Oils

Oils are everywhere in curly hair care — and for good reason. With so many curl products going silicone-free, oils step in to deliver shine, slip, and protection. The tricky part? Not all oils behave the same way, and what works for your bestie's 3B curls might be a disaster for your 2A waves.

How We Categorise Oils

We sort oils by how deeply they're likely to penetrate your hair shaft:

Heavy Oils & Butters: These soak right into the strand. Coconut oil and olive oil are the classics. Deeply moisturising, yes — but also notoriously hard to wash out.

Medium Oils: A middle ground. Decent penetration without being as stubborn to remove.

Light Oils: These mostly coat the surface of your hair rather than sinking in. Easy to wash out and great for a subtle shine boost.

Other Oils: The wildcards that don't fit neatly into one penetration category or have mixed properties.

Essential Oils: Not technically oils at all (they're not made of fatty acids). They're mainly there for fragrance and any therapeutic benefits.

When Oils Work Against Your Curls

Just like silicones, oils are hydrophobic — they repel water. That means water alone won't rinse them out, and even gentle sulphate-free cleansers might not fully remove heavier oils.

If you've ever slathered coconut oil on your hair and immediately regretted it — you are not alone. Once a penetrating oil like coconut soaks in, it can take multiple washes to get it out. It's basically the hair care equivalent of glitter.

Low-porosity hair and fine hair are particularly prone to oil overload. If your hair gets greasy easily or feels weighed down after oiling, stick to lighter options or skip the heavy oils altogether.

When Oils Are Your Curl MVP

Despite the potential pitfalls, research supports that oils can be seriously beneficial for curly and wavy hair — especially if your strands are damaged or high-porosity.

Oils protect high-porosity hair by filling in gaps in the damaged cuticle and creating a barrier against water damage. This effectively lowers your hair's porosity, reducing brittleness and preventing further breakage. For damaged curls, the right oil can genuinely be transformative.