Best Hair Oil for Split Ends

Looking for the best hair oil for split ends? Start with one honest fact: no oil or serum can join a split end back together. Once an end has split, a trim is the only real fix. What a good oil does is coat and smooth the ends so they look neater, feel softer and are less likely to catch, tangle and split further up. That job is worth doing well, and the right oil for you comes down to your hair type, not the price tag.

Oil or serum: which one suits your hair

Most of the best hair oils for split ends fall into two camps. Oils, often based on argan or other plant oils, are richer and soak into the hair. Serums are usually silicone based, lighter, and sit on the surface to give slip and shine. Neither is better. They suit different hair.

Fine or thin hair: go for a light serum and use very little. Too much oil weighs fine hair down and makes it look greasy by lunchtime.
Medium hair: either works. Pick on feel and on how much shine you want.
Thick, coarse or curly hair: a richer oil. These hair types tend to get dry at the ends faster and can take more product. If curls are your main concern, start with the best hair oil for curly hair.
Dry hair all over: look at the best hair oil for dry hair, then put most of it on the ends.

If you are weighing up the best hair serum for split ends against an oil, think about how your hair behaves by mid-afternoon. If it goes flat and oily, choose a serum. If it goes dry and fluffy, choose an oil.

Match it to what is splitting your ends

Split ends usually come from a mix of things: colour and bleach, hot tools, rough brushing, hair ties, and long hair that has simply been around for years. Knowing your main cause helps you narrow it down.

Coloured or lightened hair: the ends take the most wear from every colour service. Look at our best hair oil for coloured hair picks.
Damage from styling or chemical work: see our best hair oil for damaged hair.
Splits plus frizz: start with hair oil for frizzy hair.

How to use it so it works

Use less than you think. One or two drops of oil, or a pea-sized amount of serum, warmed between your palms.
Ends first. Work it through the ends, then the mid-lengths. Keep it off the roots.
Twice if you like. Once on towel-dried hair before styling, then a touch on dry ends to tidy flyaways.
Cut back if it looks lank. That means you are using too much or the formula is too heavy for your hair.

What to pair it with

An oil works on the outside of the hair. If your ends are dry as well as split, pair it with a weekly treatment such as the best hair mask for split ends. The mask does the conditioning, the oil finishes the job.

Then book regular trims. If your splits run a few centimetres up the hair, don't buy an oil yet. Get the trim first, then use the oil to keep the new ends looking tidy for longer.

Shopping this page

We have pulled together the oils and serums that suit split ends, from salon brands to everyday options, so you can compare them in one place. For every oil and serum we stock across all hair types, browse our hair serums and oils range. Shampoos, conditioners and treatments made for the same problem sit in our split ends range.