Oil rinsing relaxed hair is most commonly known for softening follicles, locking in moisture, increasing shine and easing the detangling process. While I enjoy the benefits of softer hair with shine and hydration, the best benefit of oil rinsing is ease of detangling.
I oil rinse about 99% of the time as it fits nicely in my regimen! I can tell a tremendous difference on the wash days when I skip oil rinsing. My hair is a bit tougher to detangle and it lacks shine and hydration.
Best Oil for Oil Rinsing Relaxed Hair
There are a variety of oils that can be used for oil rinsing: jojoba, avocado, safflower, meadowfoam, castor, dabur alma, dabur vatika, extra virgin coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, etc. Some even mix together a variety of oils ito create an oil blend.
I tried many oils before I found my oil rinsing love – wheat germ oil. The oils I recall trying were jojoba (too thin and didn’t do anything for my hair), extra virgin olive oil (didn’t offer any slip to help while detangling) and castor oil (too thick, snapped strands as I applied it to my hair and was too greasy). Note: I was a newbie at oil rinsing while trying these oils and I haven’t revisited any of them since learning the art of oil rinsing. Therefore, don’t avoid these oils simply because my early experiences were not favorable. Wheat germ, however, was golden from the start. There was no learning curve – it just worked. Even if I used too little or too much, it worked whereas other oils required a perfect oil ratio for it to work.
How To Oil Rinse:
1. Rinse hair to ensure it’s completely wet
2. Cleanse hair
3. Rinse cleanser from hair with warm water
4. Coat hair in oil
I wash in 4 sections/quadrants, thus I apply the oil to each quadrant individually. I never measure but as an estimate, I use about a nickel amount of oil per section. I apply from root to tip and slightly massage it in without agitating the hair too much. Can’t afford tangles.
5. Apply a good, smoothing conditioner to the hair
This step not only softens but absorbs excess oil in the event you used too much oil. No worries, it won’t negate the oil rinsing effort. Layering conditioner on top of the oil is very similar to the LOC (liquid, oil, cream) method which many of us consider a go-to technique for max hydration. In this case, {L} is water from rinsing the hair; {O} is wheat germ oil; and, {C} is conditioner.
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6. Rinse with warm/hot water
This is where the magic happens – your hair should detangle under running water with ease! Ok so if not with complete ease, you should experience improvement in your ability to detangle. If not, perhaps the oil you’re using is not the right oil for your hair.
I prefer hot water when rinsing out my oil rinse because it washes away excess oil the best. Warm water tends to leave oil behind causing the hair to feel oily. Cool water is a no-no because the oil will become waxy and filmy on the hair.
7. Dry hair for 10-15 mins
This is my prep step before applying deep conditioner. It absorbs excess water and makes room for the conditioner to penetrate my strands.
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8. Deep condition
With or without heat. I love my steamer, thus I steam about 99.9% of the time.
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9. Rinse with tepid/cool/cold water – your preference!
I have low porosity hair, thus I rinse with water ranging from room temp to slightly warm. Cool/cold water makes my hair hard and tangly.
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10. Apply leave-ins
L: water from rinsing the deep conditioner
O: squeeze excess water from the hair with dabur vatika soaked hands
Dry the hair for 10-15 mins to absorb excess water
C: apply creamy leave in – typically Pura Body Naturals MuruMuru Moisture Milk
O: seal with oil – typically extra virgin avocado oil
B: heavy seal with a thick butter – I’m currently using My Honey Child Type 4 Cream
I think I am going to try this during my next wash day!
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Please let me know what you think.
I have been thinking of trying this lately, but hadn’t done enough research to go for it. I’m so glad I didn’t now, too, because the idea I had in my head was just so far off! lol!
Great post, Divachyk! I think I’ll be trying it soon.
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Hi Melanie! TY much. Let me know how it goes. Fining the right oil is really trial and error.
I’ve been oil rinsing for a month or so I LOVE it! My hair thanks me for it every wash day. I do use a mix of oils. My new fav choice is castor and coconut oil mix it’s just the right amount of slip with penetrating goodness for my hair.
I’m so impatient so mixing is not a strong suit for my personality. Lol
I tried it in the past and didn’t like how my hair felt, but I’ll try it in 2014 or sure.
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Hmmmmmmm, I heard great things about Meadowfoam oil. I have a few ounces somewhere. I may have to give it a try. Excellent Post as usual Diva :)!
I will definitely be passing it to my mommy. She’ll love it.
EnExit Of PowerToThePJ
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Let me know how it works. It would do my heart some good is mommy swings by and say hello — HEY MOM!!! Love ya lots!
I have done this and really loved how hydrated and oily (lol) my hair was. I think now is a good time to revisit this practice, it being so cold and dry. Thanks.
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Hello! very informative blogs you write.
i did do oil rinsing when i started my HHJ nearly 2 years ago. I disliked it but after reading this i want to try it once more.
my question is this; I tea rinse at every wash. if following the steps you provided above where should i incorporate the oil rinsing. I was thinking cleansing, tea rinsing, towel dry for a few minutes and then oil rinse, DC, etc.
another question. you wash your hair 4 sections. do you mean 4 braids? i wash in 8 braids cause i have very thick hair and makes detangling easier for me. can i oil rinse in the braids cause i take the braids down only when i will apply leave in.
thanx in advance and keep up what your doing. May God bless you!!
TY so, so much. I’ve tried it a number of ways but the easiest and the most efficient for me: spritz my scalp (or entire head if so choose) with tea and apply my DCner on top — so you can do it at the DCner step. I am all about efficiency.
I’ve tried braids, ponies, sections, you name. Lately, sections is working great. I detangle my hair, finger part in 4 sections and place a clip on each section. I remove the clip, rinse/wash, etc, re-clip and move to the next section. Braids and ponies were too much the number of times I would put up, take down, put up, take down as I transitioned to the different steps of my regi. It was too much manipulation.
Thanks so much for this info. I will be doing this.
Great — let me know it works. And! Guess what I got today. TY so much. 🙂
Love a good oil rinse. I plan on incorporating it more into my regimen.
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I love oil rinsing also. It’s a game changer, for sure.
I don’t have a problem detangling really, but I do have problems with dryness. I usually mix evoo and honey with my conditioner, but this oil rinse sounds even more moisturizing. Have you ever tried the oil rinse without DCing after? Or maybe just a quick DC and rinse it out right away? Should you detangle before adding the DC? This is obviously something I know little to nothing about. lol
I have co-washed, oil rinsed then air dried without deep conditioning. I have also applied my deep conditioner to dry hair, rinsed, oil rinsed, air dried. Oil rinsing pretty much works no matter what, or at least that has been my experience.
Hey I think I might try oil rinsing my next wash day after I top up on some oils I will try it with coconut oil first. The thing I’m worried about it I live in Jamaica and I don’t have hot water coming from the pipe I have to boil water which will be a little hassling but if you say it’s worth it I’ll give it a try
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Hi Latoya, it’s def worth it but yes, that would be quite the hassle. Maybe try it once to see if you love it, like it or hate it.
Did this last night and I love it! Looking forward to the results of doing this weekly! Thank you!
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Woo d oil rinse sounds great I usually pre poo wv oils overnight before my wash day.my question is can I still do the oil rinise on my wash day or ditch the overnight pre poo since I plan on doing a oil rinise
When my hair was loose, I oil rinsed at the beginning of a wash day and prior to a wash n go for clients. I oil rinsed my own with a combo of oil and conditioner, but heavier on the oils.
I used, 1/4 c EVOO, 2T coconut oil,, 2T avocado oil, 3T wheatgerm oil, 1T castor oil, 5 drops Vit E oil, mix in with 1/5 jar Cantu shea butter leave in. apply liberally to hair as a prepoo/oil rinse then wash out. Then cleanse the hair.
WHY did I do all of that only to wash it all out?
It does not all wash out. By introducing oils into the hair shaft prior to a lot of manipulation and washing, I fill in aspects of the cell walls that may be drier or open to absorbing SOMETHING. By ensuring the “SOMETHING” is an emollient, I prevent hygral fatigue in clients who use water daily in their hair and by doing the same for myself, I allowed my hair a resting point as I made a day of washing/conditioning, etc.
The more manipulations with water and products the more of the oils would wash out, so that by the time I was finished with cleansing then rinsing, deep conditioning, rinsing, then applying leave ins and restoring the acid mantle, my hair was at a place of softened follicles, softer hair, luster and minimal damage to due water expansion and contraction (hygral fatigue)
Then I did my LOCO (I do an LOC then a sealing oil, my first “O” is a feeder oil, such as hemp or wheatgerm oil because they are ceramides and my hair loves me for that)
6 months of this and your hair will naturally shine, oil or no oil, it is important to know your oils so you use the right ones, some have molecules too large to do much more than coat the hair shaft while others can actually act as astringents and dry the hair out.
For softness and water protection: olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil (use coconut in combo with other oils)
For thickeners or to encourage hair regeneration: Castor oil, Vitika oil, Brahmi oil, wheatgerm, hemp or sunflower oils
For growth (but not to use in a rinse but later as a balm) neem oil, garlic seed oil or onion seed oil.
Once your cuticles are in tip top shape, I stop using oil rinses or oily prepoos and go to maintenance: once every 2-3 months with an oily prepoo that is rinsed out, mandatory, cold water and/or ice cold aloe, lemon water or ACV rinses to restore pH balance to my hair.
That’s great info on the oils! Thank you for sharing. Seems like the difference is one set of oils penetrate and others act as sealers and stay on top of the strands. Right?
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