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The Best Oil Treatments For Natural Afro Hair

9 of the Best Oil Treatments for Natural Afro-Textured Hair and How to Use Them

The Best Oil Treatments For Natural Afro Hair
Image Source: Getty / Leon Bennett

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Every naturalista needs a few key products to keep her curls, coils, and kinks looking their best — a divine deep conditioner, a curl-defining or hydrating cream, and a sumptuous hair oil. A good hair oil is one of the most diverse beauty products you'll ever own because it's great for locking in moisture, calming damage, and reducing frizz. If you're looking for a more specific hair remedy for an irritated scalp, thinning hair, or maybe a luxurious intensive treatment, then we've found the perfect hair oil for you — keep reading to discover our top picks.

The right hair oil can revolutionise your hair care regime, once you understand what your hair really needs. Many naturalistas recommend the LOC method, which stands for liquid-oil-cream. The LOC method suggests that the best way to keep afro-textured hair hydrated and healthy is to start your styling routine with a liquid-based product like water, or a styling milk. Then, follow by using a natural oil or oil product on your damp hair, like castor oil, argan oil, or peppermint — depending on your specific hair concern. Finally, finish off your routine with a hydrating cream or curl-defining gel to unlock the happiest coils of your life.

For more specific hair concerns, you'll want to first do a spot test to make sure you're not allergic to certain natural oils. When choosing the right natural oil for your hair need, there a few much-loved oils — like olive oil, castor oil, jojoba oil, peppermint oil, tea tree oil, and argan oil — that naturalistas swear by. From my experience, olive oil is great for damaged, thinning hair, and works wonders for curl definition; castor oil is an all-around winner and can be used to moisturise both the hair and scalp, although it's a bit heavier and better suited for thicker hair; jojoba oil is also great for moisturising the scalp, but its much lighter than castor oil so it's a great alternative for thinner hair types; peppermint oil is great for an itchy scalp, especially if you add a few drops into your deep conditioner; a small amount of diluted tea tree oil can help to lift product build-up on your hair and scalp; and argan oil is a wonderfully light serum for reducing frizz, especially if you're using hot tools.

If you fancy using some these oils, then I would recommend either mixing a small amount in your deep conditioner or styling products, using one of the gentler oils as a part of the LOC method, or using your favourite oil on it's own as an intensive hot treatment. Alternatively, you can choose from one of the incredible products ahead that are rich in these oils, and tailored to your specific hair concern.

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