There was a recent skincare trend going viral on TikTok where you would coat your face in Vaseline to prevent moisture loss, known as slugging.
While the app provides plentiful wild and wacky beauty hacks that tend to be debunked by experts, some can prove worth the hype and this one was generally praised by dermatologists for its hydration benefits.
But how does this apply to your hair? Well, you can do the same thing by simply switching out Vaseline for a hair oil.
Hair oiling dates back to ancient India where Ayurveda science has over 3,000 years of history in restoring, reviving and nourishing the locks by sealing in moisture and imparting the benefits of natural oils like jojoba, baobab or argan into the scalp and strands. Go one step further and massage into your scalp as you apply to boost circulation which will lead to growth.
Hair oil tends to be a multi-purpose product that will go a long way in your haircare routine. Depending on the formula, it can be used as an overnight treatment, a primer after hair washing, for defining styles or to revive a look for second-day lasting power.
Adam Reed, hairstylist and founder of ARKIVE explains, “Use a proper oil on wet hair and dry it into the hair, with a hair dryer or heated tool. That’s how you get the best benefit. Remember that less is more when it comes to oil, so start with one or two pumps, and work up if you feel your hair can take more nourishment.
“These can be applied when you are on holiday as the heat will help the oil penetrate the hair. I also love using this method to do a slicked-back, night-out look on my clients.”
Reed adds that all hair types can get on board: “I believe everyone and anybody should and can use a hair oil, whatever their hair type, it's just about finding one you like.”
Packed with nutrients and vitamins, they get to work counteracting dryness and dehydration, taming frizz, controlling flyaways, strengthening and preventing further damage from UV, pollution, heated tools and colouring.
Shop the best hair oils below
Gisou Honey Infused Hair Oil
Negin Mirsalehi, the founder of Gisou, comes from six generations of beekeepers. The brand’s entire range of honey-infused products is not only born out of generational expertise, but contains honey from Mirsalehi’s family bee garden.
Officially a cult-favourite product, Gisou’s Honey Infused Hair Oil can be used pre or post-styling to help rebuild and repair hair at the cuticle level. Never greasy and a powerful hydrator which is rich in antioxidants, vitamins and amino acids, your mane will never be shinier or more sumptuous.
Buy now £35.00, Cult Beauty
Augustinus Bader The Hair Oil
Augustinus Bader may have already dominated your skincare routine but now the brand is coming for your haircare too with this hair oil. The label has a long celebrity fan base that includes Jennifer Aniston, Victoria Beckham and more and is known for its use of a science-backed proprietary delivery system that ensures the potency of the nutrients and that it is brought to where it needs to go.
The luxurious addition to your bathroom cabinet is packed with nourishing oils like argan, pomegranate and baobab that have an instant effect on your locks, while also working long-term to seal split ends and provide deep conditioning.
The formula is quickly absorbed and can be used on wet or dry hair alike and at each stage of your routine - whether prime or post - to make it feel silky smooth and greasy-free.
Buy now £39.99, Augustinus Bader
Olaplex No.7 Bonding Oil
Olaplex is one of the most sought-after haircare brands on the market and the entire range has been created using the label’s signature and patented technology.
The oil, No7, is designed as one of the last steps in your haircare routine and as you may predict, follows the pre-wash treatments, No4. Shampoo, No.5 Conditioner, and No.6 Bond Smoother.
It can be used on all hair types to leave your locks feeling soft, glossy and most importantly, healthy. The weightless formula uses the bond-repairing technology that has converted hair stylists and customers around the world in order to strengthen the strands from within and prevent split ends, flyaways and frizz as well as boost colour. It will come particularly welcome for those with dry or dehydrated tresses. Use sparingly for best results.
Buy now £21.00, lookfantastic
Champo Weightless Hair Oil
Champo’s Weightless Hair Oil is unlike other oils on the market, apparent from its look alone. The almost clear texture is super lightweight, making it the ideal formula for those concerned about adding a potentially greasy product into their haircare routine. The naturally derived composition is a smooth, moisture boost that gives a healthy finish without overloading the locks, with no greasy residue included.
Use it as the last step in your routine, once your hair is dry, to tame flyaways - and less is always more. It’s free from silicones, preservatives and synthetic fragrances, has a vegan, cruelty-free composition and can be used by all hair types.
Buy now £28.00, Selfridges
Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Glossy Nourishing Anti-Frizz Hair Oil
This is a beautifully scented product that you will reach for time and time again just to be able to take in the addictive aroma. It comes from Sol de Janeiro, the brand behind the legendary Bum Bum Cream and has the same distinctive and heavenly vanilla, caramel and almond blend that will give you wafts throughout the day - especially when applied to wet hair.
Fragrance-aside, it’s also a really effective oil that nourishes the hair, reducing frizz and making it far more manageable. Whether you have coarse, thick locks, or fine strands, it offers a hydration hit using ingredients from the Amazon rainforest and a concoction of Brazilian oils. The latter brings antioxidants and vitamins that offer transformational effects for lacklustre locks. It also provides heat protection. Another formula where you need a very small amount.
Buy now £33.00, Cult Beauty
Living Proof No Frizz Vanishing Oil
When the humidity hits or your hair is suffering from thermal, chemical or environmental stress, frizz feels like a daily battle. Enter this oil from Living Proof which is not like many oils on the market.
In fact, it has an almost water-oil consistency that prevents hair from feeling or looking greasy when you run it through your locks. It is lightweight and won’t leave a residue but makes it feel a lot more controlled. It also helps to add definition to curly hair types as well as give brittle ends a new lease of life.
There are five different oils contained within but the formula is free from silicone. It has a very subtle fragrance that doesn’t hang around.
Buy now £35.00, lookfantastic
Charlotte Mensah Manketti Hair Oil
Manketti takes a starring role in the products from haircare hero Charlotte Mensah. The hairstylist behind the legendary Portobello Road studio has formulated her eponymous collection for afro, mixed and curly hair types where all are organic, natural and have a nod to sustainability in terms of sourcing. There’s also an emphasis on texture, fragrance and of course, results.
This oil can be used in several ways - either as a styling product to define curls or can be coated into the hair overnight to strengthen each strand as you doze. You’ll wake up to healthier, nourished locks that are frizz-free and shiny. This is also a godsend on dry and split ends to tie you over between salon appointments.
Buy now £52.00, Space NK
Kérastase Elixir Ultime L'Original Hair Oil
A favourite among professional hair stylists, if you like a multi-tasking product, this may be the one for you. Getting your hair products to work harder for you, this formula from Kérastase has become cult due to its ability to revive dull hair, leave shine, nourish and work in the capacity of a primer, mid-style or to bring it back to life between washes.
It will also tame frizz and can shield your strands against heat of up to 230oC. It has a lovely fragrance too with a cocktail of violet leaf, freesia and mandarin combined with a woody base.
Brittle ends be gone.
Buy now £27.50, lookfantastic
Oribe Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil
This botanical-powered product will infuse the nutrient-richness of argan oil, bergamot and cassis that work to condition the hair without weighing it down or adding additional hair washes to your existing routine. Fight against UV and environmental damage with the protective oil, while also strengthening against breakage and the typically harmful effect of heated styling tools.
While the formula gets to work, it also provides a pampering experience from the attractive bottle, to the luxurious feel of the oil itself. This is one you’ll want to display and it will last a while too as it just requires a small pump for even long hair.
Buy now £38.00, Space NK
Moroccanoil Treatment Original
Thirsty, dry locks have met their match in the form of Moroccanoil and the brand’s signature treatment. This oil has been a stalwart on Best Buy lists since its inception and there’s very good reason for that - quite simply, it works.
Lather it onto your hair overnight or while heading to the beach to give your strands the chance to soak up every bit of the goodness contained within the formulation. It uses argan oil that is rich in antioxidants and gives your hair that silky feel to the point where you’ll want to run your hands through all day.
While boosting radiance, it will also smooth flyaways, detangle and even speed up the amount of time it will take to do your traditional heated styling, which can only be a benefit for your time and the health of your hair.
Buy now £36.45, Amazon
Fable & Mane Pre-Wash Strengthening Treatment Hair Oil
Fable & Mane is the label bringing Indian wisdom into our haircare routines combining traditional plants with beautiful aromas. For enviable, mirror-like shine, opt for the brand’s Pre-Wash Strengthening Treatment Hair Oil.
This product incorporates the benefits of ashwagandha with a thickening effect that will be appreciated by those with finer locks among us. There’s the added bonus of dashmool within the formula too that will encourage growth by improving scalp circulation.
The scent is designed to make the daily, biweekly or weekly washing process an aromatherapeutic experience.
Buy now £34.00, Cult Beauty
Ouai Hair Oil
Lather this hair oil on for any second-day styling touch-ups, or post-hair wash for a dramatic and high-gloss finish. You only need a couple of drops teased into damp or dry locks to bring the hydration levels up a few notches, thereby calming frizz, sealing split ends and bringing vibrancy to colour.
It contains African galanga, argan, ama and Asian borage oils without any parabens and is entirely free from animal testing.
Buy now £26.00, Space NK
JVN Nourishing Shine Drops
While Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness only launched their eponymous range in the UK back in February 2022, it has quickly become the best-selling haircare brand at Space NK.
Honourable mention goes to the Instant Recovery Serum, a product so popular you’ll be hard-pressed to find it in stock, but the Nourishing Shine Drops deserve your attention too.
Packed with shine-giving properties, use it pre-blow dry as a styling product to fortify the stands or on your finished look (just mid-lengths to ends) to add hydration, minimise frizz and impart instant gloss without looking or feeling greasy. It also feels lightweight upon application so shouldn’t weigh it down, even if you have thinner locks. The vegan formula is free from nasties and instead, opt for hibiscus extract that is known to prevent colour fading. The delicate aroma is the gift that keeps on giving.
Buy now £23.00, Space NK
ARKIVE The Good Habit Hybrid Oil
Whether you lather this into your hair, treat yourself to a relaxing head massage or opt for an overnight treatment, this product will allow your strands to maximise the benefit of baobab and jojoba oils.
These oils are two of the most powerhouse ingredients when it comes to nourishment and will get you well on your way to achieving that high-shine mirrored look.
It is best applied to freshly washed damp hair and followed by brushing to ensure that each and every strand is coated in the formula.
Buy now £9.33, Boots
Larry King Hair Spoilt For Choice Hair Oil 30ml
Though Larry King’s Spoilt For Choice is marketed as a general hair oil, it’s a versatile formula that works for your beard too. A balanced blend of rosemary oil, jojoba oil and squalane, not only will it leave your whiskers in great condition but it will also smooth and tame flyaways and help you to style and shape them into position.
Once you’ve done your facial fuzz, you can use it as a hair mask or style finisher on your locks too. Tripe the uses, triple the fun.
Buy now £28.00, Cult Beauty
Leonor Greyl Huile Apaisante Hair Oil
Luxury French haircare label Leonor Greyl has the solve to soothe when scalp irritation occurs. The hair oil is brimming with nourishing ingredients like Brazil walnut oil that’s rich in antioxidants and omega 3 and 6 as well as being an anti-inflammatory. This component is set alongside organic carnella oil that is hydrating and protecting as well as eucalyptus extract that has a purifying effect.
Most importantly for dry scalps, the moisturising cocktail locks the hydration in by restoring the hydrolipidic film on the scalp. For added ease in application, it’s a rollerball tip so you can simply apply to the areas that need it most.
Buy now £30.00, Selfridges
