying time.

Editor's tip: Allure social director Kassidy Silva says that she reaches for Oribe's Gold Lust Mask once a week to keep her hair glossy. "I use a lot of hot tools on my hair daily, so this mask helps perk up my ends and keeps it looking long and strong," Silva says. The takeaway? This mask and hair oil are a match made in hair-repairing heaven.

Key ingredients: jasmine extract, argan extract, sandalwood | Hair it's best for: all hair types | When to apply: damp or dry hair | Additional benefits: repairing split ends | Scent: bergamot, sandalwood, jasmine| Sizes: 1.7 oz, 3.4 oz

Best Hair Oil for Scalp: Mielle Organics Rosemary Mint Scalp & Hair Oil

Why it's worth it: Mielle Organics' Rosemary Mint Scalp & Hair Oil became super popular on TikTok for its effective, soothing, and conditioning natural oil blend. Along with rosemary oil (which may stimulate the hair follicles and support healthy hair growth), the key ingredients in this moisture-sealing cocktail are castor oil, antibacterial tea tree oil, and coconut oil to boost shine and softness while relieving the scalp of irritation and dryness. While it's billed as a scalp treatment, you can also use it to mend split ends.

Tester feedback: "After a few weeks of applying the oil on my scalp while I had braids I started to see a difference," associate beauty editor Annie Blay said. "My hair feels thicker and healthier. Not to mention I love how moisturized this keeps my scalp and the dropper makes it easy to apply between my braids."

Key ingredients: castor oil, tea tree oil, coconut oil | Hair it's best for: people seeking scalp benefits | When to apply: brittle hair, dry scalps | Additional benefits: helps with length retention, split ends | Scent: rosemary, mint | Sizes: 2 oz.

Best Hair Oil for Damaged Hair: K18 Molecular Repair Hair Oil

Why it's worth it: A winner in the Splurge category of the 2023 Best of Beauty Awards, K18's Molecular Repair Hair Oil works to address frizz on two levels: first, by reversing structural damage caused by heat styling and salon treatments, and second, by nourishing hair with natural lipids, like avocado and sunflower oils. It also works to help prevent future damage by giving heat protection up to 450 degrees. This multitasking oil can be applied to damp hair before styling or used as a finishing oil.

Whatever your hair concerns are, Lazaro Lambertucci, a New York City-based hairstylist and colorist at Warren Tricomi Upper East Side, confirmed the K18 Molecular Repair Hair Oil is "weightless and amazing for all hair types." (Not just damaged!)

Key ingredients: squalane, avocado oil, sunflower oil | Hair it's best for: people with frizz and flyaways due to breakage | When to apply: damp or dry hair | Additional benefits: enhanced color vibrancy | Scent: floral | Sizes: 1 oz.

Best Hair Oil for Fine Hair: Kérastase L'Huile Original Hair Oil

Why it's worth it: The super nourishing Kérastase L'Huile Original Hair Oil blended argan oil, camellia oil, and marula oil, and bottled it up in the gold packing it deserves. The formula is smoothing and thickening without causing greasy buildup, and the fluid itself is clear, so it won't bog down color-treated hair. "This can thicken the look of fine hair," New York City-based hairstylist Matt Fugate, previously told Allure. "It adds shine and luster and smells amazing, but it's the first oil I've ever come across that thickens hair this well."

Editor's tip: This oil isn't designed to be used on the scalp, so if you're looking for a scalp oil, opt for the Kérastase Nutri-Supplement Scalp Serum instead.

Key ingredients: marula oil, argan oil, camellia oil | Hair it's best for: frizzy hair | When to apply: damp or dry hair | Additional benefits: increased softness | Scent: woody, floral | Sizes: 3.4 oz.

Best Hair Oil for Heat-Styling: Olaplex No.7 Bonding Oil

Why it's worth it: Like its predecessors in the Olaplex line, the brand's No. 7 Bonding Oil is designed to help hair that's been through it all—heat-styling, chemical-styling, hair-coloring—you name it. Olaplex's beloved hair oil contains grapeseed oil to infuse damaged hair with much-needed moisture, but its bond-repairing properties come from bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate. This ingredient, found in all Olaplex products, repairs broken disulfide bonds so your hair will feel stronger, healthier, and less prone to damage.

Editor's tip: The bottle dispenses a small, dosed amount at a time, but the formula is very concentrated so that's all you should need.

Key ingredients: bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate, sunflower seed oil, moringa seed oil | Hair It's Best For: people with weak or damaged hair | When to Apply: wet, damp, dry hair | Additional Benefits: heat protection | Scent: citrus, honey | Sizes: 1 oz., 2 oz.

Best Hair Oil for After Styling: Gisou Honey Infused Hair Oil

Why it's worth it: The delectable Gisou Honey Infused Hair Oil smells good enough to eat (please don't), but that's not the only reason we're constantly repurchasing this 2023 Best of Beauty Award winner. The star ingredient, Mirsalehi honey, also acts as a humectant, which draws moisture to the hair shaft, creating a more lustrous head of hair and a frizz-free look in the process. Fun fact: The honey is harvested from the founder's very own bee garden.

Key ingredients: honey, coconut oil, and sweet almond oil | Hair it's best for: dull, dry, or damaged hair | When to apply: on dry hair | Additional benefits shine-boosting | Scent: honey | Sizes: 1.7 oz, 3.4 oz

Best Pre-Shampoo Hair Oil: Fable & Mane HoliRoots Pre-Wash Hair Treatment Oil

Why it's worth it: Most hair oils are meant to be used after washing, but this pre-wash treatment helps loosen any stubborn buildup on your hair and scalp. Ciara Costenoble, a Paris-based hairstylist, calls this oil "a wonderful, soothing scalp treatment oil "for its ability to tackle lingering hair products and dandruff. The addition of ashwagandha extract is excellent for the abilities of its anti-inflammatory adaptogens, which soothe itching and irritation. Once you wash the product out, your roots and scalp will feel moisturized and cleansed without greasiness or residue left behind.

Editor's tip: Ashwagandha is a time-tested Ayurvedic remedy to boost resilience and adapt to stress.

Key ingredients: ashwagandha, castor oil, sesame seed oil | Hair it's best for: people with product buildup or a dry scalp | When to apply: dry hair | Additional benefits: improving hair thickness | Scent: floral | Size: 1.8 oz.

Best Hair Oil for Hair Loss: Sisley Paris Hair Rituel Precious Hair Care Oil

Why it's worth it: Once the sticker shock subsides, and you click through the pages of glowing reviews, you'll start to understand why the Sisley Paris Hair Rituel Precious Hair Care Oil—a Best of Beauty Award winner, no less—is worth the hype. This hair oil (which basically doubles as a hair perfume) smooths without weighing down, scents without overwhelming, and imparts shine without greasiness. Just apply a touch of the oil from the mid-lengths of your hair, dry or damp, to the ends. One reviewer, who deals with thinning hair as a result of pregnancy and thyroid issues, says this oil protects and plumps their fragile strands.

Key ingredients: passionfruit oil, shea oil, cotton oil, moringa oil | Hair it's best for: short hair | When to apply: damp or dry hair | Additional benefits: supporting hair growth | Scent: fruity, nutty | Sizes: 3.4 oz.

Best Hair Oil for Brunettes: Moroccanoil Treatment

Why it's worth it: Medium-to-thick hair textures may need more intensive moisturizing oil treatments to maintain their silky strands, and Moroccanoil's Treatment Original is up to the task. You only need a few drops of this argan oil-based elixir to revive your hair's natural luster and softness, so a little goes a long way. Though Los Angeles-based hairstylist Jorge Serrano loves the Moroccanoil Treatment for thicker hair types, he cautions blondes to beware. "The amber color will stain blonde hair and make it appear brassy," he tells Allure.

Editor's tip: If you find yourself going through this bottle quickly, consider upgrading to the value-size version, which has 3.4 ounces.

Key ingredients: argan oil, linseed seed extract, dimethicone | Hair it's best for: dark, thick hair | When to apply: damp or dry hair | Additional benefits: tame flyaways | Scent: spicy, floral | Sizes: 1.7 oz., 3.4 oz.

Best Hair Oil for Blondes: Davines Oi Oil

Why it's worth it: The Davines Oi Oil can do it all, including, but not limited to, detangling hair, fighting frizz, and boosting shine. The formula aims to tame frizz and brighten natural or color-treated hair without weighing it down with an oily hair feel. "One of my favorite things about Oi oil is the versatility to use wet or dry," says Los Angeles-based hairstylist Kristen Shaw. "It's not greasy, so adding it on wet hair moisturizes the cuticles, enabling the hair to dry better naturally and blown out."

Editor's tip: Though this conditioning treatment works well on finer hair, it's especially effective on drier, coarser hair types.

Key ingredients: sunflower seed oil, vitamin E, roucou oil | Hair it's best for: coarse, dry, or color-treated hair | When to apply: damp or dry hair | Additional benefits: detangling | Scent: floral | Size: 4.6 oz.

Frequently Asked Questions

As self-explanatory as it might sound (hair+oil= shine), there's complex chemistry hard at work to help your hair achieve the glossiness you're after. Cosmetic chemist Kelly Dobos spoke to Allure to explain the science. "Hair oils help smooth the hair cuticle and reduce styling breakage while minimizing frizz," she says.

However, it isn't the "oil" smoothing the cuticle. Dobos explains, "Most hair 'oils' on the market actually contain very little oil, they're primarily made from siloxanes and hydrocarbons. Some of the lipids in natural oils can weigh hair down and can cause fine hair to look greasy rather than glossy." She adds that products with a high oil concentration are better on thick, textured, or coily hair.

When choosing a hair oil, keep in mind the results you hope to get out of adding a new product to your hair care routine. "Rather than choosing an oil for your hair type, you should consider what you need the oil to do for your hair," says Sophia Emmanuel, a hairstylist at Crown Worthy in New York City. For example, if you're looking to enhance shine and softness, olive, carrot, and jojoba oils are helpful, according to Emmanuel. On the other hand, avid users of hot tools like blow-dryers or straighteners should reach for silicone-infused products to protect the hair's cuticle.

"Silicones form a barrier, so there is no direct heat damage," says cosmetic chemist Ginger King. Keep in mind, however, that silicone has long-term effects. New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD, tells Allure that "continued use of silicones over time can weigh down the hair, so it's important to regularly wash hair to prevent any build-up."

Hair oils can have varied application directions, so be sure to read the bottle before you start your treatment. While many hair oils call for post-shower application on dry or damp hair, others are meant to be applied pre-wash. "Most shampoos and conditioners do not prevent moisture damage but rather decrease the levels of damage," Konstantin Vasyukevich, MD, a double-board-certified facial plastic surgeon in New York City, previously told Allure. "A pre-wash hair oil works to prevent this moisture damage altogether."

Where and how you apply hair oil depends on the product you choose. Some hair oils are meant to be applied at the scalp, whereas others are a better fit from the mid-lengths of your hair to the ends. When it comes to rosemary oil, for example, Leah Ansell, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Treiber Dermatology Associates in New York, previously recommended gently massaging the oil into your scalp tilting back your head to keep any of the oil from dripping onto your face or eyes.

• Joshua Zeichner, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City
• Ginger King, a cosmetic chemist
• Sophia Emmanuel, a hairstylist at Crown Worthy in New York City
• Konstantin Vasyukevich, MD, a double-board-certified facial plastic surgeon in New York City
• Leah Ansell, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Treiber Dermatology Associates in New York
• Kristen Shaw, a Los Angeles-based hairstylist
• Jorge Serrano, a Los Angeles-based hairstylist
• Ciara Costenoble, a Paris-based hairstylist
• Matt Fugate, a New York City-based hairstylist

We always enlist a range of testers for our makeup vertical, but hair-care products and tools are another story. While there are certain products that can be used across different hair textures, lengths, curl patterns, thicknesses, colors (natural and unnatural), and needs, hair products are often created with specific consumers in mind. Many are created to address a concern (dandruff, breakage, brittleness) or to work most effectively for a specific hair type (4C curls, wavy hair, gray hair). You wouldn't want to pick up a purple shampoo that's only been reviewed by someone with, say, auburn hair, or a diffuser that's never been tested by anyone with curls—right?

For our review of the best hair oils, we enlisted the help of multiple editors, writers, contributors, professional stylists, cosmetic chemists, and board-certified dermatologists—who spoke about how to choose a hair oil and its range of benefits, depending on hair type, texture, hair concerns, and desired outcome. Testers considered performance across three primary categories: efficacy, formula, and application. For more on what's involved in our reporting, check out our complete reviews process and methodology page.

A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.

After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the "best" for people over 50 if the only testers we've solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it’s never been tested on curls? We're proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.

More of our hair-care must-haves:

• 22 Best Leave-In Conditioners for Smoother, Softer Strands
• 16 Best Scalp Treatments to Relieve Dryness, Flaking, and Itching
• 11 Best Hair Pomades for Slick, Sculpted Styles

Done reading? Now, watch Amy Poehler and Maya Hawke react to viral trends:

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