What’s so great about hair oil?

For thousands of years, we’ve slathered oils in our hair. The Ancient Egyptians used a combo of castor and almond oil to encourage hair growth, and the Vikings were said to have used sheep’s wool oil to tame their beards. More recently, the flower child hippies of the 1960s famously used patchouli-infused olive oil to accentuate their shiny, flown long hair.

Fast forward to present day—it seems like there are thousands of options available for anyone looking for a hair oil to get hydrated and shiny hair. That’s a good thing, because even the healthiest locks could benefit from a drop or two of nourishing oil—and truthfully, most of us are rocking strands that are either dry and dehydrated, damaged, processed … or all of the above. Hair oils are often used before styling for added moisture and protection or after styling to add a glossy, finished sheen to tresses. No doubt, a great hair oil if your beauty MVP—it’s pretty much all you need to get gorgeous locks.

 

Silicone-based hair oils

But, unfortunately, not all hair oils are created equal. Many expensive, salon-quality oils rely on harmful silicones to smooth strands. Here’s the weird thing, though. Silicones are actually terrible for your hair. Temporarily, they’ll make your hair look glossy and healthy… but that fake shininess actually comes from the plastic used in silicones. Silicone is a plastic polymer that can be used in everything from household caulking to thermal and electrical insulation. But it’s not exactly an ingredient you want to dose your hair in every single day, because it’s synthetic and because it acts as a barrier to strands which keeps nutrients from being absorbed. Over time, that results in brittle and dry locks.

Plus, silicone-based products are hydrophobic. That means they’re incredibly difficult to completely wash out of hair, and can cause buildup that leaves hair limp and dull. Basically, silicone-based products kind of suck—and no one should be using them to get truly healthy hair.

 

Natural hair oils  

Remember when coconut oil first hit the big time? People were using it for everything—as a hair conditioner, frizz tamer, skin hydrator, smoothie ingredient. Truly, it seemed there was no problem too big for coconut oil. While we’ve become more discerning about our oil choices now, we have to hand it to the humble coconut for re-introducing the general public to the idea of using natural oils for beauty purposes.

Natural oils are an excellent green-friendly alternative to emollients and moisturizers with questionable ingredients. Not only are they safe and non-toxic—even those with the most sensitive skin can slather jojoba or sweet almond oil through their hair and buff into skin—but natural oils are incredibly versatile and effective.  Check out some of the most popular hair oils, and how they’re best used, below:

• Coconut oil: rich in Vitamin E and Lauric Acid, two nutrients that have the ability to penetrate the hair shaft and nourish hair from the inside out. Can be used as a deep conditioning treatment, frizz tamer, or leave-in daily conditioner.
• Argan oil: a thick, luxurious oil that’s high in Vitamin E and excellent for moisturizing hair and skin. Use a small, dime sized amount on frizzy, damaged hair to smooth.
• Avocado oil: A penetrative oil high in healthy fats and Lecithin, Vitamins A, D, E, B6. Avocado oil also contains amino acids that encourage rebuild in hair.
• Grapeseed oil: Lighter in consistency, grapeseed oil is great for finishing off a hairstyle
• Castor oil: Thick like molasses, castor oil is excellent at cutting through excess oil. It’s also said to encourage hair growth.

 

Ritual Hair Oil  

A well-crafted hair oil could be your best “good hair day” secret weapon. The right product can hydrate, repair, and smooth locks in one fell swoop—which is why we created the Ritual Hair Oil.

 

Ritual Hair Oil’s Ingredients

We start with a coconut oil base to penetrate and nourish strands, but it’s the other natural oils and ingredients that really make our Ritual Hair Oil stand out in a crowd.

• Kukui Seed Oil: emollient and moisturizing without the greasy feel, adds shine
• Castor Oil: encourages hair growth
• Sunflower Oil: lightweight and conditioning, sunflower oil prevents hair breakage
• Rosemary extract: encourages hair growth and a healthy scalp
• Broccoli seed oil: naturally seals in moisture and nutrients
• Lycopene: protects hair from sun damage

The Ritual Hair Oil is crafted almost entirely with naturally derived ingredients and supercharged with just a small amount of cutting-edge clinical elements so they perform as well as—or better— than anything you’ve used before. In fact, the entire bottle is 99.4% natural—pretty impressive, if we say so ourselves.

 

How to Use Ritual Hair Oil

Here’s the thing—Playa’s Ritual Hair oil is kind of your hair’s bff. Use it through every step of your haircare routine for gorgeous, healthy hair.

• Massage into wet strands after the shower for extra hydration
• Use a dropper-full of oil to styled hair for added shine and to tame frizz
• Slather onto dry hair to add a little hold and grit.
• Brush through hair before hitting the surf to protect from sun and salt water

 

Playa’s founder, Shelby Wild, swears by the Ritual Hair oil:

 

This oil is weightless, yet potent. I love it. I put two droppers in my hair every day after towel drying to repair split ends and boost moisture. Before I go to the ocean or pool, I’ll put some on my hair (dry) to prevent damage.

 

Who Needs Hair Oil?

Pretty much everyone can benefit from using hair oil on the regular, no matter what the style or texture of your locks.