Best Oil For Curly Hair [Review] in 2022

Using hair oils should be a staple in your curly hair routine; knowing how to care for your curls is key so having a good routine is super important. Since curly hair tends to lack hydration because of the texture, so oils are brilliant at restoring and retaining this lost moisture.

It’s not as easy as picking up an oil and jobs a gooden, there are ingredients you should try to avoid, and then you need to consider your curl type and hair porosity before clicking to buy. This is because different hair types and porosity react to oils differently.

But don’t let that put you off; I’m here to guide you through. I’m here to share with you everything you need to know about hair oils, how to apply them and which one is best for each curl type and hair porosity. You’re in good hands, don’t you worry.

So let’s jump into everything you need to know when buying the best hair oils for curly hair.

So there are many oils that are brilliant for curly hair, from coconut oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, castor oil, and more. But depending on your curl type, hair thickness, and hair porosity, some may be better suited for your hair than others.

Knowing what oils to use and how to use oil for curly hair is key to understanding what works for your curls. 

Benefits Of Coconut Oil On Curly Hair:

Every curly girl needs coconut hair oil in their life. Coconut oil is extremely beneficial for curly hair, whether it is for hair growth, defining the curl, or just giving it a nourishing treatment that it deserves.

When applied to curly hair, coconut oil can help heal protein loss, add moisture and make hair stronger over time. It can help increase shine, softness and massively decrease frizz. It can help promote the natural shape of the curl while deeply nourishing the hair strand.

Coconut oil is brilliant for high porosity hair; while it is best suited for any curl type it is best used on high porosity hair. This is because it prevents water from flooding into the hair strands too quickly. It can be slightly too heavy for low porosity hair.

However, it is quite a heavy oil, so it can weigh down your curls, so it is not suited for fine hair as it can be far too heavy. Thick, coarse curls can massively benefit from this treatment, though. Too much protein can cause damage, too, as it can dry out curls.

So while coconut oil is the perfect oil treatment for curly hair, it does come with some drawbacks that cannot be ignored.

How To Use Coconut Oil For Curly Hair: Many people use coconut oil as an overnight deep conditioning treatment for curls or as a doing a DIY hot oil treatment, but you can use it in replacement of your existing hair oil within your styling routine.

For the deep conditioning overnight treatment, you can massage some coconut oil into your hair, wrap your hair up in an old t-shirt and then gently blow dry your head. You can do a heat cap as an alternative to help open up the cuticle and allow the treatment to be absorbed.

Sleep with the treatment on your hair and then wash and condition the next day.

Alternatively, you can melt coconut oil into a dropper bottle and use a couple of drops of coconut oil on the ends of your wet hair after applying your leave-in conditioner and before applying your gel and mousse. It can be extremely beneficial for coarse curls as everyday hair oil.

Benefits Of Jojoba Oil On Curly Hair:

Jojoba oil is a much lighter oil than coconut oil, so it is best for low porosity hair and looser hair types like type 2 and 3 curls. This is because it is much lighter and won’t weigh down your curls as much as coconut oil or castor oil.

It moisturizes low porosity curls and hard-to-reach areas of your curls. Since natural oils have a hard time traveling down the structure of your curls, then jojoba oil works wonders to moisturize these dry spots that don’t usually get touched by natural oils.

Jojoba oil can also help to reduce frizz and define curls, making it one of the best hair oils when using heat styling tools as it helps curls maintain their shape and shine as well as restore moisture back into the hair.

The sebum-like qualities are extremely beneficial for curly hair too.

How To Use Jojoba Oil For Curly Hair: Using a few drops of jojoba oil, rub it into your hands for even coverage and apply to the ends of your curls, either wet or dry. For wet hair, apply after your leave-in conditioner and before your gel/mousse.

For dry hair, you can either use it as a pre-treatment/ overnight treatment, or you can use it after you’ve styled your curls to scrunch the crunch. It will help restore shine and prevent frizzy hair from occurring.

Alternatively, you can massage jojoba seed oil into your scalp and ends of your hair the night before washing as an intense treatment for brittle hair. It can penetrate through the hair shaft overnight and wash the next day– I like to do a 5-minute scalp massage for this treatment.

Benefits Of Argan Oil On Curly Hair:

Argan oil is brilliant at preventing dry, brittle hair and nourishes the curl by providing a water-oil barrier to lock in moisture. It is one of the best sealing oils for your hair. Any water-based moisture cannot pass through the oil barrier, so it is also protected from humidity.

Argan oil is also brilliant for frizz as it can help increase your hair’s shine while keeping frizz at bay. This is because argan oil can help flatten the cuticle and lock in moisture, so your curls are more likely to be bouncier and less frizzy.

Argan oil can even provide a protective layer to protect your hair from heat damage and UV damage. Argan oil is also brilliant for low porosity hair as it is extremely lightweight and has the same benefits as heavier oils.

How To Use Argan Oil For Curly Hair: Argan oil is best used as an overnight treatment for curly hair. Massage argan oil through your hair and put a shower cap over your head and keep it on your hair overnight. It can benefit dry, frizzy curls as it restores moisture.

When applied to dry, styled hair, argan oil can better fight frizz, and the shine factor will be far higher. So if you’re using it when styling, I would recommend using it to scrunch the crunch as you’ll get more UV ray protection than applying it to wet hair.

Argan oil is perfect for frizzy hair!

Benefits Of Olive Oil On Curly Hair:

Olive oil is yet another one of the best hair oils for curly hair as it penetrates deeply into the hair cuticle to deeply moisturize and nourish the hair. It ensures all nutrients are absorbed, leaving curly hair smoother, shinier and healthier.

It is perfect for high porosity, thick, coarse curls as it works to create a seal over the raised cuticle. It creates an oil/water barrier so the water-based moisture is retained within the hair cuticle and cannot leave the cuticle.

It also protects the curls from the humidity. Olive oil hair masks are brilliant at treating curly hair, especially if the curls are dry, as they can work to smooth and nourish all the hair fibers while maintaining moisture. Who knew olive oil had so many benefits?

How To Use Olive Oil For Curly Hair: The top use for olive oil on curly hair is as a deep conditioning treatment, but it can be used in styling too. For deep conditioning treatment, you can apply and massage the oil all over, focusing on massaging the scalp and then evenly combing through to the ends.

You can then pop your hair in a protective cap or pop your hair into a protective hairstyle and leave it on the ends of your hair for 15 minutes or even overnight. Then wash and condition like usual. You can do this treatment once a week as a deep conditioning treatment.

You can also mix this oil with other ingredients like avocado, coconut oil, or shea butter.

Benefits Of Castor Oil On Curly Hair

There are some serious benefits of castor oil for curly hair. For starters, castor oil is a natural moisturizer that can soothe a dry and itchy scalp. It can also help unblock pores and create the perfect environment for curl growth.

It is bursting with omega-9 and ricinoleic acid, which can help prevent hair loss. Castor oil hair oils boost blood flow around the scalp, which provides nourishment for the roots and the hair follicles. It can even promote the natural curl pattern.

Castor oil is an emollient which helps to smooth and calm curls that are prone to frizz. It even adds extra softness to the hair. It locks in moisture which can help tame frizz while nourishing the hair from the inside out.

There are many different ways you can use hair oil for curly hair; you can use it on dry hair, wet hair, as an overnight treatment, as hot oil treatment, you name it. The best hair oils for curly hair depend on what you’re using the oil for.

So let’s break down all the different ways to use hair oil on curly hair:

Wet Hair:

When applying oil to wet hair can help detangle curly hair and offer heat defense against damage caused when styling. You can apply it as part of your styling routine in two different ways before or after drying; it’s completely up to you.

Some hair oils come with heat protectants within the formula, so for these hair oils, it’s best to apply them before styling your hair in between your leave-in conditioner and hair gel. You can always go in with a few drops after if it has UV protection too.

1). So step one is to wash your hair following your usual routine, whether it is co-wash day, clarifying shampoo day, or your regular weekly sulfate-free wash day. You should do two shampoos and really focus on massaging that scalp.

2). Next up, you’ll want to towel dry your curls using a microfiber towel or cotton t-shirt, then get changed and sit in front of the mirror ready to style. I like to work in sections and spray down each section with water spray before applying.

I like to apply my styling products to sopping wet hair, as do many other curly girls. Start with your leave-in conditioner, apply to the section, and comb through using a wide-tooth comb. Then apply your hair oil on top of this, then heat protectant (if it is not already in the hair oil), comb through again, and then follow with your styling gel.

Make sure you avoid the roots, as this will leave a greasy finish.

Then grab your styling brush (I am a personal fan of my Denman Brush to style my curls). Run it through the ends to create tension and then twirl it around the brush to create a defined curl. Then scrunch upwards until you are happy with the shape.

3). I then like to leave my hair to naturally dry around 50%. Once I have made it through all the layers, I will flip it upside down, give it a scrunch upwards with my cotton t-shir,t and then either plop it or leave it to air dry for a little while.

You can either plop it until it is completely dry or go in with the diffuser once it is around 50% dry. Focus on the roots with the diffuser and dry until roughly 90% dry but the ends are still a little damp; this helps with moisture retention.

Once it has completely dry, scrunch out the crunch using your hands or a tiny bit of hair oil until the curl is released and looks soft instead of crunchy and hard.

Dry Hair:

You can also apply hair oil to dry hair to help protect your curls from the UV rays, effects of pollution and even protect hair from humidity-related frizz. Using hair oil on dry hair has some serious benefits, and I’m here to show you how to use it.

You can either use it to scrunch up your curls straight after diffusing to scrunch out the crunch; it will help release the dry cast of the gel and let the oil penetrate into the hair strands to create a protective seal, these are also known as sealing oils.

You can use curl hair serum to revive curls, too, when they need a bit of bounce and have become quite dry on second or third-day hair. Just use a couple of pumps of your chosen intense hydrating hair oil and scrunch it into the ends of your hair.

When should you apply oil to curly hair?

This is completely dependent on you and what best suits you. You can use it on wet hair, dry hair as an overnight treatment. You can use a heated cap with these oils as a deep treatment as the heat can cause the oils to penetrate deeply into the cuticle.

The matter of how often you should apply oil to curly natural hair is dependant on several factors. If your hair is quite fine, then you may only need to apply oil once a week. If you have quite thick, coarse curls, then you might need to apply oil to your ends every few days.

For high porosity hair, if you notice your curls getting dry, then you should reapply some more oil to the ends as this can help to hydrate and moisturize while creating a seal over the cuticle to help retain this moisture.

How do you oil curly hair overnight?

You can use hair oils as an overnight treatment; many people use natural oils in their DIY hair mask for curly hair and leave it on their hair overnight to reap the benefits. Time allows the oils to penetrate deeper into the hair follicle and even offer anti-fungal benefits.

You can apply any hair oil of your choice– preferably natural like olive oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil, or argan oil and apply it all over your head. Massage your roots for 5 minutes and then comb through to the ends. Then tie your hair up in a protective hairstyle and pop a cap on overnight.

Wash and condition the next day.

How do you seal curly hair with oil?

Sealing oils will sit on top of your curls which help restore luster or shine to your curls. They will also make your curls easier to manage; you can use sealing oils when doing twists, braids, or other protective styles when going to sleep.

Sealing oils can also help give curls slip and prevent damage, so if you’re planning on braiding your curls or if you’re thinking of getting your hair professionally braided, then using sealing oils is ideal.

How do you do a hot oil treatment for curly hair?

You can do a hot oil treatment to help the hair oils penetrate deeply into the hair follicle. You can apply the oil to your scalp and ends, giving your scalp a good massage before heating. This should help circulate blood flow and help to open the cuticle.

Then wrap your hair up in your shower cap and you can either blow-dry the cap for 10-15 minutes or use a steamer for 30 minutes. Once the time is up, then rinse your hair. Don’t shampoo as you want the benefits of the treatment to remain in your hair.

So there you have all the benefits of using hair oil on curly hair. If you don’t have a hair oil in your routine already, then you absolutely need one. It can deeply hydrate, protect and nourish curls so they can look and feel the best. 

Just be sure to look for oils free of silicones, especially when following the Curly Girl Method. But not all silicones are bad; water-soluble silicones can aid in hydration and will wash out with water. It is recommended to do a monthly clarifying shampoo anyway!

Choose any of the best hair oils for curly hair that I have selected for you today; I can assure you that you won’t regret adding Oil to your hair care routine; I especially love using a lightweight oil to scrunch the crunch out of my curls after styling. 

But there are some superb benefits; give some of these a go today!