How often should you oil your hair? For most people, once a week before washing is a good place to start. Fine hair, or a scalp that gets oily quickly, usually does better with less: every week or two, kept to the ends. Thick, curly, coily or dry hair can take more: two or three times a week, or a few drops on the ends most days. Your wash schedule sets the rhythm, and your hair tells you when to adjust.
Why there is no single answer
How often you oil depends on three things. How your hair is built: fine or thick, straight or curly. How quickly your scalp gets oily. And how often you wash, since a pre-wash oil only makes sense on a day you shampoo.
That last one does a lot of the work. The American Academy of Dermatology suggests washing based on how quickly your hair gets dirty or oily. Straight hair with an oily scalp may need a shampoo every day. Dry, textured, curly or thick hair can go much longer, shampooed as needed. Your oiling fits around that schedule, not the other way round.
Oil can do two jobs. A pre-wash oil goes on before you shampoo and mostly washes out. A leave-in finish is a few drops on clean hair that stay. Most of the frequency guidance below is about the pre-wash. The finish can be more frequent, because the amount is so small.
How often to oil your hair, by hair type
Start here, then adjust. These are starting points, not rules.
| Hair type | Pre-wash oil | Leave-in finish | Oil weight to try |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fine or thin strands | Every 1 to 2 weeks | 1 to 2 drops, as needed | Light |
| Straight, medium thickness | Once a week | A few times a week | Light to medium |
| Wavy | Once a week | A few times a week | Medium |
| Curly | 1 to 2 times a week | Most days, on the ends | Medium to rich |
| Coily or very thick | 2 to 3 times a week, or before every wash | Most days | Rich |
| Bleached, colored or heat-styled | 1 to 2 times a week | Most days, on the ends | Medium |
Fine and straight hair
Fine hair shows oil quickly. Too much, too often, and it looks flat. Keep the pre-wash to once a week or less, use a light oil such as jojoba or grapeseed, and keep it off the roots. For a finish, one drop spread across both palms is usually enough.
Curly, coily and thick hair
Curls and coils often feel dry at the ends, and they tend to be washed less often. That leaves room for more oil. A pre-wash before every shampoo is common, plus a few drops on the ends between washes. Richer oils such as sweet almond or virgin coconut hold up well here.
Colored, bleached or heat-styled hair
Chemical and heat processing roughen the outer layer of the hair and leave it more porous. A review in the International Journal of Trichology puts it simply: hair is porous, and damaged hair is intensely so. It often feels drier and takes in water faster. Oiling once or twice a week, plus a light finish on the ends, is a reasonable start. Our guide to oils for low, medium and high porosity hair explains why porous hair behaves differently.
How often to oil your hair, by scalp type
Hair type tells you how much your lengths can take. Scalp type tells you whether to oil the roots at all.
- Oily scalp. Keep oil off the roots, or limit scalp oiling to the night before a wash. Oil your lengths and ends as your hair type suggests.
- Balanced scalp. Oil the scalp with the pre-wash if you like the feel, once a week or less.
- Dry-feeling scalp. A few drops of a light oil on the scalp before each wash is fine. Wash it out the same day or the next morning.
A tight or dry-feeling scalp is a matter of comfort. A sore, flaky or itchy scalp, or more shedding than usual, is not something to fix with oil: see a board-certified dermatologist.
Signs you're oiling too often, or not often enough
Your hair gives clear signals. Read them over a week or two, not a single day.
Too often, or too much
- Roots look greasy a day after washing.
- Hair feels coated or heavy even after shampoo.
- Strands clump together instead of moving.
- You need two or three washes to feel clean.
Cut the amount first, then the frequency. If that doesn't help, try a lighter oil.
Not often enough
- Ends feel rough or catch on your fingers.
- Combing after a wash is a struggle.
- Hair looks dull and frizzes in damp weather.
- The ends feel dry again within a day of oiling.
Add a leave-in finish on the ends between washes before you add more pre-wash sessions.
Adjusting your oiling routine through the year
Your hair is not the same in January as in July. Dry indoor heat in winter can leave ends feeling rough, so a second weekly pre-wash or a daily finish can help. Humid summers can make oil feel heavier, so many people cut back or switch to a lighter blend.
A virgin coconut blend also changes with the season. It turns solid below about 76 °F (24 °C). That's normal and doesn't spoil the oil, but it does change how it pours. Warm the bottle in your hands or in warm water first.
Swimming, more frequent heat styling, or a new color are all good reasons to revisit how often you oil. So is a change in how often you wash.
Finding your own rhythm
Pick a starting point from the table. Keep it for two weeks. Change one thing at a time: amount, then frequency, then the oil itself. That way you'll know what made the difference. Our step-by-step guide to how to oil your hair covers the method, and light vs heavy hair oils helps with the choice of weight.
If you'd rather not guess at the oil, the quiz asks five questions about your hair and suggests a formula. You can adjust any part of it in the builder before we blend it.
FAQ
Is it OK to oil your hair every day?
A few drops on the ends every day is fine for most hair, especially curly, coily or dry hair. A full pre-wash every day is usually too much, unless you also wash every day and your hair is thick or dry.
Should I oil my hair before every wash?
If your hair is thick, curly or dry and you wash once or twice a week, yes, that works well. If you wash daily, or your hair is fine, once a week is plenty.
How long should hair oil stay in before washing?
At least 30 minutes. Up to overnight for dry or thick hair. If your hair still feels coated after shampoo, shorten the time or use less oil.
Can oiling your hair too often make it greasy?
Yes. Too much oil, too often, builds up on the hair and at the roots. Use less, keep it off the scalp, or switch to a lighter oil.
