14 Best hair oils for damaged hair

If you think your healthy hair days are behind you, you’re wrong. All that stands between you and the mane of your dreams is one of the best hair oils for damaged hair! Luckily for you, that’s exactly what we’re here to talk about.

What Causes Hair Damage?

Hair damage can be attributed to all kinds of root causes. Here are a few of the most common:

• Dryness: Dryness is a major culprit behind hair damage, as it affects the structure of your hair and makes it break off easier. If you have dry and damaged hair, chances are weather, improper care, or health conditions are to blame.

• Heat Damage: If you often turn to a hair dryer, straightener, or curling iron, you may have caused heat damage to your once luscious locks. High heat can damage the hair cuticles, leading to limp, frizzy, broken, or oddly textured hair.

• Styling Damage: Similarly, if you have put your hair through the wringer with dye jobs, perms, and the like, you’ve probably done some serious damage.

• Health Conditions: Lots of different health conditions can cause hair damage and breakage, such as eating disorders, hypothyroidism, or high levels of stress.

• Improper Care: Hair is sensitive and needs to be properly taken care of. If you wash your hair too frequently, keep it tied back with elastics all the time, use the wrong products for your hair type, or don’t keep up with regular trims, you may see damaged hair as a result.

How Can Hair Oil Help Damaged Hair?

Dryness is one of the top causes of damaged hair, and hair oil fixes it fast. Hair oils are typically made of natural oils that deliver much-needed moisture to your scalp and hair, allowing them to stay hydrated longer.

The best products — like those on this list — also include ingredients to nourish neglected hair, promote growth, and renew damaged strands. Some even contain additives that help protect hair from sun damage, and others nourish the scalp so that new hair grows out healthy.

There are all kinds of benefits to hair oil!

How to Find the Right Hair Oil for You

To find the right hair oil for you, you may want to seek the help of a dermatologist or stylist to analyze your hair type and needs. Then, you’ll want to shop for hair oils based on the ingredients that are most likely to help your hair. Here are a few to look for:

• Coconut Oil: This particular natural oil has a whole host of benefits, so it may do more for you than just heal and prevent damage. Thanks to coconut oil’s high lauric acid content, it penetrates hair shafts by mimicking natural hair proteins and prevents protein loss. It may also help ease dandruff or an itchy scalp and can be applied pre-shampoo to prevent drying.

• Jojoba Oil: Jojoba oil can stimulate circulation in the scalp so that the hair that grows out is healthy and strong. When applied directly to the hair, it delivers nutrients like vitamins C, B, and E, plus copper and zinc, keeping hair strong and staving off damage.

• Argan Oil: It’s no coincidence that argan oil is known as liquid gold! This oil is packed with fatty acids, antioxidants, and nutrients to benefit both the scalp and hair. Fatty acids provide moisture to prevent damage caused by dryness while coating the hair to protect it from heat and styling damage. The oil’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties keep your scalp in tip-top shape. Argan oil has been used for generations to protect skin from sun damage!

• Tea Tree Oil: This ingredient acts as a superhero for the scalp, providing antimicrobial, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory benefits to boost scalp health. Healthy hair begins at the scalp, so think of this as the first step towards renewed hair.

• Almond Oil: Almond oil acts as an emollient upon contact with skin and hair, sealing in moisture to keep dryness at bay. This also means that your hair’s texture improves with use, which is great news for those dealing with damaged hair that’s lost its softness.

• Lavender Oil: Look for products that contain lavender oil for help with hair growth, scalp health, inflammation, and irritated skin. It has a lot of calming properties — even the smell of lavender has been shown to calm the nervous system!

• Aloe Vera: Studies have proven that aloe vera can stimulate hair growth, and the natural ingredient also works wonders on inflammation and scalp irritation. Since it’s a vitamin-packed moisturizer, aloe vera can also nourish and hydrate damaged hair, too.

How to Apply Hair Oil

Applying oil to hair has been done for centuries, dating back to ancient Ayurvedic medicine practices in India. While there are different strategies you can use to apply hair oil — like applying it just to the hair or directly to the scalp — here are the basic steps you should follow:

1. Apply a few drops of oil to your scalp and massage it with your hands.

2. Use any oil left on your hands to coat the hair itself.

3. Wrap a warm towel or cloth around your head to help the oils sink in and penetrate deeper.

4. Leave on overnight or for a few hours.

5. Rinse the oil out of your hair with shampoo, ensuring that you scrub the shampoo in well to get any leftover oil out.

Now that you know the basics, let’s dive in to discuss the best hair oils for damaged hair.

1. Blu Atlas Hair and Body Oil

Kiss that damaged hair of yours goodbye — it’s Blu Atlas to the rescue! This best hair oil for damaged hair is made up of naturally derived ingredients that are sure to whip your hair into top shape in no time. Its formula is gentle and works on all hair and skin types, allowing you to give your hair (and skin) the boost it needs.

To achieve this effect, the brand included lots of natural essential oils in this formula, each with different benefits. Here are a few of the main players:

• Saw Palmetto: Helps balance out hormones that can lead to hair thinning and encourages improved hair quality and thickness

• Argan Oil: For intense moisture and breakage repair

• Sweet Almond Oil: Softens hair and helps make it more manageable for easier styling

• Geranium Oil: Balances your scalp’s pH and can treat both excess oil and dandruff

• Castor Oil: Increases blood flow to the scalp to give more energy that can be used for healthy hair growth. Moisturizes and reduces dandruff as well

• Rosemary Oil: Boosts hair growth, offers breakage protection, and may prevent premature graying

• Pumpkin Seed Oil: Prevents hair loss, thickens strands, nourishes hair follicles, and moisturizes

• Bhringraj Oil: Cuts down on dandruff, inflammation, and scalp conditions that may contribute to damage

• Avocado Oil: Delivers hydration and supplies hair with necessary fats, minerals, and antioxidants

• Neem Oil: Strengthens hair follicles to make hair more resilient and gets sebum production under control

2. Olaplex No 7 Bonding Oil

If you have fine hair, your main concern when using hair oils is how they’ll weigh you down. That’s where this weightless formula from Olaplex comes in. It comes with a bunch of benefits, the chief among them is the repair of damaged hair. At the same time, it strengthens each strand, improves your hair’s texture, and tames flyaways. What more could you want?

This hair oil is safe for all hair types and contains no parabens, phthalates, sulfates, or phosphates. Here’s what it does contain:

• Corn Oil: Is full of micronutrients healthy hair needs, plus it fights hair loss and promotes normal growth

• Sunflower Seed Oil: Hydrates, thickens, works against dandruff, and gets frizz under control

• Moringa Oil: Gives dull hair new life, improves elasticity, and gives hair a healthy luster

• Noni Fruit Powder: Is packed with fatty acids to strengthen hair follicles and fights scalp issues caused by fungus and bacteria

• Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil: Acts as an emollient to seal in moisture and restores damaged cuticles thanks to antioxidants

3. Verb Ghost Oil

This is called Ghost Oil because it’s so feather-light that you won’t even notice you have it in your hair. The formula is vegan and free of harmful additives, which is important for those with sensitive scalps. Users love how it leaves their hair with a little extra sheen but not a coat of grease. Because of its lightness, you’ll want to use this on thin or fine hair and shouldn’t expect it to combat fizz.

To combat hair damage, this hair oil turns to the following natural ingredients:

• Bamboo Extract: Kicks circulation in your scalp into high gear, strengthens hair follicles, and soothes the scalp

• Rice Bran Oil: Hydrates, smooths, and strengthens damaged hair to bring it back to its former glory

• Hydrolyzed Soy Protein: Fixes the fibers that make up hair to prevent breakage, moisturizes, and makes hair look glossy

• Moringa Oil: Gives shine and elasticity a boost, revitalizes limp hair, and protects hair from heat damage

4. Sol de Janeiro Nourishing Hair Oil

We’re not sure how they’ve done it, but Sol de Janeiro truly has injected a little bit of Brazilian sunshine into this best hair oil for damaged hair. That’s because it harnesses the power of Brazil-sourced ingredients to repair and revive damaged hair. Plus, it provides up to three days’ worth of frizz control and heat protection up to 450 degrees! And this is all in a formula that smells like pistachio, jasmine, vanilla, and salted caramel.

How do they do it? It all begins with these key ingredients:

• Patauá Oil: Packed with fatty acids for penetrating moisture and a hefty dose of shine

• Pequi Oil: Brings a dose of antioxidants to the formula to smooth cuticles and repair damage and split ends

• Cupuaçu Seed Butter: Hydrates deeply to repair damage caused by dryness

• Sunflower Extract: Is a source of oleic acid, preventing water loss and making hair softer and smoother

• Rosemary Leaf Extract: Protects against hair loss while soothing and preventing free radical damage

5. Melanin Haircare Multi-Use Pure Oil Blend

Sometimes, all you need to reverse hair damage is a healthy dose of high-level moisture. This hair oil provides it in spades. You might think that means a thick textured product, but this one is light enough that it’s safe to use on all hair types. The ingredients that make up this formula are particularly effective at getting through the hair shaft to deliver their nutrients directly to your follicles, meaning you only need a little bit of oil for big results.

Here are some of the natural ingredients that help make this happen:

• Sweet Almond Oil: Cold-pressed for ultimate effectiveness, packed with nutrients that support healthy, conditioned hair

• Baobab Seed Oil: Regenerates damaged hairs thanks to fatty acids and vitamins D, E, and F. Penetrates hair to deliver deep-seated moisture and benefits

• Sage Oil: Works as an antimicrobial, antibacterial, and antioxidant to keep hair healthy and stimulate growth

• Vitamin E: Conditions and prevents sun damage while strengthening hair

• Jojoba Seed Oil: Chock full of nutrients to reinforce each strand and keep moisture in

6. The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density

The Ordinary’s Multi-Peptide Serum not only helps restore broken hair, but it also increases hair density, boosts volume, and makes hair feel smooth as could be. Since it’s a leave-in formula, using this hair oil could not be simpler. You just apply a few drops to your hair and let it go to work without any worry of looking greasy or having your hair feel heavy.

This serum is water-based, which is why it feels so lightweight. Here are the ingredients that power the formula:

• Caffeine: Sneaks into your hair follicles and elongates them, leading to thicker hair. Increases circulation for faster healing

• Larch Tree Wood Extract: Provides polyphenols that kickstart the hair follicles and lead to better growth

• Pea Peptide: Goes to work on hair stem cells so you grow stronger hair and more of it

• Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract: Locks moisture into your hair and rejuvenates each strand thanks to its high antioxidant content

• Glycine Soja Germ Extract: Protects hair from oxidative damage and stimulates stem cells for greater growth and younger-looking hair

7. Ouai Hair Oil

While this oil is marketed as a heat protectant, that’s not all it can do. This hair oil imparts shine, gets frizz under control, and deeply nourishes hair to help it stage an epic comeback. All it takes is a couple of pumps, a quick spread through the hair, and some styling and you’re good to go!

To understand why this product has hundreds of five-star reviews, you’ll first have to understand all of the natural goodness that goes into it.

• Shea Butter: Lends its fatty acids and vitamins to hair for heavy-duty hydration along with anti-inflammatory and antibacterial benefits

• Galanga Root Extract: Takes care of your scalp, boosting circulation and getting rid of dry flakes and dandruff

• Carrot Root Extract: Mends breakage and split ends and encourages faster, thicker hair growth

• Soybean Oil: Reduces inflammation and ensures that moisture stays in your hair longer to avoid dryness-related breakage

• Borago Officinalis Seed Oil: Gets you that strength, shine, and texture back! It also battles irritation and fights off hair loss

• Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil: Acts as an emollient, bringing linoleic acid to your hair to promote soft and conditioned locks

• Coconut Alkanes: Are natural emollients, creating a protective barrier to help avoid moisture leaking out of your hair

8. Playa Ritual Hair Oil

Hair can be thirsty, too. When it is, chances are it will lead to damage, frizz, or a lackluster appearance. If that’s happening to you, you’ll want to crack out your Playa Ritual Hair Oil STAT. The silicone-free formula digs in deep to give your hair all it’s been craving and more, leading to a thicker, softer head of hair than you’ve experienced in a long time. Just be aware that this hair oil sells out quickly, so get it while you can!

Your hair transformation begins with the help of these important ingredients:

• Kukui Seed Oil: Uses amino and fatty acids to condition hair deeply, restoring moisture to parched strands

• Brassica Oleracea Italica Seed Oil: Is a fancy name for broccoli seed oil and acts as a natural substitute for silicone, coating each strand and imparting smoothness and shine

• Apricot Kernel Oil: Reduces dryness and fosters stronger hair that is less prone to breakage or thinning. It also reduces inflammation and ensures hydration

• Tomato Extract: Is packed with vitamins that go to work on your hair, leaving it glossier, nourishing the scalp, and soothing any irritation or itching

• Castor Oil: Pumps up blood flow to the scalp, resulting in stronger hair. It also brings antifungal and antibacterial properties to treat issues like dandruff

• Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter: Adds rich moisture to the formula, treating your hair to the softening and conditioning of its life

9. Gisou’s Honey Infused Oil

If you’re willing to pay a pretty penny to solve your hair damage issues, Gisou’s Honey Infused Hair Oil is an excellent choice. The formula is luxurious in every sense, giving you the feeling that you’ve visited a high-end spa and revamped your hair. It works from the core of your hair outwards, providing an all-encompassing fix for hair damage while nourishing, conditioning, and protecting.

The most important ingredient is mirsalehi honey from the company’s own bee garden, which is chock full of nutrients to heal damaged hair. In addition to honey, this oil is enriched with the following:

• Coconut Oil: Is extracted from the pulp of coconuts and delivers lauric acid that helps protect your hair from protein loss. This ingredient works wonders for dry hair as well and can cut down on flyaways

• Sweet Almond Oil: Holds moisture in your hair and scalp and provides a whole host of vitamins and minerals to ensure that your hair has all it needs to repair itself and grow stronger

• Passionflower Seed Oil: Brings all kinds of fatty acids to treat inflammation, dryness, and irritation

• Argan Oil: Conditions deep down so that your hair doesn’t break due to lack of hydration

• Tiare Flower Extract: Works alongside the other ingredients to hold moisture in your hair and scalp

• Tocopheryl Acetate: Is used in this formula as an antioxidant, protecting your hair from free radical damage. It also has moisturizing capabilities

10. Rizos Curls Nourish Oil

Finally, a formula that’s designed with curly hair in mind! No hair type is immune from damage and breakage. While you’re at it, massage a little bit of this nourishing oil into your skin for some extra nutrients and moisture. That’s the best part about this product — it’s a multitasker, good as a pre-wash treatment, self-care body ritual, styling tool, scalp soother, and split ends fixer.

To provide all of these benefits, Rizos Curls has put together a blend of 100% essential oils, including the following:

• Grapefruit Oil: Comes to the rescue when you’re having scalp issues that are causing damage. Kicks excess sebum to the curb while nourishing your hair follicles for better, healthier growth

• Orange Oil: Provides a hefty dose of vitamin C, containing lots of antioxidants to ward off damage. Can also treat an irritated or dry scalp

• Carrot Seed Oil: Is a conditioning treatment that also helps seal up split ends and improve hair’s texture, making it softer and shinier

• Moringa Oil: Gets keratin production going for stronger hair and nourishes with fatty acids and important vitamins

• Safflower Oil: Protects hair from damage caused by UV rays and other environmental stressors, and stimulates hair growth

• Sunflower Oil: Forms a protective layer around each hair to seal in moisture and protect each strand from breakage

11. Oribe Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil

A few drops of this hair oil and you’re golden — pardon the pun. That’s because the opulent formula contains a bunch of unique natural oils that revive tired, dull, and damaged hair. There is so much nourishment in this oil that it can remake any kind of hair, including color-treated. Plus, the bottle looks fancy, making you feel as though you had a little hair stylist on your bathroom shelf.

The secret behind this fan-favorite oil? It’s all in the ingredient list:

• Watermelon Seed Oil: Gives your hair plenty of water and promotes hair growth due to the presence of important nutrients

• Meadowfoam Seed Oil: Combats brittleness and turns dull hair glossy. Also contributes to a silky smooth head of hair

• Lychee Fruit Extract: Tackles damage in the follicles for healthier, stronger, and more resilient hair, helping you avoid future damage while treating current damage

• Edelweiss Flower: Prevents hair loss, giving you relief from thinning while also protecting the skin from environmental aggressors

• Jasmine Oil: Calms irritation and swelling, hydrates, and encourages hair growth

• Cassis Seed Oil: Leads to luscious hair thanks to its ability to stop irritation and protect hair from damage

• Sandalwood Extract: Acts as an astringent that can treat dandruff or an oily scalp, helping hair grow thick and strong from its origins

• Shea Butter: Is blessed with all kinds of fatty acids to hydrate hair and reinforce it against damage

• Black Currant Seed Oil. Fights inflammation and makes brittle hair stronger so you can avoid unnecessary breakage

12. Briogeo’s Don’t Despair, Repair! Strengthening Treatment Oil

Weak hair is more prone to breakage, which is why your first step in the fight against damaged hair is bringing in reinforcements. This strengthening oil is just that and has been shown to repair up to 88% of damage in only two uses. Those with dry, damaged hair will get the most out of it, whether they have straight, wavy, curly, or coily locks.

Don’t Despair, Repair! is brought to you via a clean formula that has everything you need to fortify your hair:

• Rose Flower Oil: Comes with anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and emollient properties to clear up any hair issues and leave moisture in its place

• Castor Oil: To moisturize, cut down on dandruff, and support abundant hair growth

• Strawberry Seed Oil: Provides a dose of antioxidants and repairs damaged hair without any heaviness or greasiness

• Undaria Pinnatifida Extract: Is an algae extract that is enriched with all kinds of essential nutrients that lead to healthy hair

• Panthenol: Seals off the cuticles of your hair, drawing moisture into the strands for greater hydration and volume

• Rosa Canina Fruit Oil: Provides therapeutic benefits like repairing damaged ends and healing irritated scalps

• Hyaluronic Acid: Is a super hydrator, ensuring moisture throughout so that no frizz can sneak into your hair

13. Ranavat Might Majesty Fortifying Hair Serum

This best hair oil for damaged hair is a cult favorite product, which your damaged hair will just drink up. A short list of premium, organic essential oils is all it takes for this serum to strengthen your hair, mending old damage and preventing breakage. Ranavat’s formula is so popular it’s won numerous, well-deserved beauty awards!

Here is the simple ingredient list behind the star product:

• Organic Sunflower Oil: Administers a dose of highly effective nutrients for thicker, more hydrated, repaired hair

• Organic Jasmine Oil: Encourages cell regeneration for rapid healing and promotes lasting moisture

• Organic Amla Extract: Brings lots of fatty acids to the table for thicker, plumper hair

14. Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil

You’ll barely know you’ve applied anything to your hair after each use of this invisible oil — that’s how light it is. But once it dissolves into your hair, you’ll see enough benefits to remember you used hair oil today. Trust us. This award-winning oil from Bumble and Bumble protects while repairing and making styling a breeze.

This paraben-free, no-phthalate formula contains the following botanicals:

• Grape Seed Extract: Moisturizes deeply and seals in water, enhances your hair’s natural glow, and protects hair from damage caused by high heat

• Macadamia Seed Oil: Calms frizz, tangles, dullness, and damage, leaving hair more vibrant

• Olive Oil: Alleviates dryness to cut down on damage and adds volume

• Squalane: Coats each fiber for a plumper, shinier look