Best Argan Oil for Curly Hair

Best Argan Oil for Curly Hair

The best argan oil for curly hair is the one that matches the weight of your curls and the job you want it to do. Curls tend to run dry because the scalp's natural oil struggles to travel down a bend. A good argan oil seals in moisture, smooths the outside of the strand and calms frizz, without the heavy feel of a butter. Here is how we'd choose one, and when we'd tell you to skip it.

Pure argan oil or an argan blend?

Pure argan oil is one ingredient, and a small bottle goes a long way. It suits thick, coarse or tight curls that soak oil up quickly. Argan blends mix the oil with lighter ingredients, often silicones, so they spread more easily and sit lighter on the hair. Blends are usually the better pick for fine or loose curls, which flatten fast under too much oil. You'll find both styles here. To compare them side by side, browse all argan oil, or see how argan oils stack up for every hair type on the best argan oil for hair page.

Match the oil to your curl

  • Fine or loose curls: a light blend, a drop or two, mid-lengths to ends only. Too much oil pulls curls straight.
  • Medium curls: either style works. Start with less than you think and build up.
  • Thick or tight curls: pure argan oil or a richer blend. These curls can take more, and usually need it.
  • Waves more than curls: go lighter again. Our hair oil for wavy hair page covers the lighter options.

Oil is not moisture

Argan oil doesn't add water to the hair. It holds in what is already there. If your curls feel dry and crunchy, oil on its own will leave them greasy and still dry. Put the water back first with the best leave in conditioner for curly hair, then seal it in with a few drops of oil. If your curls need more than a daily leave-in can give, a leave in treatment for curly hair does the heavier work and the argan oil goes on top.

Signs you're using too much

Curls that look limp, clump into greasy strands or feel coated after a few days are telling you to cut back. Blends with silicones can also build up over time. Use less, keep it off the roots, and give your hair a proper clarifying wash every so often to start clean.

When argan oil isn't the right pick

Argan is a good all-rounder, but it isn't the only option. If frizz in humid weather is your main fight, compare argan against other oils on our best hair oil for frizzy hair page. If you're open to oils other than argan, the hair oil for curly hair page covers the wider range. And if your fine curls get weighed down by everything, skip oil on wash day and save it for dry ends between washes.

For shampoos, conditioners and stylers built around curls, shop all curly hair products.

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Your Questions Answered

Yes, argan oil suits most curly hair. It seals in moisture, smooths the outside of the strand and calms frizz without feeling as heavy as a butter. It works best over a water-based leave-in, because oil holds moisture in rather than adding it. Fine curls need only a drop or two, or a lighter blend. When choosing the best argan oil for curly hair, match its weight to your curls, and compare it with other hair serums and oils.

Use it last, as a sealer. After washing, work a leave-in conditioner or curl cream through soaking wet hair, then warm a few drops of argan oil between your palms and press it over the mid-lengths and ends. Scrunch, then air-dry or diffuse. Between washes, smooth a drop over dry curls to calm frizz. Keep it off the roots and start small: you can always add more.