Yesterday, as I was elegantly spilling ice cream down my wrist and cursing the hot, gorgeous Melbourne sun, I got to thinking about an email a fruit had sent me regarding oils and are they really good for the skin and hair, and if so, and why haven't we been using them forever.
We HAVE, you gorgeous dunce!
We definitely have. Oils are fantastic, on every stinking inch of the body, hair and nail. As proof, I thought I would spend the next few posts listing all of the oils I use (in an average day/week).
I then call on you rascals to do the same in comments, because it's a lovely thing to share beauty tips, and who knows, Caitlin might not know how much you love Bio-oil, and how it helped your scars fade, and Jess might inspire all of us with her homemade jojoba, sweet almond and rosehip oil hand elixir.
Today, hair.
SWEET SALTED SWORDFISH SHE USES OIL ON HER HAIR DOESN'T IT WEIGHT IT DOWN WHAT A GOOSE
No. They may have done so in the past, but the texture and technology and types of oil we use now has changed. Now they're varied in usage and thickness and, when used properly (trial and error is usually how to discover this, not always the side of the bottle), hair oils can very convincingly change change how the hair looks, feels, behaves and if you're lucky, smells. (But not tastes.)
And, you know what? The hair can do with some oil, actually. Coats it, protects it, nourishes the scalp. Is wonderful as an overnight treatment, and can help a lot with styling and obedience.
The key is finding the product with the right texture and 'weight' for you, and then starting off with a VERY small amount. I am referring more to the new generation styling oils than the old-school treatment oils, which are generally washed out (see: hot oil, v05) and actually designed to be thick and heavy in the hair so that it really penetrates the cuticle and conditions the scalp.
Argan oil arrived as a key ingredient and led the new wave a few years ago, proving a lovely salvation for dry, knotty, shitty hair with flyaways, and split ends. Argan-based hair oils offer deep hydration, repair AND act as a pre-styling smoothing tool, which is fun. But you gotta try a few and find the right one. Very curly, thick dames might love Moroccan Oil, for example, and get an enormous thrill from the shine and sleekness and anti-frizz benefits, but a fine-haired cutie like me does NOT love Moroccan Oil because it gives her 1.5 days out of her wash, when she is used to at least four. Too heavy. This is where the lighter version of MO comes in, and fine-haired ladies might use that, or else something like Kerestase Elixir Ultime Oleo-Complex Versatile Beautifying Oil (Kerastase, please trim the fat from your product names) or even a touch of Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse (Multipurpose dry oil for face/body/hair) on the ends, just for taming purposes.
Here are the hair oils I use and enjoy:
For pre-styling I use a teeny spray of Davines (pronounced DA-vi-ness) OI/OIL Absolute Beautifying Potion (maybe catch up with the Kerastase gang and all name edit together) on damp hair, starting at the ends and I run it through the hair, moving up to no higher than about the ears, which avoids any lankness or heaviness on the scalp. It is very light. Gives great shine. Smells like a smile.
For treating I use Pantene Intensive Damage Repair Oil on damp, clean hair and then sometimes even wrap a towel I dampen and microwave for a minute around my hair for 15 minutes. No rinsing required. The oil is actually quite lightweight, and especially great when I have been overstyling my hair a lot because I am competiting in Miss Tapdance NSW or something.You can also use on dry hair.
For travel I take a small vial, possibly a sample, of Orofluido - a not-too-heavy Argan oil delight I use on damp hair to protect before styling/letting it dry naturally/add life after swimming/tame frizz.
A lot of babes use coconut oil on their hair, but it is too much for my wuss hair.