How Much Hair Oil Should You Use? Drops by Hair Length

On the night train out of Vienna, the woman in the bunk below mine tipped her hair oil straight into her palm, a full puddle, and worked every drop of it through her hair before lights out. At breakfast in the dining car she looked like she'd just climbed out of the Danube. She caught me staring, laughed, and asked the question I get at every hostel sink from Lisbon to Hanoi: "Okay, so how much are you actually supposed to use?"

Here's the straight answer on how much hair oil to use: less than you think. Start with 1 to 2 drops for short or fine hair, 2 to 4 drops for shoulder-length hair, and 4 to 6 drops for long or thick hair. Curly and coily hair can take more, often 6 to 10 drops or a bit beyond. Warm it between your palms, put it on your mid-lengths and ends first, and only add another drop if your hair still feels dry after a minute. You can always add. Taking it out means washing your hair again.

How much hair oil to use, by hair length and type

I've stopped guessing and started counting. Drops are the easiest unit to repeat at any sink. Use this as your starting point, then adjust by a drop or two based on how your hair feels.

Two things shift those numbers more than length does. The first is how thick each strand is. Fine strands get weighed down fast, so a long head of fine hair might only want 3 drops. The second is how dry your hair is. Bleached, heat-styled or sun-baked ends drink more oil.

How many drops of hair oil for fine hair vs thick hair

If your hair is fine, think of oil as a finishing touch, not a treatment. One or two drops, rubbed until your palms just look shiny, then pressed onto the last few inches. Skip the roots entirely. If you want the longer version, I wrote it up in hair oil for fine hair.

Thick, coarse hair is a different trip. You can start at 3 or 4 drops and work up to 6 without much risk of looking greasy. Break it into two or three sections so the oil doesn't all land on the top layer, which is where most people accidentally pile it.

Curly and coily hair

Curls and coils tend to run drier, because the natural oil from your scalp has a harder time traveling down a spiral than down a straight strand. That's why the drop counts jump. Work in sections, rake the oil through with your fingers, and use it to seal in moisture after a leave-in conditioner. There's a full routine in hair oil for curly hair.

Signs you used too much (and too little)

The easiest way to figure out how much hair oil to use is to read your hair an hour after you apply. Here's what to look for.

• Too much: hair looks wet or piecey when it's dry, falls flat at the crown, feels slick to the touch, or leaves a mark on your pillowcase or collar.
• Too little: ends still feel rough or straw-like, flyaways pop up as soon as you step outside, or the shine fades by lunchtime.
• Just right: ends feel soft and move freely, you've got a little shine, and you can run your fingers through without them feeling coated.

Overdid it? Dust a little dry shampoo at the roots or flip your part, and take one drop off your count next time.

How to apply it so a few drops go further

A few drops spread well do more than a palmful dumped on top. Here's my method.

1. Start with damp or dry hair. Damp hair spreads oil more easily and helps it go further. Dry hair is better for a quick touch-up before you head out. Not sure which suits you? See hair oiling on wet or dry hair.
2. Count your drops into your palm. Use the table above.
3. Rub your palms together. A few seconds of warming spreads the oil thin so it doesn't land in one greasy spot.
4. Ends first. Scrunch or smooth it onto the bottom few inches, where hair is oldest and driest.
5. Glide up to mid-lengths. Whatever is left on your hands goes on the middle section. Stop around ear level.
6. Comb through. A wide-tooth comb spreads oil evenly and catches the patch you missed.
7. Wait a minute, then decide. If your ends still feel dry, add one more drop. One.

For the full step-by-step with styling ideas, here's how to use hair oil.

When to use more: overnight and pre-wash treatments

Overnight oiling is the one time I happily go heavy, because the plan is to wash it out. Coat your mid-lengths and ends well, braid loosely or twist it into a bun, and sleep on an old pillowcase or wrap your hair in a scarf. In the morning, shampoo as normal. Oil can take two rounds of shampoo to rinse clean, especially if you used a lot. My full routine is in overnight hair oil.

Should you put oil on your scalp? For a daily styling touch, no. Your scalp makes its own oil. For a pre-wash scalp massage, a few drops can feel lovely, but keep it light and wash it out. If you have a flaky, itchy or irritated scalp that sticks around, see a dermatologist rather than oiling over it.

Does climate change how much hair oil you need?

Yes, and this is where travel taught me the most. In dry places, like high desert towns, ski lodges or a long flight, hair loses moisture fast, so I usually add a drop or two to my normal count. Dry winter air also brings static, and a drop of oil smoothed over the top layer calms it down. There's more on that in how to fix static hair.

In humid places, oil helps your hair resist puffing up, but too much can turn into limp, heavy hair by afternoon. I stick to my base count and touch up the ends midday if frizz creeps in.

My picks for the right amount of shine

Every Fable Beauty Hair Oil Elixir uses the same blend: coconut, sweet almond, avocado, argan and vitamin E oils, plus a fragrance oil, in a 2 oz bottle for $30. The difference is the scent you carry around all day. They're all handmade in Nashville, TN. Sweet almond comes from a tree nut, so if you have a nut allergy, check with your doctor first.

• Wanderlust Hair Oil Elixir. My own: tart grapefruit, apricot preserves and tangy mulberries. Bright and fruity, and it smells like a market stall at the start of a long day.
• The Princess Hair Oil Elixir. Sparkling red pear, orange blossom, coconut milk and vanilla orchid, for anyone who likes a softer, creamier scent.
• The Valkyrie Hair Oil Elixir. Fresh flowers, coconut milk, French vanilla and sandalwood. Warm and a little woody.
• Wanderlust Razor & Radiance Duo. My hair oil plus my shave oil serum together for $50, so your hair and legs smell like the same trip.

FAQ

One last postcard

Two nights later, on the leg into Venice, my bunkmate leaned up from below with her bottle and her palm held flat. "Three?" she asked. I said three. She counted them out loud like coins for a ticket, smoothed them over her ends, and stepped off the train in the morning with hair that looked like hair. That's the whole secret to how much hair oil to use: count your drops.

Every beauty has a story.

— Wanderlust

Keep reading in The Princess's Vanity

• The best hair oil for dry hair
• Hair oil for dry ends
• Travel beauty essentials