Best Hair Oil for Curly Hair

Best Hair Oil for Curly Hair

The best hair oil for curly hair is one light enough to use on damp curls without dragging them flat, and it works best on top of a leave-in, not in place of one. Curls run drier than straight hair because the natural oil from your scalp struggles to travel down a coil, so the ends get thirsty first. An oil coats the outside of each strand, smooths it and helps hold in the moisture already there. It doesn't add water on its own. That's why the order matters: wet hair, then a leave-in, then oil.

If your curls are dry before you even reach for oil, start with the base layer. The best leave in treatment for curly hair or our best leave in conditioner for curly hair puts the moisture in. The oil goes on last to keep it there.

Oil or serum?

Both do a similar job, they just feel different. Oils are usually plant-based and soak into the lengths, leaving curls soft. Serums are often silicone-based and sit on the surface, giving slip, shine and a smoother finish in humid weather. If you're after the best hair serum for curly hair, judge it the same way you'd judge an oil: by weight. Silicone serums can build up on curls if you only ever use gentle washes, so a deeper clean every few weeks keeps them from going dull. You'll find both side by side in our hair serums and oils range, which makes it easy to compare.

Match the weight to your curls

  • Fine or loose curls: go light and use only a drop or two on the ends. Heavy oils pull fine curls straight. For looser S-shapes, hair oil for wavy hair is often the better fit.
  • Thick, tight curls and coils: these can take a richer oil and more of it, worked from mid-lengths to ends. Argan sits in the middle, rich enough for coarse hair but not greasy, which is why our best argan oil for curly hair is a safe first pick.
  • Dry, rough curls: look at the best hair oil for dry hair and pair it with a weekly mask.
  • Frizz is the main problem: a lighter oil or serum with good slip helps more than a heavy one. See hair oil for frizzy hair.

How to use it

Start with less than you think. Rub a few drops between your palms and glaze them over the surface of damp curls, then scrunch upwards. Don't rake it through with your fingers, as that breaks up curl clumps and brings the frizz back. Once curls are dry, a drop on your palms can soften a crunchy gel cast or tame flyaways on day two.

If curls come out limp, clumped together or greasy at the roots, you've used too much. Wash it out and halve the amount next time. You can always add more; you can't take it back.

Where oil fits in a curl routine

Oil is the last step in a wash-day routine, after shampoo, conditioner and a leave-in, and before or after your gel or cream depending on the hold you want. If you want to see the whole routine in one place, from shampoo to styler, browse everything for curly hair.

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Your Questions Answered

Coconut oil suits some curls and weighs others down. On thick, coarse curls it can add softness and shine. On fine or loose curls it often sits heavy and leaves a coated feel, and it can turn stiff in cooler weather when it firms up. If you try it, use very little and keep it to the ends. For more control, a leave-in conditioner under a few drops of light oil is easier to get right.

Olive oil can soften very dry, thick curls, but it's too heavy for most curl types. It sits on the hair, takes a lot of washing to remove and can leave fine curls greasy and flat. It works better as an occasional pre-wash treatment on the lengths than as a daily styler. For regular softness without the weight, a hair mask once a week is the cleaner option.

A light oil or serum with good slip is best for frizzy curls. When frizz is the issue, the best hair oil for curly hair is one you glaze over damp curls after a leave-in, so it smooths the outside of each curl without weighing it down. Press it in rather than raking it through, which breaks up curl clumps. Pair it with an anti-frizz conditioner in the shower.