8 Best Hair Oils That Make Our Strands Look Like New
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We know a thing or two about the proverbial snake oil, so when our editors say these are the best hair oils for impressive shine and moisture, we really mean it. If you’ve been skipping these lightweight, fast-absorbing formulas in fear of greasiness, let us quell your minds with the fact that our favorite picks impart a glossy, softening effect without making an oily mess (plus, a few of them also act as heat protectants and speed up drying time—just saying).
Each contains an intensive blend of moisturizing emollients (argan oil, squalane, and castor oil are just the beginning) that can also improve your hair’s natural luster and feel from the roots down, addressing concerns like dryness, dullness, and frizz. All you need are a few drops of these hair oils along your mid-lengths and ends to unlock your glossiest head of hair yet.
Our Top Picks
- Best Hair Oil Overall: Oribe Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil, $59
- Best for Damaged Hair: K18 Molecular Repair Hair Oil, $65
- Best for Frizzy Hair: Rôz Santa Lucia Styling Oil, $45
- Best for Fine Hair: Gisou Honey Infused Hair Oil, $46
- Best for Flat Hair: LolaVie Lightweight Hair Oil, $33
- Best for Second-Day Hair: Ouai Hair Oil, $30
- Best for Color-Treated Hair: Kérastase Elixir Ultime Original Hair Oil, $62
- Best for Brunettes: Moroccanoil Treatment, $35
Before you choose your oil based on big promises and the prettiness of the bottle (we've all been there), consider your hair goals when you pick your new product. Whether you want to protect your hair from heat, address dryness or frizziness, achieve unprecedented shine, or kick off a hair health journey, we've rounded up the best hair oils below.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do hair oils work?
- Which hair oil is right for me?
- How do I apply hair oil?
- When should I use a hair oil?
- Meet the experts
- How we test and review products
- Our staff and testers
Best Overall: Oribe Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil
Why it's worth it: Oribe's 2024 Allure Best of Beauty-winning Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil is a luxurious, strand-smoothing pick those with thick and fine hair types alike can enjoy. This silky oil targets concerns like dryness and frizz with its concentrated blend of argan and jasmine oils, along with Oribe’s Signature Complex, a proprietary blend of antioxidant-rich watermelon, lychee, and edelweiss flower extracts to intensively diminish brittleness and dehydration. To subtly perfume your hair, the product is scented with sandalwood, bergamot, edelweiss flower, and lychee.
We made it our favorite overall hair oil for its weightless texture, instant strand-smoothing results, and vibrancy-enhancing effect on color-treated hair. Pro tip: Apply it to damp hair before heat-styling to speed up drying time.
Tester feedback: Allure social director Kassidy Silva says that she reaches for Oribe's Gold Lust Mask once a week to keep her hair glossy. "I use a lot of hot tools on my hair daily, so this mask helps perk up my ends and keeps it looking long and strong," Silva says. The takeaway? This mask and hair oil are a match made in hair-repairing heaven.
Key ingredients: jasmine oil, argan oil | Hair it's best for: all hair types | When to apply: damp or dry hair | Additional benefits: repairing split ends | Scent: bergamot, sandalwood, jasmine | Sizes: 1.7 oz, 3.4 oz
Best for Damaged Hair: K18 Molecular Repair Hair Oil
Why it's worth it: A winner in the Splurge category of the 2023 Best of Beauty Awards, K18's Molecular Repair Hair Oil works to address frizz on two levels: first, by reversing structural damage caused by heat styling and salon treatments through the brand’s namesake K18 peptide, and second, by conditioning hair with natural lipids, like avocado and sunflower oils.
Whatever your hair concerns, Lazaro Lambertucci, a New York City-based hairstylist and colorist at Warren Tricomi Upper East Side, confirms that the K18 Molecular Repair Hair Oil is "weightless and amazing for all hair types.” (Not just damaged!) It also works to help prevent future damage by providing heat protection up to 450 degrees. This multitasking oil can be applied to damp hair before styling or used as a finishing oil.
Tester feedback: “My head of bleached, dryness-prone hair needs a hardworking hair oil, and K18’s gloss-enhancing formula fits the bill,” says commerce writer Jennifer Hussein. “My dehydrated hair usually needs a hefty drench of oil to feel anywhere near soft, but this oil leaves my hair feeling silky-smooth after just six drops. I also love the lightweight feel; it doesn’t leave any residue behind but gives my hair glass-level reflection.”
Key ingredients: squalane, avocado oil, sunflower oil | Hair it's best for: people with frizz and flyaways due to breakage | When to apply: damp or dry hair | Additional benefits: enhanced color vibrancy | Scent: floral | Sizes: 1 oz.
Best for Frizzy Hair: Rôz Santa Lucia Styling Oil
Why it's worth it: Frizzy hair doesn't have to ruin your day. Many of our editors keep Rôz's Santa Lucia Styling Oil handy because it protects against heat and humidity—two of the foremost causes of frizz—and smooths using five plant-based oil extracts, including jojoba and argan oils. We especially love the vetiver and citron scent, which elevates this oil to hair-perfume status. If you want to level up from the drugstore hair oil you've been using for a few years but aren't ready to drop a Benjamin on anything too fancy, this one serves as a perfect middle ground.
In our testing, we found that this hair oil worked equally well on wet or dry hair—especially if you have thick, curly, dry, or frizz-prone hair. (If you have hair on the thin or oily side, you'll want to primarily to the bottom parts of your strands when applying.)
Tester feedback: "This is, hands down, my favorite hair oil," says Allure shopping director Shanna Shipin. "It smoothes frizz, smells heavenly, and has consistently calmed my hair—which seemingly expands by two feet in circumference—when the humidity hits. But what I love almost as much as the oil's performance is that the brand's founder, Mara Roszak, grew up in Laurel Canyon (a legendary area in Los Angeles), and Rōz's entire line perfectly captures the magic and mythology of the landscape!"
Key ingredients: jojoba oil, argan oil, Roman chamomile, jasmine, aloe vera | Hair it's best for: frizzy hair | When to apply: damp and dry hair | Additional benefits: heat protection | Scent: vetiver, citrus | Sizes: 0.5 oz., 2 oz.
Best for Fine Hair: Gisou Honey Infused Hair Oil
Why it's worth it: The delectable Gisou Honey Infused Hair Oil smells good enough to eat (please don't), but that's not the only reason we're constantly repurchasing this 2023 Best of Beauty Award winner. This lightweight, fast-drying oil features three key ingredients: sweet almond oil, coconut oil, and the star ingredient, Mirsalehi honey. The latter acts as a hydration-boosting humectant, which draws moisture to the hair shaft, creating a more lustrous head of hair and a frizz-free look in the process.
It’s so light that fine hair types can feel free to slather away without fear of greasiness after. “This hair oil truly breathes new life into my strands, and leaves my hair feeling so silky and soft,” says Lexi Herrick, senior director of audience development. "A small amount at the ends of my hair helps with breakage and adds so much shine. It tames flyaways and tangles and truly is a fantastic, multitasking product!”
Tester feedback: “Many hair oils can be too heavy for my fine hair, but this one gives me great, glossy shine without weighing down my strands,” says art director Ingrid Fowler. It also has really great ingredients and a lovely bottle.” Fun fact: The honey is harvested from the founder's very own bee garden.
Key ingredients: honey, coconut oil, and sweet almond oil | Hair it's best for: dull, dry, or damaged hair | When to apply: on dry hair | Additional benefits: shine-boosting | Scent: honey | Sizes: 1.7 oz, 3.4 oz
Best for Flat Hair: LolaVie Lightweight Hair Oil
Why it's worth it: Pulling off the (near) impossible, LolaVie’s Lightweight Hair Oil leaves hair with a patent-like shine without flattening your meticulously styled blowout. The dilemma with most hair oils is that they have at least some weight to them, which can make for a deflated style if you have naturally fine, thin, or otherwise flat hair. But LolaVie’s nourishing formula vanishes as quickly as you apply it, only leaving behind a shiny, vibrancy-enhancing finish. Plus, its ingredients list reads like a recipe for shiny strands that could put diamonds to shame—and includes heavy-hitting moisturizers like sunflower seed oil, bamboo extract, and proteins derived from lentils and chia seeds.
Tester feedback: “Short, fine hair like mine and oils don't always get along, but I never have to worry about that with LolaVie's Lightweight Hair Oil—hell, its distinguishing factor is right there in the name,” says senior news editor Nicola Dall’Asen. “Just a few drops of this keratin-based oil gives my hair the hydration and shine it desperately needs, and thankfully without that heavy, greasy feeling. ”
Key ingredients: sunflower seed oil, olive leaf extract, chlorella vulgaris (algae) extract, chia seed extract, bamboo extract | When to apply: after towel-drying and/or after styling | Additional benefits: minimizes breakage | Scent: coconut | Sizes: 1.5 oz
Best for Second-Day Styles: Ouai Hair Oil
Why it's worth it: Not only does Ouai's Hair Oil deliver intense shine, but this lightweight formula is brimming with strand-softening ingredients like antioxidants and fatty acids. These ingredients also provide built-in protection against damage from pollution and UV exposure (meaning less color-fading) and the weakness and breakage caused by heated styling tools. It's weightless enough for fine hair but potent enough to smooth coarse hair types without creating a greasy feel, so it's perfect for refreshing second-day blowouts.
Tester feedback: “There are only a few oils I dare rake through my fine strands, and Ouai's is one of them,” says features director Dianna Mazzone Singh. “So imagine my delight when I learned that the same lightweight formula is now available in the brand's signature St. Barts scent with notes of dragonfruit, tuberose, and amber. Each time I catch a whiff, it feels like I've teleported from my office to the beach.”
Key ingredients: galanga oil, ama oil, borage oil | Hair it's best for: all hair types | When to apply: after styling | Additional benefits: enhances color vibrancy | Scent: floral | Sizes: 1.5 oz.
More hair oils we love:
Best Heat Protectant: Kérastase Elixir Ultime Original Hair Oil
Why it's worth it: The super nourishing Kérastase L'Huile Original Hair Oil blends argan oil, camellia oil, and marula oil, and bottles it up in the gold packing it deserves (it’s earned gold in the Allure Best of Beauty Award as one of our favorite oils of 2024, after all). The formula is smoothing and thickening without causing greasy buildup, and the fluid itself is clear, so it won't bog down color-treated hair. "This can thicken the look of fine hair," New York City-based hairstylist Matt Fugate, says. "It adds shine and luster and smells amazing, but it's the first oil I've ever come across that thickens hair this well."
Tester feedback: "Raking a few drops of this quick-to-absorb hair oil through my ends is the difference between a good hair day and a great hair day," says Allure tester Paige Stables. "Besides controlling frizz, the formula really makes my blonde shine!"
Key ingredients: marula oil, argan oil, camellia oil | Hair it's best for: frizzy hair | When to apply: damp or dry hair | Additional benefits: increased softness | Scent: woody, floral | Sizes: 3.4 oz.
Best for Brunettes: Moroccanoil Treatment
Why it's worth it: People with medium-to-thick hair may need more intensive moisturizing oil treatments to maintain their silky strands, and Moroccanoil's Treatment Original is up to the task. You only need a few drops of this argan oil-based elixir to revive your hair's natural luster and softness, so a little goes a long way. Though Los Angeles-based hairstylist Jorge Serrano loves the Moroccanoil Treatment for thicker hair types, he cautions blondes to beware. "The amber color will stain blonde hair and make it appear brassy," he tells Allure.
Key ingredients: argan oil, linseed seed extract, dimethicone | Hair it's best for: dark, thick hair | When to apply: damp or dry hair | Additional benefits: tame flyaways | Scent: spicy, floral | Sizes: 1.7 oz., 3.4 oz.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do hair oils work?
As self-explanatory as it might sound (hair plus oil equals shine), there's complex chemistry at work to help your hair achieve the glossiness you're after. Cosmetic chemist Kelly Dobos spoke to Allure to explain the science. "Hair oils help smooth the hair cuticle and reduce styling breakage while minimizing frizz," she says.
However, it isn't the oil smoothing the cuticle. "Most hair 'oils' on the market actually contain very little oil, they're primarily made from siloxanes and hydrocarbons,” says Dobos, who notes that these ingredients, which are also known as silicones and mineral oils, respectively, are added to many hair oils. (That’s because some of the lipids in natural oils can weigh hair down and can cause fine hair to look greasy, rather than glossy.) With that in mind, products with a high oil concentration are better on thick, textured, or coily hair, she says.
Which hair oil is right for me?
When choosing a hair oil, keep in mind the results you hope to get out of adding a new product to your hair-care routine. "Rather than choosing an oil for your hair type, you should consider what you need the oil to do for your hair," says Sophia Emmanuel, a hairstylist at Crown Worthy in New York City. For example, if you're looking to enhance shine and softness, olive, carrot, and jojoba oils, all of which act as moisture-sealing emollients, are helpful, according to Emmanuel. On the other hand, avid users of hot tools like blow-dryers or straighteners should reach for silicone-infused products to protect the hair's cuticle.
"Silicones form a barrier, so there is no direct heat damage," says cosmetic chemist Ginger King. Keep in mind, however, that silicone has long-term effects. New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD, tells Allure "Continued use of silicones over time can weigh down the hair, so it's important to regularly wash hair to prevent any build-up."
When should I use hair oil?
Hair oils can have varied application directions, so be sure to read the bottle before you start your treatment. While many hair oils call for post-shower application on dry or damp hair, others are meant to be applied pre-wash."The main benefit of pre-wash oils is that of an emollient, which provides a coating over the hair shaft, which seals the cuticle and traps moisture inside," Vladyslava Doktor, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Skin Center Boston, previously told Allure.
How should I apply hair oil?
Where and how you apply hair oil depends on the product you choose. Most formulas are too dense for the roots and should only be applied from the mid-lengths of your hair to the ends, but some are developed to be light enough for root and scalp application.
Meet the experts
- Joshua Zeichner, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City
- Ginger King, a cosmetic chemist
- Sophia Emmanuel, a hairstylist at Crown Worthy in New York City
- Vladyslava Doktor, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Skin Center Boston
- Leah Ansell, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Treiber Dermatology Associates in New York
- Kristen Shaw, a Los Angeles-based hairstylist
- Jorge Serrano, a Los Angeles-based hairstylist
- Ciara Costenoble, a Paris-based hairstylist
- Matt Fugate, a New York City-based hairstylist
How we test and review products
We always enlist a range of testers for our makeup vertical, but hair-care products and tools are another story. While there are certain products that can be used across different hair textures, lengths, curl patterns, thicknesses, colors (natural and unnatural), and needs, hair products are often created with specific consumers in mind. Many are created to address a concern (dandruff, breakage, brittleness) or to work most effectively for a specific hair type (4C curls, wavy hair, gray hair). You wouldn't want to pick up a purple shampoo that's only been reviewed by someone with, say, auburn hair, or a diffuser that's never been tested by anyone with curls—right?
For our review of the best hair oils, we enlisted the help of multiple editors, writers, contributors, professional stylists, cosmetic chemists, and board-certified dermatologists—who spoke about how to choose a hair oil and its range of benefits, depending on hair type, texture, hair concerns, and desired outcome. Testers considered performance across three primary categories: efficacy, formula, and application. For more on what's involved in our reporting, check out our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.
After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the "best" for people over 50 if the only testers we've solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it’s never been tested on curls? We're proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.
More of our hair-care must-haves:
- These Leave-In Conditioners Are Key for Smoother, Softer Strands
- Relieve Dryness, Flaking, and Itching With These Scalp Treatments
- The Best Hair Pomades for Slick, Sculpted Styles
Done reading? Now, watch Amy Poehler and Maya Hawke react to viral trends:
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