Oil rinsing has been popular for quite some time and has been known to alleviate several hair woes such as dry hair, frizzy hair, and hair prone to tangling. I have personally been oil rinsing for about a month now and love the results! My hair is shinier, softer and surprisingly feels very moisturized; especially now in the cold winter months, which I have never experienced this time of year.
In this article, we’ll be discussing oil rinsing benefits, best methods for practicing oil rinsing, oil rinsing vs hot oil treatment as well as the differences between oil rinsing for low porosity and high porosity hair.
What is an Oil Rinse?
Rather than literal oil rinsing, as the name suggests, it’s more of an extra step you include in your hair care routine. It’s slightly different from hot oil treatments or adding oils to your deep conditioner.
The purpose of oil rinsing is to lock in moisture, prevent curls from drying out and eliminate frizz post styling. So what are the benefits of oil rinsing?
What Are the Benefits of Oil Rinsing?
1. Moisture Retention
Oil rinsing aids with moisture retention. The three primary oils that are best for oil rinsing have been proven to be the only oils that can penetrate the hair shaft.
2. Softens the Hair & Reduces Single Strand Knots
Oil rinsing can help soften the hair and reduce the incidence of single strand knots if not eliminate them completely. Single strand knots can be a very annoying problem that compromises length retention in the long run
3. Makes Detangling Easier
Depending on the process you use, oil rinsing can make detangling your hair a fast and easy process. Persistent oil rinsing over time will cut your styling time down significantly too.
4. Shinier Hair
With the combination of a few additional ingredients, expect oil rinsing to promote shinier hair as well.
Best Oils for Oil Rinsing Hair
There are three oils that are best for oil rinsing hair. They are olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil. These oils have been shown to penetrate the hair shaft so they are very effective for oil rinsing especially with method 2 below.
How to Try Oil Rinsing on Your Hair
There are two ways to try out oil rinsing on hair. I have also recommended variations of these methods with other natural oils featured on the website:-
How to Try Oil Rinsing on Your Hair
There are two ways to try out oil rinsing on hair. I have also recommended variations of these methods with other natural oils featured on the website:-
Oil Rinsing Hair – Method 1
- Shampoo your hair with your favorite sulphate free shampoo.
- Rinse your hair thoroughly then coat your hair with your preferred oil and smoothen throughout the hair.
- Wait five minutes then rinse out with warm to hot water but not hot enough to scald you of course.
- Apply a moisturizing rinse out conditioner like Oyin Handmade Honey Hemp Conditioner, Aussie Moist Conditioner, It’s A 10 Silk Express Miracle Silk Conditioner, and Trader Joe’s Nourish Spa Conditioner. Use this time to detangle your hair as well.
- Wait a few minutes then rinse out with cold water.
- Apply a leave-in conditioner like
- Proceed with the rest of your regimen.
Oil Rinsing Hair – Method 2
This is the method I use and like because it makes my hair feel so soft afterward. Try both though before you settle. Your hair may like method 1 more and like the two.
- Shampoo your hair with your favorite sulphate free shampoo.
- Rinse your hair thoroughly then coat your hair with your preferred oil and smoothen throughout the hair.
- Layer your preferred deep conditioner over the oil and smoothen through your strands in sections.
- Twist and pin up your hair.
- Sit under a hair steamer for 30 minutes.
- Rinse out with cool water and finish off with a final blast of cold water. Oil Rinsing vs Hot Oil Treatment
Though the names sound similar, these are actually two different types of treatments for hair. Oil rinsing is a step between shampooing and conditioning your hair while a hot oil treatment takes place before you shampoo your hair aka a pre-poo.
Oil Rinsing Low Porosity Hair
Low porosity hair has a hard time letting moisture in. You need a regimen that will raise your cuticles sufficiently to let moisture and benefits of hair treatments in. However, method 2 would work best since applying heat will open up your cuticles.
Oil Rinsing High Porosity Hair
High porosity, on the other hand, has a hard time retaining moisture and dries out quickly. In this scenario, method 1 would work best for high porosity hair.
You can use any of the recommended natural oils for low porosity and high porosity hair. Incorporating oil rinsing into your regimen will lead to improved hair texture over time.
Oil Rinsing Hair Every Day?
Oil rinsing every day isn’t a good idea and may be too much for your hair and lead to hair loss. Once or twice a week should be enough.
HAIR I AM 