In the winter months, maintaining adequate moisture in our hair is essential. Dry air both inside and outside can wreak havoc on our strands, and our scalps can suffer the consequences of dryness, as well.

One way to combat this dryness is by incorporating new hair products into your daily routine. These might be products that you wouldn’t typically use in other seasons like summer. One such product is hair oil.

Hair oil may scare some people because their naturally oily hair doesn’t take well to additional weight. However, in the winter, hair oil might be exactly what your hair needs to help lock in moisture and maintain shine in spite of frizziness.

Winter weather makes oil a necessity

Harsh, dry winds outside and moisture-less heat from the furnace indoors have the potential to dry out your hair and scalp during the winter months. If your hair’s natural oils get zapped away, your locks will be left looking for moisture, causing the cuticle of your strands to raise and your hair to take on that dry, frizzy appearance.

Your scalp can seriously suffer in the winter, too. A lack of moisture combined with extra-hot showers and persistent hat wearing can strip the scalp of sebum and leave it feeling dry and even flaky. You may discover that dandruff appears overnight because your scalp becomes so dry so quickly!

This is what makes moisturizing the hair so important. Everyday treatments like conditioner and weekly deep-conditioning masks can help, but for on-the-go shine and a healthy texture, hair oils might be your best friend in the winter.

Top hair oils for winter

There are a lot of hair oils on the market, each with its own set of benefits for particular types of hair. However, things can change in the winter months when hair is less nourished and more brittle than usual. Some hair oils will be much better than others during this time to lock in moisture and keep hair strong.

If you’re seeing the effects of flaky dryness on your hair and scalp, consider using one of these top hair oils for winter:

• Coconut oil: Coconut oil is perhaps the best hair oil you can pick this winter because of its amazing ability to penetrate the hair shaft for extra-deep moisturization. Coconut oil can get deep into the strand and hydrate it, while also helping to repair damage and minimize protein loss for stronger, healthier locks.
• Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil is known for its extreme moisturizing capabilities, as well. Like coconut oil, it can penetrate deeply into the hair shaft and lock in moisture, all while strengthening the hair from the inside. Since it can be a little heavier, olive oil might be best used on very curly or extremely dry hair types.
• Jojoba oil: Jojoba is one of the oils that most closely resembles the chemical makeup of sebum, which our scalps naturally produce. For this reason, it’s extremely moisturizing and useful for re-introducing hydration that is lost in winter. It’s also great for scalp treatments; the fatty acids that comprise the oil can help soothe itchy, flaky scalps caused by winter dryness.
• Almond oil: Almond oil is another deeply moisturizing oil, but it’s much better suited for finer or straight hair because it’s not as heavy as other oils are. Sweet almond oil is also a great choice for soothing dry, irritated scalps thanks to its proteins, vitamin E, folic acid and magnesium.

Best winter hair oil treatments

Along with a few different options for which hair oil to choose, you also have quite a few options when it comes to incorporating hair oils into your winter haircare routine. Some people prefer to apply a small amount of hair oil directly to their hair before or after styling. This is a good option for people with very dry, curly hair, since the hair oil can tame the curls and make them look neat while reducing frizz. If you do apply hair oil directly to your hair, start small and build up—a little goes a long way!

You might also incorporate hair oil into your weekly haircare regimen. Oils like coconut oil and olive oil make great additions to overnight hair masks and can help the ingredients really soak into the strands for long-lasting shine and moisture. Sweet almond oil or jojoba oil might be more appropriate for “oil rinses”—the application of oil to wet hair after you shampoo and/or condition, which is rinsed out with cool water a few minutes later.

You can even apply hair oil to your locks and let it sink in before you shampoo. This can help prevent the stripping of oils as you wash your hair and help introduce moisture without making your hair look and feel greasy post-wash.

No matter how you incorporate hair oil into your winter routine, look up which ingredients will be best for your hair type and experiment with different applications to find the winter haircare process that provides long-lasting strength and hydration for you!