How to Use Hair Oil (By Hair Type)
On the morning of my coronation, the royal hairdresser took the bottle out of my hand before I could pour half of it into my palm. "Your Highness," she said, "the crown goes on top. The oil goes on the ends." Then she counted out three drops, warmed them, and pressed them into my damp hair from the ears down. I've used hair oil her way ever since, and it has never once made my roots look like I'd been caught in the rain.
So here's how to use hair oil, the way she taught me: start with clean, damp hair, warm 1 to 6 drops between your palms (fewer for fine hair, more for thick or coily hair), and press it through your mid-lengths and ends, never the roots. You can also smooth a drop over dry hair to tame flyaways, or coat your lengths before you wash as a pre-shampoo treatment. How much and when depends on your hair type, and that's what the table below sorts out.
- Damp hair is the easiest place to start. The oil spreads thinner and more evenly than it does on dry hair.
- Count your drops: 1 to 2 for fine hair, 2 to 3 for wavy, 3 to 5 for curly, 4 to 6 or more for thick, coarse or coily hair. Add one more only if your ends still feel dry.
- Apply from about ear level down. Roots make their own oil and get greasy fast.
- Hair oil softens, smooths and adds shine. It won't make hair grow and it can't glue split ends back together; only a trim fixes those.
How to use hair oil, step by step
If you've ever wondered how to use hair oil without looking greasy, this is the routine my hairdresser drilled into me, and it works on almost every texture. The only things that change by hair type are the number of drops and the timing.
- Wash and condition first. Oil sits best on clean hair. Squeeze out the water with a towel or an old T-shirt until your hair is damp, not dripping.
- Put on your water-based products. If you use a leave-in conditioner or a curl cream, that goes on first. The oil goes on top to seal it in.
- Count the drops into your palm. Start at the low end for your hair type. You can always add a drop; you can't take one back out.
- Warm it. Rub your palms together for a few seconds so the oil spreads into a thin, even layer instead of landing in one shiny clump.
- Press, don't rub. Starting at the ends, press and glide your hands up to about ear level. Wavy and curly hair do better with scrunching than smoothing.
- Comb it through. A wide-tooth comb spreads the oil to strands your hands missed.
- Style as usual. Air-dry, diffuse or blow-dry. Save any leftover sheen on your palms for flyaways at the end.
Hair oil routine by hair type
Most guides stop at "one or two drops." That's fine advice for fine, straight hair and not nearly enough for a head of thick coils. Here's how I'd set it up for each texture.
| Hair type | Drops | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight or fine | 1 to 2 | Dry hair after styling, or damp if your ends are very dry | Bottom few inches only |
| Wavy | 2 to 3 | Damp, after leave-in, before you scrunch | Mid-lengths to ends |
| Curly | 3 to 5 | Soaking wet to damp, over leave-in or curl cream; 1 to 2 drops to refresh on day two | Mid-lengths to ends, scrunched up |
| Coily | 4 to 6 or more | Damp, after a water-based leave-in to seal; also as a pre-wash coat | All the lengths, section by section |
| Thick or coarse | 4 to 6 | Damp after washing, plus a drop on dry ends between washes | Mid-lengths to ends |
| Color-treated | 2 to 4 | Damp after washing; pre-wash before shampoo | Mid-lengths to ends, where color dries out most |
Straight and fine hair
Fine hair is where most people give up on oil, and it's almost always because they used too much. One drop, warmed until your palms just look glossy, smoothed over the last few inches is plenty. If your hair goes flat by lunch, drop to half a drop or use it only on dry ends after styling.
Wavy and curly hair
Waves and curls like oil on wet hair, after your leave-in, so it can seal water in while the pattern forms. Scrunch it upward rather than raking it down, or you'll stretch your waves out. If you diffuse or air-dry with a gel cast, a couple of drops scrunched in once it's fully dry will soften the crunch. For more on curls, read my guide to hair oil for curly hair.
Coily, thick and coarse hair
Tightly coiled and thick hair usually needs the most oil and the most patience. Work in four to six sections so every part gets coated, and use oil as the last layer over a water-based leave-in so you're sealing moisture in, not oiling dry strands. Between wash days, a few drops pressed into dry ends keeps them soft.
Color-treated hair
Bleached and colored lengths tend to feel drier and rougher than the rest of your head. A few drops on damp ends after every wash helps them feel softer and look shinier. One honest note: a plain oil isn't a tested heat protectant, so keep using a dedicated heat protectant before hot tools.
When to apply hair oil: damp, dry or before you wash
There are three good times, and you can use all of them in the same week.
On damp hair after washing. This is the main event for most hair types. The oil spreads further on damp hair, so you use less and get a more even finish.
On dry hair as a finisher. Half a drop to one drop smoothed over the surface tames flyaways and frizz and adds shine. It's also how you refresh on the second or third day after washing. If frizz is your main battle, my piece on hair oil for frizzy hair goes deeper.
Before you wash, as a pre-shampoo treatment. Coat your dry lengths generously, leave it on for 30 minutes to a couple of hours (or overnight with a silk scarf over your pillow), then shampoo. Lather twice if you put any oil near your scalp. This is a lovely Sunday ritual for dry, thick, coily and color-treated hair. I compare all three timings in hair oiling on wet or dry hair.
How much hair oil is too much?
Your hair will tell you. Strands that look stringy, separated or darker than usual, or that feel slick an hour after drying, got too much. Wash it out and go down a drop next time. Hair that still feels rough and straw-like at the ends got too little. My hairdresser's rule: start low, wait until your hair is dry before you judge, then adjust by one drop.
A few other common mistakes:
- Starting at the roots. Your scalp makes its own oil. Hair oil near the roots just looks like you skipped a wash.
- Pouring straight onto your head. It lands in one spot. Always go palms first.
- Using it instead of conditioner. Oil works best as the last layer over conditioner and leave-in, not as a replacement.
- Skipping the patch test. Try a new oil on a small patch of skin first. If you have a nut allergy, check the label for almond or other nut oils.
What hair oil can and can't do
A good hair oil makes your lengths feel softer, look shinier and frizz less, and it helps ends feel less dry between trims. What it can't do: make your hair grow faster or thicker, or repair split ends. Once an end has split, oil can smooth it down so it looks neater for a day, but the only real fix is a trim. Oiling your scalp is optional and mostly a matter of how it feels. If your scalp is flaking, itching or sore and it doesn't settle with gentle washing, see a dermatologist rather than adding more oil.
My hair oil picks
Every Fable Beauty Hair Oil Elixir is the same 2 oz blend of coconut, sweet almond, avocado and argan oils with vitamin E, $30. What changes is the scent, so pick the story you want to carry around all day.
- The Princess Hair Oil Elixir: my own Happily Ever After scent, sparkling red pear, orange blossom, coconut milk and vanilla orchid. It's the one my hairdresser used that morning.
- The Princess Razor & Radiance Duo: the hair oil plus a Shave Oil Serum in the same scent for $50, if you'd like your legs and your lengths to match.
- The Valkyrie Hair Oil Elixir: Radiant Mist, fresh flowers, coconut milk, French vanilla and sandalwood, for a softer, warmer floral.
- The Princess Sea Salt Hair Tonic: a $25 texturizing mist for soft waves and volume. Wavy hair can mist this in first, then seal the ends with a couple of drops of oil.
FAQ
Do you put hair oil on wet or dry hair?
Both work. Damp hair after washing is the best everyday choice because the oil spreads thinly and evenly. On dry hair, use half a drop to one drop to tame flyaways and add shine.
How many drops of hair oil should I use?
Start with 1 to 2 drops for fine hair, 2 to 3 for wavy, 3 to 5 for curly and 4 to 6 for thick, coarse or coily hair. Judge once your hair is dry and add one drop at a time if your ends still feel rough.
Can I leave hair oil in overnight?
Yes, as a pre-wash treatment on your lengths. Cover your pillow or wear a silk scarf, then shampoo in the morning, lathering twice if oil got near your scalp.
How often should you use hair oil?
Most people use a few drops after every wash. Fine hair may only need it a couple of times a week, while dry, curly or coily hair often likes a top-up on dry ends between washes.
Does hair oil fix split ends or help hair grow?
No. Oil can smooth split ends so they look neater, but only a trim removes them. It softens and adds shine to the hair you have; it doesn't make hair grow.
One last thing
When the crown finally went on that afternoon, nobody looked at my roots. They looked at the ends, swinging soft and glossy down my back, which is exactly where my hairdresser said the oil belonged. Count your drops, warm your palms, start at the ends. The crown is optional.
Every beauty has a story.
— The Princess
