Hair care expert lifts the lid on how much oil we should actually be using on our scalp.
You may have noticed your TikTok algorithm is filled with many influencers showing off their hair care routines – including an added step of using hair oils.
While it can be pretty easy to be influenced into impulse-buying new products, a hair expert has exclusively revealed the dos and don’ts of hair care – as well as sharing everything you need to know about the sudden trend.
In an interview with Alt Index – an industry data platform that shares data analytics, smart insights, and stock alerts from brands such as Olaplex – hair care guru and specialist Gina Conway has opened up on hair oiling, revealing which hair oils we should invest in and how much we should use.
Gina explains that hair oiling has come about with the big movement towards “getting our hair back into its more natural state.” “Curly hair and wavy hair tend to be drier as it lacks moisture. So, using oils allows the hair to find its most beautiful, natural texture again,” she shares.
According to Gina, hair care and hair oiling is just another wellness trend – but it is often “overlooked.” She added: “We spend money on all these beautiful creams, cleansers, moisturisers and overnight serums – but to keep the scalp healthy and the hair on our heads, we have to look after our scalps.”
Gina advises incorporating regular scalp massages into your hair care routine – with her explaining a step-by-step routine – as well as sharing how much oil and which oils she recommends to use on our scalps.
Speaking on behalf of Alt Index, hair expert Gina Conway reveals:
Why is there a sudden trend in hair oils?
“The sudden trend toward hair oiling has a lot to do with self-care. People want to take more care about nurturing themselves both from the inside and out. Hair care is a wellness trend. It’s a good thing to take more omega-3 in your diet, as well as in your hair and your skin.”
“It’s super nurturing for curly hair that’s been parched and over-processed. It’s beautiful that people are having more awareness about looking after themselves.”
“I often put hair oils in my bath as it’s a really beautiful smell and clears your sinuses. It also has the benefits of helping to relax the body as well as uplift your mood.”
What hair oils should we be using on our hair?
“There’s a big movement now towards curly and natural hair – and getting our hair back into a more natural state. Curly hair and wavy hair tend to be drier as it lacks moisture. And so using oils really allows the hair to find its most beautiful, natural texture again.”
“As soon as hair starts to get really dry and over-processed, it becomes straight, lifeless and lank. So oils are especially for curly hair because there’s not as much moisture in the scalp.”
“And so if you use Rosemary oil on the scalp, you’re going to stimulate hair regrowth. So if you’re looking for hair regrowth, I would suggest a product with rosemary oil in it.”
What other oils do you recommend?
“I recommend finding oil with organic seed buckthorn, rose hip, safflower, goji berry and argan.”
“Argan is a popular oil that has been around for a while, but goji berry is a good antioxidant that will help your hair be free of radicals that would attack or damage your hair.”
How much oil should we use?
“Hair oiling doesn’t mean slathering yourself in oil. It depends on the size of the oil that you’re using. If you’re using olive oil or coconut oil, those things just sit on your hair, and they’ll make your hair heavy in length.”
“But a lot of these more sophisticated hair oils have a finer texture and they fill in the little gaps and make the hair shiny. They’re quite rich and very nourishing so you just need a drop. Less is more!”
“If you do it every couple of days and just let your hair dry naturally, let it wave and do its thing. It’s increasing the moisture content in your hair and when you let it dry naturally it’s going to have some cool movement in it with a bit more shape.”
How do you care for your scalp?
“You need to know whether you are producing oil or underproducing oil, and we need to get that balance back. We naturally have an acid balance and if our acid balance is out of sync, we are potentially more susceptible to allergies or a bacterial infection on our scalp.”
“One of the best things to do for our scalp is a scalp massage. Even if it’s five minutes a day, or when you’re in the shower, do some slow deep movements, as well as some fast, vigorous movements.”
“The fast vigorous movements on the dry scalp are going to exfoliate your dead skin. The slow movements are going to bring about blood circulation. And in that blood, is all your beautiful vitamins and minerals and everything that feeds your skin cells.”
Why is the scalp so important to take care of?
“Our scalp has more capillaries than anywhere else on your body. So everything you put on your scalp and your hair goes straight into your bloodstream.”
“That’s why we’re pushing for organic hair and skin care because there are plastics in almost every haircare product out there unless they’re specifically an organic, environmentally friendly product range.”
That plastic leaves that lovely coating on your head that makes it feel great, but it’s also going into your bloodstream and down the plug hole into a water stream.”
