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Home • Regimen • Scalp Care

Should You Oil Your Roots or Your Tips? This is How to Figure it Out!

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Should You Oil Your Roots or Your Tips? This is How to Figure it Out!
By NaturallyCurly · Published March 19, 2024

Curly hair tends to be more fragile than straight hair, as we know.

Of course, the solution is moisture. And what is the solution to getting that necessary moisture actually to stay in your hair shaft? Black gold, Texas tea, and oils!

Okay, no, please don’t put crude oil on your hair, but you get the point.

The benefits of oiling your hair are undeniable since it leaves hair silky, soft, hydrated, and stronger, depending on which oils you use in your regimen. However, where to apply the oil is often up for debate within the natural hair community. Aside from where to apply the oils, another matter of concern is how often. Let’s take a look at both of these concerns and more in greater detail.

Should I oil my tips or roots?

Should You Oil Your Roots or Your Tips? This is How to Figure it Out!

In all honesty, you should oil your roots and tips as a general practice. However, like most things with natural hair care, the key is to find what works for you as an individual. For instance, if you have a lot of sebum production, i.e., if your scalp is naturally oily, and that’s combined with long hair, you may find that you need less oil at the root level while your ends might be a little on the thirsty side.

If your scalp tends more toward drought than flooding, your hair’s overall dryness means you must oil your curls all over for the best moisture-sealing and softening results.

Some curlistas think that if they stick to oiling their roots alone, it will naturally make its way to the ends. And for those of us out here rocking the pixie cuts and the TWAs, that may very well be the case. However, for this approach to work with longer or more porous hair, you would need to load up on oil.

Unfortunately, “Too much of a good thing” is a high possibility.

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When you overload on oils, you can run into scalp issues such as irritation, clogged pores, or sebum imbalances. While sebum is meant to travel down the shaft of hair, if you’re not actively encouraging it downwards it hardly ever reaches the ends. Besides, how many curlies use a dry bristle brush to distribute our natural oils rather than a different style meant for damp detangling? Exactly. Go ahead and get that extra store-bought oil worked down your strands to keep the moisture locked in.

How often should I oil my hair?

Should You Oil Your Roots or Your Tips? This is How to Figure it Out!
Image Source: @diacobra

How often you need to oil your hair will depend on several factors. If you naturally produce a lot of oil, you may only need to oil your ends once a week. If you have lower sebum production, you may need to oil your roots and ends every couple of days. It will also depend on what type of oil you use since some are heavier or more penetrative than others.

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Castor oil, for instance, is a very heavy oil that’s great for the winter months! Grapeseed and avocado oils tend to hover around the medium side. Jojoba and almond oils are some of the lightest and most easily absorbed. And that’s not even beginning to get into the benefits of blends! The key is to watch how oily your hair is and how much buildup your scalp accumulates to find the right schedule for your oiling needs and ensure you’re reading ingredients.

Is there a right way to apply oil?

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While most people start at the roots and work their way to the ends, a better idea is to start at the ends and work your way up. This allows you to gauge dryness better regarding how far up the hair shaft you need to oil and whether or not you even need to oil at the root level.

Like anything in hair care, the key is to find whatever works for your curls. The best way to get great curls is to try a little of everything until you find what works. Oil is a necessary part of every curly routine, and with a little extra insight, you can master this aspect of curly care in no time!

Do you have any favorite oil curlies? Share your hair type and your oil of choice in the comments!

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Home • Curl Products • Ingredients

Decode Curly Hair Product Labels Like a Pro

Learn how to read hair product labels like a pro.
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Decode Curly Hair Product Labels Like a Pro
Beautician reading beauty product label
By Lindsay Wilson · Updated December 26, 2024

You finally decided to start your healthy curly hair journey with the Curly Girl Method. “Embrace my curls” or “Curly and proud,” you repeat to yourself. A few website clicks later, and you find products that are labeled “Sulfate and Silicone Free“. You take the plunge and purchase them without checking the ingredients because you trust the labels. Now you have $70 worth of hair product on its way. Recommendations continue to pop up on your social media feed, and $300 later, you still haven’t found what works for YOUR HAIR!

“You’ll just have to try it and see if it works for you!” or “This is all about trial and error!” others would gently say.

I am here to tell you that there is another way to choose your products instead of trying everything that is on the market. Understanding how to read ingredient lists has transformed my curly hair journey without decimating my bank balance!

“Sulfate-free” doesn’t always mean Sulfate-Free

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In the very early stages of my journey with the Curly Girl Method, I made these mistakes several times. A shampoo would have the label “Sulfate Free” at the front, and then later, I would have a hard time dealing with dryness and would finally see a Sulfate listed in the ingredients. From my experience over time, I came to understand that when advertisers label “Sulfate Free” at the very front, they are referring to one of the harshest Sulfates: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. However, this does not mean that the product is entirely free of Sulfates. On several occasions, I have found other drying Sulfates in the list, despite the “Sulfate Free” label.

Curly Girl-friendly ingredients to look for

Chemical ingredients in a hair gel

In the Curly Girl Method, we avoid harsh Sulfates and drying Alcohols (they dehydrate the hair), Silicones, Waxes, and Mineral Oils (they build up). As replacements, we look for ingredients that are mild, moisturizing, and soluble for curly hair in order to minimize dryness and foster better moisture retention.

If you are following the Curly Girl Method like me, look for cleansers that are mild for curls, such as:

  • Cocamidopropyl Betaine
  • Coco Betaine
  • Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
  • Lauryl Hydroxysultaine
  • Sodium Cocoamphoacetate or Sodium Lauroamphoacetate

Devacurl Low Poo Original , Olaplex NO. 3 and AG Care Balance Apple Cider Vinegar Sulfate-Free Shampoo because I co-wash, and these two also contain mild cleansers.

Not all alcohols are bad for curls. There are moisturizing alcohols in ingredient lists that are good for hair. Some examples are:

  • Lauryl alcohol
  • Cetyl alcohol
  • Myristyl alcohol
  • Stearyl alcohol
  • Cetearyl alcohol
  • Behenyl alcohol

You can read more about the differences in alcohols here.

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@tootilab

Replying to @user1618992746641 great question! It’s one of the most important characteristics of curly hair – when your hair gets very slippery thanks to the products you’ve applied! #curlyhair #curlyhairconditioner #curlyhairtips #curlyhairtiktok #curlyhairtipsandtricks #curlyhairtipsbeginners #curlyhairsecrets #curlytips #curlytipsandtricks

♬ original sound – Tootilab
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Slip is very helpful for detangling curls because it decreases friction. Silicones are used in traditional mainstream products to add slip and shine. The issue with Silicones is that they don’t penetrate the hair shaft to make it better and they also build up.

They are removable with Sulfates, but in turn, the frequent use of Sulfates dehydrates the hair. It becomes a vicious cycle. Soluble ingredients for lubrication, on the other hand, make the hair better over time. They also add shine and flexibility to curly hair. If you follow the Curly Girl Method like me, you can replace Silicones with soluble ingredients that are located near the top of the list, such as:

  • Behentrimonium Methosulfate
  • Behentrimonium Chloride
  • Dicetyldimonium Chloride
  • Distearyldimonium Chloride
  • Polyquaternium 55
  • Cetrimonium Bromide

I came to learn this helpful information from Wendy (a scientist) on the Hair Science-y Blog and Tonya Mckay here on NaturallyCurly.

Ingredient amounts in products

Decode Curly Hair Product Labels Like a Pro

The Natural Haven Bloom Blog has helped me to understand the importance of ingredient concentrations in products. For example, just because a product is advertised with an “Argan Oil” label doesn’t mean that this product has high amounts of this oil. When ingredients are listed, they appear in descending order, calculated by either mass or volume.

As a result, when we read lists, we should always focus on the first five ingredients because they are the main ingredients (in higher amounts). A product that is labeled “Argan Oil” may well have some Argan oil included in the list, but the amount should be the most important thing to look for. If Argan oil is included near the end of the list, the amount is very small and insignificant.

Allergic reactions to products

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If you have an allergy to a specific ingredient, relying only on front labels is likely to cause problems. Here I am sharing four steps that you can take to safeguard yourself:

  1. Read ingredient lists very carefully;
  2. Try a single new product at a time. This is helpful because if something unusual happens, you will know that the only difference in your routine is the brand-new product;
  3. Patch test the product on your skin before using it for the first time, even if you can’t spot any ingredients that are harmful to you: Apply a small amount of the product on a patch of skin that is located on the inner, lower arm. Rub it in and allow it to dry. Avoid washing the area for at least 24 hours and then watch for signs of a reaction;
  4. Observe closely how your scalp reacts after product application, even if the product has passed the first three steps above. If you notice a burning sensation, itching, redness, lumps or anything unusual on your scalp, you will know that this product isn’t suitable for you.

Always remember: If you happen to have a serious allergic reaction to a product, please seek medical attention immediately.

In summary, if you are looking for a product that is healthy for curls, focus on mild cleansers that won’t dehydrate your hair. Choose conditioners and styling products that have soluble ingredients for slip and elasticity. Reading ingredient lists is a good habit when caring for your curls and overall health. It also saves money and time. The more you practice, the easier it becomes.

Do you use the curly girl method when using products? Learn more about ingredients from Breaking New Ground: The Ingredients Behind The First Black Haircare Brands.

OUR EDITORS INDEPENDENTLY SELECT ALL PRODUCTS FEATURED ON NATURALLYCURLY. HOWEVER, WE MAY EARN AN AFFILIATE COMMISSION WHEN YOU BUY SOMETHING THROUGH OUR RETAIL LINKS.
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