Quick answer: the best hair oil for curly hair is a lightweight blend you can use in small amounts, so it adds shine, softness and frizz control without weighing curls down. Use a few drops on damp hair to seal in moisture after your leave-in or curl cream, or on dry hair to finish and scrunch out the crunch. Tighter curls and coils can take more oil, and can use it as a pre-wash treatment too.
Curly hair tends to be drier than straight hair, because the natural oils from your scalp struggle to travel down each bend of the strand. That's why the right oil makes such a difference to curls, and why the wrong one (or too much) leaves them flat and greasy. Here's how to choose and use one.
What does hair oil do for curly hair?
- Seals in moisture. Applied over a leave-in or cream, oil helps slow down water loss, so curls stay hydrated for longer.
- Tames frizz. Oil smooths the cuticle, so curls clump together instead of puffing out, even in damp weather.
- Adds shine. Curly hair reflects less light than straight hair; a little oil brings back gloss.
- Softens the cast. If your gel dries crunchy, a few drops of oil scrunched through dry curls breaks the cast and leaves them soft.
What oil can't do is replace moisture on its own. Oil seals, it doesn't hydrate, so always apply it over water-based products, not instead of them.
How to choose the best oil for your curls
Wavy hair (2A to 2C): go light. A fluid, weightless formula keeps waves bouncy. Use one or two drops on the ends only. Oil Non Oil gives lasting frizz control with an oil-effect finish and no residue, which suits fine waves well.
Curly hair (3A to 3C): a lightweight, multi-use oil that adds shine and bounce. Bouncy Curls Hair Oil blends organic coconut, chia and sacha inchi oils with sweet almond, linseed and pomegranate, and won Best Afro Hair Oil in the Hair Magazine Hot 100 (Pro) 2023.
Coily hair (4A to 4C): coils usually need the most oil. Use Bouncy Curls Hair Oil generously on the lengths, and as a pre-shampoo treatment to soften hair before washing.
For extra shine on any curl type: Illuminating Hair Oil-Serum is a finishing serum for curly hair, with rice bran, sweet almond and argan oils, that adds brilliant shine and tames flyaways on damp or dry hair.
Not sure where you fall? Our curl type guide explains each type, and hair porosity matters too: high-porosity curls usually love richer oils, while low-porosity curls do better with lighter ones. For waves, see our wavy hair routine.
How to use hair oil on curly hair
To seal in moisture (on damp hair)
- Wash and condition, then apply your leave-in while hair is still soaking wet.
- Rub two to four drops of oil between your palms and glaze it over the lengths.
- Follow with a curl cream such as Curls Defining Hair Cream. Some curls prefer oil after cream instead, so experiment to see which order gives you the best definition.
- Scrunch, then air-dry or diffuse.
To finish and scrunch out the crunch (on dry hair)
- Once curls are 100% dry, rub one or two drops of oil between your palms.
- Cup sections of curls and scrunch upwards to break any gel cast.
- Smooth a tiny amount over the top layer to tame flyaways.
As a pre-wash treatment (hair oiling)
Hair oiling for curly hair simply means applying oil to the lengths before you wash. Work oil through dry or slightly damp hair, leave it on for 30 minutes or more, then shampoo as normal. It softens and protects the lengths during washing, and it's especially good for dry, coily textures. Keep it to the lengths and ends if your scalp gets oily.
Is coconut oil good for curly hair?
For many curls, yes. Coconut oil is one of the few oils thought to absorb into the hair rather than just coating it, which is why it's so popular for dry curls. It can feel heavy on fine or low-porosity hair, though, so if pure coconut oil weighs your curls down, try a lighter blend that contains it, like Bouncy Curls Hair Oil, instead of using it neat.
Best oil for frizzy hair
Frizz happens when the cuticle lifts and the hair reaches for moisture in the air. A smoothing oil closes that gap. For frizzy curls and waves, Oil Non Oil gives long-lasting anti-frizz without weight; for dry, frizzy curls and coils, Bouncy Curls Hair Oil adds more nourishment. Pair either with the Curly Hair Detangling Mask, which is gentle enough to use daily.
Common mistakes
- Using too much. Start with two drops; you can always add more.
- Applying oil to dry curls before moisture. Oil on dry hair seals the dryness in. Use it over water-based products.
- Oiling the roots. Unless you're doing a scalp treatment, keep oil on the mid-lengths and ends.
- Brushing curls dry. Detangle wet, with conditioner in, to keep curl clumps intact.
Frequently asked questions
Should I put oil in my curly hair every day?
You can use a drop or two to refresh and tame frizz daily, but most curls only need oil on wash days plus the odd refresh.
Do I apply oil before or after curl cream?
Both work. Before cream gives softer, shinier curls; after cream seals in more moisture. Try both and see which your curls prefer.
Can men use curly hair oil?
Absolutely. A couple of drops through damp curls adds definition and stops frizz without looking greasy.
What's the difference between a hair oil and a hair serum?
Oils are usually richer and more nourishing; serums are lighter and focused on shine and smoothing. Many curly routines use both.
Shop Insight's vegan curls, coils and waves collection, and the full hair oils and serums range.
About the author
Charlotte Read has spent six years in the hair industry with Insight Professional and holds a First Class BSc in Business Management and Marketing. She writes with reference to real salons across social media and the wider Insight community, and draws on the Insight office team, who between them bring over 100 years of combined experience on salon floors.
Where technical expertise is needed, Charlotte consults Lorraine Matic, Head of Insight UK Education, who brings over 38 years of global experience in colour, technique and hair science.