What is Oil Rinsing and Why You Should Do It?

Oil rinsing has been popular for quite some time and has been known to alleviate several hair woes such as dry hair, frizzy hair, and hair prone to tangling.

In this article, we’ll be discussing oil rinsing benefits, best methods for practicing oil rinsing, and oil rinsing vs hot oil treatment.

I’ll also cover the differences between oil rinsing low porosity and oil rinsing high porosity hair. 

5 reasons why oil rinsing is excellent for hair care

What is Oil Rinsing?

Rather than literal oil rinsing, as the name suggests, it’s more of an extra step you include in your hair care routine.

It’s slightly different from hot oil treatments or adding oils to your deep conditioner.

The purpose of oil rinsing is to lock in moisture, prevent curls from drying out and eliminate frizz post styling. So what are the benefits of oil rinsing?

What Are the Benefits of Oil Rinsing?

1. Moisture Retention

Oil rinsing aids with moisture retention. The three primary oils that are best for oil rinsing have been proven to be the only oils that can penetrate the hair shaft. 

2. Softens the Hair & Reduces Single Strand Knots (SSKs)

Oil rinsing can help soften the hair and reduce the incidence of single-strand knots if not eliminate them completely.

Single strand knots can be a very annoying problem that compromises length retention in the long run

3. Makes Detangling Easier

Depending on the process you use, oil rinsing can make detangling your hair a fast and easy process.

Persistent oil rinsing over time will cut your styling time down significantly too.

4. Shinier Hair

With the combination of a few additional ingredients, expect oil rinsing to promote shinier hair as well.

Best Oils for Oil Rinsing Hair

There are three oils that are best for oil rinsing hair. They are olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil.

These oils have been shown to penetrate the hair shaft so they are very effective for oil rinsing especially with method 2 below. 

Venta del Baron Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Venta del Baron Extra Virgin Olive Oil

trader-joes-coconut-oil

Trader Joe’s Organic Virgin Coconut Oil 

Baja Precious Avocado Oil

Baja Precious Avocado Oil

Having said that, you can still oil rinse with other oils like castor oil, grape seed oil, Jamaican black castor oil, and macadamia nut oil

How to Try Oil Rinsing on Your Hair

There are two ways to try out oil rinsing on hair. I have also recommended variations of these methods with other natural oils featured on the website:-

Oil Rinsing Hair – Method 1

Oil Rinsing Hair – Method 2

This is the method I use and like because it makes my hair feel so soft afterward.

Try both before you settle. Your hair may like method 1 more and like the two. 

  • Shampoo your hair with your favorite sulfate-free shampoo.
  • Rinse your hair thoroughly then coat your hair with your preferred oil and smoothen throughout the hair.
  • Layer your preferred deep conditioner over the oil and smoothen through your strands in sections.
  • Twist and pin up your hair.
  • Sit under a hair steamer for 30 minutes.
  • Rinse out with cool water and finish off with a final blast of cold water.

Benefits-of-oil-rinsing

Oil Rinsing vs Hot Oil Treatment

Though the names sound similar, these are actually two different types of treatments for hair.

Oil rinsing is a step between shampooing and conditioning your hair while a hot oil treatment takes place before you shampoo your hair aka a pre-poo.

Oil Rinsing Low Porosity Hair

Low porosity hair has a hard time letting moisture in. You need a regimen that will raise your cuticles sufficiently to let moisture and benefits of hair treatments in.

However, method 2 would work best since applying heat will open up your cuticles. 

Oil Rinsing High Porosity Hair

High porosity, on the other hand, has a hard time retaining moisture and dries out quickly. In this scenario, method 1 would work best for high porosity hair. 

You can use any of the recommended natural oils for low porosity and high porosity hair.

Incorporating oil rinsing into your regimen will lead to improved hair texture over time.

For more on oil rinsing and how to use different natural oils for your hair, you may be interested in How to Grow Your Hair Healthy & Long with Natural Oils

Oil Rinsing Hair Every Day?

Oil rinsing every day isn’t a good idea and could be too much for your hair and lead to hair loss. Once or twice a week should be enough. 

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