Best Hair Oil for Wavy Hair

The best hair oil for wavy hair is a light one, used in small amounts. Waves sit between straight and curly hair, so they need enough slip to settle frizz but not so much weight that the shape drops out. Most of the trouble people have with oil on wavy hair comes from using too much, or from using a rich oil made for thick curls. You can browse the full hair serums and oils range, but this page narrows it down to what suits waves.

Start with weight

Weight matters more than anything else on the label. A heavy oil sits on the hair and pulls the wave straight by the middle of the day. A light one gives softness and shine and lets the wave keep its bounce.

• Fine or loose waves: go for the lightest oil you can find and use a few drops only.
• Thick or coarse waves: you can use a richer oil without the wave dropping.
• Wavy at the ends, straight at the root: keep oil well away from the root and work it through the lengths only.

If your hair sits closer to curls than waves, look at our best hair oil for curly hair instead. If it's mostly straight with a slight bend, a hair oil for straight hair is often the better fit.

Oil or serum?

The two get shelved together, but they do slightly different jobs. Serums tend to sit on the outside of the hair and suit smoothing and shine on dry, styled hair. Oils tend to feel softer and suit dry ends and rough lengths. If frizz on the top layer is your main complaint, the best hair serum for wavy hair may be a better buy than an oil. If the ends feel dry and straw-like, go with an oil. Plenty of people with waves use both: oil on damp ends, a little serum over the top once dry.

Dry or frizzy waves

For the best hair oil for dry wavy hair, choose something a little richer and keep it on the mid-lengths and ends. Oil alone won't fix dryness, though. It works best over a product that puts moisture back in first, so put a leave in conditioner for wavy hair underneath and seal it with the oil. If your whole head is dry, not just waves, our best hair oil for dry hair page covers that.

If frizz is the bigger problem than dryness, start with our best hair oil for frizzy hair. The rule for waves still applies: less product, more often, rather than a lot at once.

When you might not need oil at all

If your waves are fine and look greasy by day two, oil may be the wrong product. A lighter best leave in treatment for wavy hair can give softness and help with frizz without the weight. Try that first, and add a drop of oil to the ends only if they still feel dry.

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