23 best hair oils to nourish your ends and encourage healthy re-growth

Introducing one of the best hair oils to your beauty routine can make the biggest difference in the long term. Is your hair feeling frizzy? Oil it. Dehydrated? Oil it. Stressed? Massage a silky soft oil into your scalp to melt those troubles away. Hair oil has even been hailed for preserving and encouraging length retention.

Scientifically speaking, all the best hair oils can strengthen hair by increasing elasticity and tensile strength to prevent brittle ends from breaking off. They can create a physical barrier around strands, which provides a level of protection against hot tools and environmental factors like pollution. Coating hair in oil can also prevent moisture loss, leaving your hair looking sleeker and smoother than ever before. And that scalp massage we were just talking about? It stimulates blood circulation in the scalp, which is essential for healthy hair growth.

Best hair oils at a glance – our top picks

1. Best hair oil overall: Kerastase Elixir Ultime, WAS £40 NOW £36, LookFantastic
2. Best hair oil for damaged hair: Olaplex No.7 Bonding Oil, £28, LookFantastic
3. Best hair oil for softer hair: Gisou Honey Infused Hair Oil, £35, Cult Beauty
4. Best hair oil for coily hair: Pattern Jojoba Oil Serum, £25, Boots

Kérastase Elixir Ultime L’Original Hair Oil

Gisou Honey Infused Hair Oil

So far, so good, right? Sure, but there’s still one thing you really shouldn’t do when it comes to hair oils: drowning your scalp in oil. Why? This affects the delicate pH balance of the skin (also directly linked to healthy hair growth). Too oily or too dry and hair will struggle to grow. Over-use of oil can also plug follicles. After all, it’s hair oil, not skincare or body oil.

Jane Mayhead, trichologist at The Private Clinic on Harley Street tells GLAMOUR: “Scalps do not benefit from heavy oils being left on, especially as they can be sticky. This allows dirt and shed skin to adhere to the scalp.” she says. If you want to give your scalp a little lubrication, Jane advises, “light oils can be used but not left on the scalp.” So once, you’ve used them, rinse them off.

It’s worth noting that no matter what hair texture you have, we can all benefit from a little hair oil top-up. Afro hair specialist at George Northwood, La Lah shares with GLAMOUR tips on how to apply oils while having protective hairstyles: “Start by placing the oil on your fingertips, rubbing together to warm the oil and massaging throughout your scalp. If there’s dryness or itchiness, which can be common with braids, then use more frequently. Just like skin, the scalp also needs care and attention.”