Now let’s get something straight. Moisture and hydration are key for healthy, shiny curls that have volume and bounce with ease and finesse. So while most of us can’t wait to wash off hair oil after a champi, leaving that oil in is a great idea if you’re a curly-haired girl.
Worried it may weigh your curls down or even make your hair look greasy? Chances are you’re not using the right hair oil, in that case.
The curly and textured hair team members at The Channel 46 blind-tested (labels covered and all) hair oils from five haircare brands. And we had a resounding winner across the board. But, before we make the big reveal, here’s what you need to know about why we chose to test hair oils for curly hair—and not like a shampoo, mousse, conditioner, or any other product.
5 Signs Your Curly Hair Lacks Hydration & Needs ‘Oil’ The Love It Can Get
A large part of your hair’s health and shine is dependent on the sebum (natural oils) released by your scalp. This oil gets dispersed through the shaft and right to the ends when you comb your hair or run your fingers through it. If you have straight hair, gravity makes the process easier. But with curly hair, your curls are lifted and sit away from the scalp. This is why curly hair tends to be dryer, more prone to breakage and split ends, and even lacks shine without adequate hydration and moisture.
Here are some signs your curls need ‘more’ moisture:
1. Your Curly Hair Looks Dull And Lacks Shine
Parched, dehydrated locks, irrespective of the texture, will look lifeless and lack sheen. If your hair looks over-dry and aged, it’s a sign your tresses need added moisture and nourishment.
2. Your Hair Feels Rough
If your hair has begun to feel straw-like when you run your fingers through it, it needs hydration. Rough hair is more prone to breakage, damage, split ends, and tangled curls.
3. Your Hair Feels Frizzy
Lack of hydration makes your curls frizzy. The only way to tame gravity-defying curls is to use products that give them some moisture-packed hold.
4. Your Hair Is Breaking
It’s a matter of cause and effect. If your hair is dry, unmanageable, gets tangled easily and feels rough, it is going to break. Losing between 100 and 150 hair strands a day is considered normal but if you find tufts of hair in the shower drain, on your pillowcase or on your floor, it’s a sign your haircare routine is not working.
5. Your Hair Elasticity Is Compromised
A sign of healthy curls is their ability to bounce back. A quick tip to gauge your hair’s health is to check its elasticity. Try stretching your curls by gently pulling from the tip and watching them recoil back to their original shape. The more elastic your hair, the better is its health. Healthy curls snap back into shape without overstretching or breaking.
The Big Reveal—Curly Hair Girls Loved This Oil
After 1 month of application, the results were in. Fix My Curls Scalp & Strands Elixir Hair Oil was the top favourite with rave reviews. While the proof is in the product and how it makes your hair feel, here are five cool things we think make the Fix My Curls Hair Oil so special:
- It’s pretty lightweight—almost like hair serum more than a hair oil, which is what also makes it the perfect leave-in product. Your hair doesn’t look greasy, it looks glossy.
- While the product is made of 11 oils, grapeseed oil ranks highest on the ingredients list. Now, grapeseed oil is known to be one of the top five oils for curly hair. It is said to lock in moisture and prevent frizz, split ends and hair loss without compromising the shape of the curls.
- Grapeseed oil is also really good for your scalp health because it reduces inflammation and is soothing. Curly hair girls know the pains of an itchy, irritable scalp.
- The oil also has golden seaweed, which can protect your hair from harmful UVA/UVB rays. Yes, your hair needs sun protection too. In fact, sun damage and pollution are two big contributors to hair that look dried out and dull.
- The hair oil has retinol! And we love retinol. Primarily seen as a skincare ingredient to prevent ageing, retinol for your hair is a great idea. Your hair ages, just like your skin. Proof of this can be seen in baby hairs that are soft and shiny, versus the bottom ends of your hair which tend to look lifeless and raggedy.
How To Use: As a leave-in product, take 1 to 2 drops of the Fix My Curls Scalp & Strands Elixir Hair Oil and spread it evenly on your palms. Scrunch your curls with the oil in an upward motion to get shiny bouncy hair. As a wear-and-wash, you can use this oil for some scalp therapy and apply it to the roots of your hair on the weekends before washing it off.
Price: Rs 770 (30ml); Buy here
5 Other Reasons Hair Oil Is The MVP (Most Valuable Product) For Curly Hair
Almost every single hair concern you have as a curly-haired girl can be fixed with hair oil. Because let’s be honest, what’s more deeply hydrating and nourishing than hair oil? Not hair serums, not styling mousse; you need hair oil that works at the scalp level and can fix your curls, root to tip.
Here are five quick benefits of using hair oil not just as a treatment, but also leave-in product in your curly haircare routine:
- Hair oil will make detangling your hair super-easy
- It will strengthen the uneven fibre of your curly hair by improving the elasticity and bounce at the shaft level
- It will help seal the ends of your hair to prevent breakage and split ends.
- It doubles up as a styling product to define your curls and keep them looking glossy
- Curly hair constantly looks for moisturiser even between washes, without which it leaves the hair and scalp dry and itchy. Oil will prevent scalp irritation.
So, head on over to Fix My Curls and explore their extensive haircare range, customised and best-suited for textured and curly hair types. And don’t forget to pick up the Fix My Curls Scalp & Strands Elixir Hair Oil.
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