Editor’s Note: This list is SUBJECTIVE and based on the experience of the author. It serves as an EXAMPLE of how to critically assess products in your hair regimen.
By Jc of The Natural Haven Bloom
In general, having many products (product junkies) many of which you do not use is not encouraged. However, without trying several products, you may not find what really works for you. My rule is to buy small sample pots whenever possible, this allows you to have enough to test and little to waste. Over the years, I have used many oil and many oil combinations. I have loved some, felt indifferent to others and outright hated some. In the end by trying out these out I have ended up knowing which oils work for me and those that do not. Here is my grading system:
Coconut oil – A
Did you guess the top grade would go to coconut oil? I did not really start using coconut oil until about 3–4 years ago when I read scientific papers on how useful it could be (prevention of hair breakage). It remains my permanent favourite for everything from pre wash treatments to the final step in moisturising. Some people do not like the coconut scent but I love it. I also like light and easy to spread oils as my hair is fine strandwise but plentiful. Coconut oil fits the bill as it melts easily and not much is required.
Jojoba oil – A-
Jojoba oil is another favourite given. It is actually a liquid wax and it is actually easier to apply than coconut oil. It is slightly more viscous, which means that it is easier to spread over a strand as one column. This makes it quite useful for the ‘sealing’ step in moisturising. I do not purchase it anymore as I have streamlined my purchases but would do so if I could not find coconut oil.
Avocado butter – A-
This oil is remarkably similar to coconut oil. It is normally solid at room temperature but melts easily in your hand. It is slightly heavier than coconut oil but is not particularly greasy. The main differences are that it generally does not have a strong scent and it has a very pale green colour. This butter is often assumed to have the same protective properties of coconut oil. Although there is no firm evidence, I do think that they do behave in a similar way. The reason for the lower grade is because it is a speciality product and is harder to find.
Shea butter (processed) – B+
I like white processed shea butter mainly because it does not have a nutty smell. It is a heavy butter for my hair and I only use it in combination with coconut oil. I find it greasy and hard to spread on its own. It requires a lot of fiddling so I do not purchase it anymore but it does work well enough, in the event that I cannot find my favourites.
Olive oil – B
Although I like light and easy to spread oils, olive oil is not one my favourites. I found that it has a tendency to cause my scalp to flake and it is not that effective for sealing hair as it has a tendency to rub off hair. Many naturals use olive oil because it is widely available and generally cheaper than other oils. If it worked better for me, I would select it too for those reasons but it does not. I would use olive oil if I ran out of oil or was away from home and had to improvise.
Shea butter (raw) – C
Raw shea butter is similar property wise to avocado butter in my opinion but it has a very strong nutty scent. Personally, the scent of raw shea butter is really off putting even though it does fade away after an hour or so. I have never repurchased it as a result even though it was the only butter/oil that had a softening effect on my hair.
Castor Oil — D
Castor oil is a huge favourite for many naturals. Many love the thickness of the oil but it is actually this property that makes it difficult to love for me. I like light spreadable oils and castor oil is the antithesis of this. I adjusted to using a small amount and applying it on wet hair but this did not work for me either as after the hair dried, it still felt sticky.
Mango butter, Coffee butter and Cocoa butter – D
I purchased these butters simply because I liked the sound of them. Coffee butter and Cocoa butter both have enchanting scents but mango butter is much more subtle. However, all of these really did nothing for my hair. I found them all to be quite greasy, overly shiny on hair and it took effort to spread evenly. Interestingly though, they do work quite nicely on legs despite failing on my hair. To finish the jars I would combine them with coconut oil which helped to get over the heaviness of the indivual butters.
Sunflower Oil, Mineral Oil and Silicone Serums – E
Although these three oils get a failing grade, they only do so because I do not use any heat on my hair. If I used heat I would consider silicone serums for protection prior to heat application and mineral oil to help with resisting humidity afterwards. For normal regular washing, conditioning and moisturising, I do not rate any of these oils highly.
Ladies, what would your list look like? Which are your most and least favorite oils and butters?
my hair hates coconut oil, it never fails to make it dry and brittle, no matter how much I use and unfortunately it’s in almost every product marketed towards naturals. I had consistently dry brittle hair for months because I didn’t accept the fact that coconut oil (among other things) wasn’t doing it despite what I heard about it all the time. Jojoba oil does nothing for my hair but it’s nice for the skin. My hair likes EVOO and Grapeseed oils but not for sealing. They have to be mixed with heavier butters like shea butter and mango butter which my… Read more »
I co-sign your thoughts on coconut oil. I never leave it on my hair, especially by itself. I do use it as a pre-poo though for all the other benefits. I like olive oil as well.…just bought grapeseed oil recently- I look forward to giving it a try.
Avocado butter and oil are fantastic. I make a mango, avocado & oils mix that works great for those days when my hair is like a dessert.
My strands are medium to fine, with plenty of them, so heavier products like Shea butter and castor oil don’t work for me at all.
My hair also hates coconut oil. I’ve been using EVOO recently and will try Grape seed oil. I like refined shea butter on my ends. Castor Oil is ok near my scalp but is too sticky for the rest of my hair.
+1 on the coconut oil. My hair just isn’t down with it
I couln’t understand why my hair was dry and brittle either. Coconut oil, shea butter, castor oil, EVOO, cocoa butter are too heavy for my hair. Whereas mango butter, grapeseed, sunflower, sweet almond oil are just great. Goes to show all heads are indeed different.
Wow. I thought I was the one with the issue,until I read your comments. My hair does horribly with coconut oil. It stands on top and makes it dry/crunchy. However, cocoa butter,almond and olive oil do wonders.
I use coconut oil regularly. I have used it to make blends, but now use it directly. I wonder if the discussion of these oils means pure, raw, organic, cold pressed or what is found on the common store shelf. It is very dry here, so I used shea butter last night before bed. Today my hair feels softer. I love amla oil. It is generally in a blend and found at Indian (SE Asian) stores. When purchasing pure cold pressed oils, there are likely to be essential oils available as well. It is easy to soften butters and add your… Read more »
I guess this is proof that products work differently on everyone’s hair. My hair hates coconut oil but it loves Olive Olil, raw shea butter, and Castor Oil. My hair type if 4b and it reached bra strap length with these products.
I totally agree with you, depending if your curls/coils are course or fine your hair may react diffently to certain oils. My hair(4a, 4b, and 4c) adores olive oil, black castor oil, and one that was left off the list grapeseed oil. I have tried coconut oil and I just never could get into it I guess I will give it another try.
I have to agree with you…my hair does not like coconut oil. I tried using it for like two weeks and my hair just wasn’t moisturized enough for me. On the other hand my hair loves EVOO, tea tree oil, castor oil, and raw shea butter. Those are four things that must remain on hand at all times for my hair to act right 🙂
Grapeseed oil is great! It is similar to Olive Oil but without the scent and not as heavy.
what do u think of grape seed oil???
+1
I love using grapeseed oil. I use it after I wash to seal moisture in. I only use olive oil if I’m out of grapeseed oil.
Grapeseed oil is also very good for the skin. It keeps the skin moisturized without being heavy or greasy. I am very pleased with it because my skin is very sensitive and easily breaks out but I have had great results with grapeseed oil. I will eventually add some to my shea butter to see how my hair likes it as well!!
I use grade seed oil as a heat protectant for when I do tension blow-outs.
I am not too fond of coconut oil… I now just use it as a pre poo. My knight in shining armor is Castor Oil… used in moderation. Castor oil aided in growing my edges back and then some. Also, (you all are gonna faint), but I have used Castor Oil on my face at night to moisturize my face, which is is generally oily. Lemme tell ya that this stuff made my face clear as a bell, not a blemish to be seen! It didn’t make my skin extra oily.. I just washed my face in the morning, put… Read more »
No fainting here! Castor oil and avocado oil are magnificent on my super oily skin. I’ve had great results and a lot of others on skincare boards I frequent really like them for blemishes or as a daily or nightly moisturizer as well. I wet my face and add either one, I’m using Tropic Isle’s JBCO right now.
Meant to add that both are great oil cleansers for me as well.
Wow, I will have to try this!
I’ve also used Castor Oil on my face at night, I wiped off the excess with a warm rag.
Rosehip seed oil does what castor oil does for you. That stuff is like liquid gold for skin…
I just bought some yesterday! I heard it works great on acne scars. My skin is looking really fresh already:)
Yes it’s amazing for fading scars, evening skintone and plumping the skin (it proven to help promote collagen and elasticity in skin). It will literally give you flawless skin if used consistently. I don’t know why more people don’t know about it. Anyway, it’s extremely rich so if you are prone to acne, I recommend not using it everyday. My mom who never gets acne or skin bumps used it everyday without ever using a mask like bentonite clay and developed bumps under her skin about a month later. I am very prone to tiny bumps and acne although i have dry… Read more »
Thanks for the tips df! It’s very nice of you. I will use it with moderation since I get a few pimples every now and then. I will also mix it with a few drops of tea tree oil, it really helps to prevent bumps. And I will definitely give bentonite clay a try. Thanks again!
Her grades pretty much match mine. Coconut oil is my absolute go-to. Olive oil is okay, but I don’t care too much for the smell. I know its not strong, but I SWEAR I can smell it when I use it on my hair. Shea butter is hit or miss depending how it’s prepared. I like it better “soft” and already prepared. When its made from its raw state it tended to leave little particles in my hair. No bueno. Castor oil, avacado butter, etc. haven’t tried it yet. Jojoba oil is ok but usually I mix it with other oils I’m using.… Read more »
You are so right about shea butter. If its too rough it doesnt saturate my hair and there are def ‘particles’…lol. For real for real silicones and mineral oils aren’t that bad. I’ve used both and they’ve done better for me than products that natural rave about. I’m trying to curb my pjism and use all the stock of products I currently have before I buy more (and I have a long way to go).…However (lol) I do need to invest in some oils as team natural always proclaims the benefits of them. And I want to start doing hot oil… Read more »
Indeed! I always hot-oil treat (or pre-poo, whatever) my hair with coconut oil before I wash.
I oil cleanse with castor oil too, though I think you’re supposed to mix it with a carrier oil. WOnderful. My skin is dry, but my greasier skinned friends have found it really works too.
I like coconut oil but my favorite oil is castor oil. My hair is thick so I need something thick to tame my hair. I use it as a hot oil treatment, seal the moisture after dampening my curls a little bit and I even use it to detangle and retwist my hair. It makes my hair supersoft. At first I thought I couldn’t use heavy oils because EVOO use to break me out but castor oil has not done that. My mother also shared with me that they use to use it back in the day. I’ve even heard… Read more »
“… People use to drink it for home remedies (I know crazy).” Not where I’m from, it ain’t! I went to a boarding school for children with visual impairment, while my siblings went to public school, but when it comes to castor as a cold remedy, we all have a very similar story of being made to drink it by the adults who had charge over us. In their case, our mother’s youngest sister used to force it on my sibs when our circuit-preaching parents went on weekly out-of-town (sometimes out-of-state and even out-of-country) revivals and left them in her care.… Read more »
Yeah my mom use to take castor oil when she was younger it has a laxative effect.
It’s been long used in the south, people fear and respect the awesome power of castor oil. It’s a great laxative and detox but.…stay close to home 🙂
#1,hands down- Coconut oil, Sonnie drinks this up like it’s nothing.
#2- EVOO
#3- jojoba oil
any straight thick butters or oils has my hair feeling oily,sticky and looking limp. I like to usually melt or mix with above named oils and do a scalp massage or a hot oil treatment.
It seems to me that my hair doesnt like coconut oil by itself. Though i do use it to mix with my raw shea butter and its then a good moisturizer. I find that my hair stay moisturized well i
apply my cantu leave in
mixture of raw shea butter and coconut oil
and then seal it with my castor oil all on wet hair…
ive never seen so much improvement in my life.
my hair is 4a.
I use Argan oil and love it! I wonder how that would rank. It was left off the list…
Me too! I was surprised it was not on the list! O_o
Same here! Argan oil is great for my hair!
I haven’t add any issues with coconut oil. I’m now trying castor oil. My hair strands are also thin, but I have a looooooooooooooooottt of hair (can’t put it in a ponytail if it’s dry). I mixed the castor oil with jojoba oil to lighten it up. I don’t like the thickness in my hands, but once I took out my twists, my hair didn’t feel greasy. I’m trying to base my purchases on what I need, which is some shine/sheen, moisture, strength, and no flyaways.
OMG! I love that you said “can’t put it in a ponytail if it’s dry.” I thought I was the only person who had A TON of fine strands that nonetheless can’t be gathered into a ponytail if dry. If I try to pony my hair, only the back will stay gathered. The front poofs out immediately and simply won’t be contained!
I for one looooove coconut oil, but mostly in the winter when its more of a solid than a liquid.
I love castor oil.
I’d love to try avocado oil, but at this point there is really no need to invest in more oils/products.
Raw shea butter is a personal no for me. did not a thing for me.
I despise olive oil, it makes my hair feel oily, brittle and gritty.
Love the Coconut Oil. Grapeseed made my hair oily, Castor oil is too sticky and Evoo, I couldn’t get into. I’ve read that Coconut Oil shouldn’t be used in harsh weather, like winter, have any of you found this too be true?
This is my rating: coconut oil (A), avocado oil (A+), castor oil (A), jojoba oil (B), olive oil (B), almond oil (B), shea butter ©, wheatgerm oil (A-), and monoi oil (A-). I mostly like shea butter on my body, not my hair, unless it is mix with lighter oils to reduce the greasy feeling. I love silicone in my rinse-out conditioners for added slip, but it is not always a necessity. Additionally, I like a little mineral oil when rocking two-strand twists because it helps to keep my scalp and hair moisturized for a long time, as opposed to… Read more »
You know whats funny, I had some two-strand twists unravel at work, and the only thing I had on hand to seal it together was Vaseline — I had to do what I had to do! But I noticed my twists stayed softer longer, and it kept the twists together! Still wouldn’t use it on the daily, but just an observement.
While this article was informative, I am not convinced to use coconut oil again because of prior experiences. Someone brought a bottle for me from Trinidad — and I all but gagged as I left in my car for a few days. Let’s just say the scent over powered the air refreshener.
I too would like to know grapeseed’s rank. I have been using it since Feb ’11 and my hair loves it.
Coconut oil earns an A+ for pre-poo’ing and adding to my hair before applying gel. It leaves my hair well moisturized and sheen‑y. Castor oil is earns an A+ for sealing (ends and edges) and pre-poo’s when mixed with aloe vera gel. It makes my hair feel super soft and supple. – Jojoba oil smells funny, feels funny and doesn’t do much for my hair. The price is not great as well. Olive oil is too fragrant and doesn’t leave my hair as soft in pre-poo’s(especially as compared to coconut oil and castor oil). Unrefined/raw shea butter (and shea butter mixes)… Read more »
co-sign.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.…ALL OILS ARE THE SAME TO ME…don’t see a difference. what makes the difference for me is the leave-in/moisturizer I use.
Olive and coconut oils are my favorites. Avocado oil is fine; but, it’s too heavy.
Also, my hair detests shea butter alone.
My hair does NOT like coconut oil it smells nice but does nothing for my hair but my go-to is definitely shea butter it makes my hair soft and manageable after washing and I can always put in a different oil just for the scent so coconut is great for that
My hair is starting to hate coconut oil..which sucks because just a few months ago, it LOVED it!! 🙁
coconut would get a A- for me. i only use it to finger detangle and prepoo. gives me good slip. i can’t use it daily or to seal. makes my hair hard if i use it everyday. grapeseed and sunflower get an A for me. grapeseed is light and i can use it on my face as well. sunflower oil is a ceramide. using this oil has really changed my hair for the better. jojoba and olive oil get a B+. i like to add them to stuff (both hair and body). olive oil is readily available. blk castor oil… Read more »
A+ for castor oil in my book!(It’s makes my hair soft and although it seems to define my natural pattern it isn’t good for a style that I want to set such as a twistout bc my own pattern would dominate, due the moisture that seems to just be drawn to my hair. It works great for most of my day to day styles though because my hair is generally pinned up or in twists.:) My second fav would be olive oil(makes my hair sparkle and seemed to work like a decent leave-in conditioner if used lightly after washing when… Read more »
Nothing beats castor oil.…nothing especially if you have thick hair thats prone to dryness.
Ive tried them all and i have to agree that for my spongy, thick stranded, dense, type 4 hair, nothing beats castor oil. It keeps my hair soft and i don’t need very much. I do lots of wash and go and mix a bit of sunflower oil into my castor oil to use as a sealant. I absolutely swear by it. My hair just gets thicker and thicker. Lol i use coconut oil at night before my wash and gos and castor in the day. Perfection! On the other hand Shea Butter gets the thumbs down for anything but… Read more »
I use a mix of jojoba, olive and avocado oil as a pre-poo or hot oil treatment. I take room temp raw shea butter and add the aforementioned 3 oils to it then whip it with a mixer. this makes a really fluffy textured concoction that i use to seal in moisture every other day. It’s more “whipped” than “butter”. But it works, and I can make large batches of it at a time. It’s pretty funny, because I was convinced that my hair didn’t like butters. But it likes “Whips”, lol. Also, It hates coconut oil point blank period.… Read more »
jojoba oil — A+ my hair and skin love it. if i could buy only one oil, this would be it. argan oil — A just as great as jojoba oil, but it’s so expensive shea butter — A- great for my hair and skin, but needs to be whipped or emulsified in hand before applying. coconut oil — B great for pre-poo treatment but too greasy for leaving in my hair, and my skin/scalp doesn’t really like it castor oil — B i can’t use by itself, because it’s too thick and sticky. but when added to jojoba oil gives my hair a nice shine olive oil… Read more »
My hair agrees w/your list
Oils I’ll keep on buying : - Kukui oil(A+), very light I use it mixed with my oil infusion to seal, the only bad side is it’s a highly sensible oil :s but I like it — Olive oil (A)( and grapeseed (A+)are carrier oil for oil infusion since I haven’t grapeseed oil I’ll try with another one to see how it goes and if it’s not great I’ll re-purchase it. — Avocado oil (A), to pre-poo or to seal mixed with other — Castor oil (B) I have to cut it with lighter oils but good to pre-poo — Shea butter (A)… Read more »
My 5month old son’s hair loves 2/3 coconut oil + 1/3 castor oil. And my scalp absolutely loves that mix.its just moderate.not too heavy or light. I don’t use either oil alone cos one’s too light(coconut oil) and the other’s too heavy(castor oil). I’d rather use shea butter for my skin than for hair though,its amazing especially for baby’s skin.its what’s recommended here for babies.don’t worry about ur babys skin peeling or diaper rash,its just MAGIC. Its too heavy to spread except I mix with a lighter oil like soy oil/sunflower oil. Cocoa butter is just too greasy for my… Read more »
Apricot kernel oil has become one of my faves. It’s similar in composition to olive oil, but doesn’t penetrate and not as heavy. For me it’s a good alternative to castor oil (sealing) in the warmer months when hair isn’t subjected to cold weather.
Simplicity at best for me.
1. EVCO — my hair thrives with it — prepoo; sealing
2. EVOO — my hair likes this too — use it in my DC
3. Castor Oil — I dab this in areas where my scalp is sore — healing properties.
That’s it.
My hair (3c/4b/4c) loves coconut oil. But I hate the smell.
Man…deceived by the title! I thought I was going to learn something about these oils/ butters. Not quite a list in order of “effectiveness”…more like a list in order of “preference.”
She clearly stated it was order of effectiveness for her. There are a ton of articles all over the net on the properties and general uses of these oils. Stop waiting to be fed all pieces of information.
As you can see from the comments, articles like these are great because they get people to evaluate and share what they use on their hair and why. A general listing of an oil’s properties would not do that for you.
YIKES!!! Did I just get chastised on the web??? IIIII clearly stated I was deceived by the TITLE! I know how to read, and yes, I did see INSIDE the article that it was listed in order of effectiveness for HER…which by the way is the same as preference…
She got me too lol. But I think there’s another article on this site that describes their properties. Same picture, I think.
Grapeseed, Meadowfoam seed, Rice Bran, Argan — A+ [light, spreads well, shine, no greasy residue, seals well]
Sweet Almond Oil, Coconut (pre-poo or mixes) — A [lightish, spreads well]
Jojoba, Avocado, Safflower — B [a bit to thick and tends towards greasy hair]
Olive, Sunflower, Hempseed, shea butter/any straight butter — C [greasy, hate the smell of most of them, weighed down hair]
Coconut oil (alone) — D [can work okay depending on the weather, but once it comes in contact with my skin, my skin goes crazy]
I disagree. OLIVE OIL should be number 1 then jojoba & so on..Coconut oil didn’t do jack for me, however olive oil never fails me.
I disagree almost completely with the list, Castor oil is #1 in my book, it thickens the hair and although it is heavy it works wonderfully on fine hair(it also protects fine hair from breaking). Castor oil is the one prodcut I cant live with out. Coconut oil for me serves no purpose because its too thin and doesnt “seal” enough. I have some currently but I do not plan to purchase it again.
This list truly shows everyone’s hair and natural experience is different.
I agree with the castor oil protecting fine hair. My hair loves it and it makes my hair grow in SO thick!
Here’s my list: Unrefined Shea Butter- A+ : I love the nutty scent and find that it’s a great moisturizer for my face (doesn’t cause breakouts!), body and hair. I usually keep a small jar with me when I’m out to refresh my ends with a bit of water. Paired with coconut oil, it makes for the perfect hair and body butter. Virgin Coconut Oil- A : I love the coconut scent and find that it works well for my hair and body. I don’t like to use it by itself on my hair except as a pre-poo but occassionally, I… Read more »
Our grades do not match at all! I love Castor Oil & Raw Shea Butter. Give me those 2 and some water and I can go a long way on those two products alone!
I love Grapeseed oil for my 3b hair and for my daughter’s 3c/4b hair! I use safflower oil for our hair as well. These two are awesome these oils together keeps our hair shiny and it is weightless. Our second day curls are always full of bounce and it’s not greasy- I love it for us (-: I use EVOO for pre-pooing days for the both of us. I apply it to the ends of the hair so they don’t get brittle after shampooing — since it sits on the hair.I haven’t tried coconut oil yet but I will be… Read more »
* I use EVOO shampooing days as a prepoo
I’m glad this list is subjective…because it doesn’t work for me (and many other naturals that I know) at all.
Olive oil “works” for my hair…but my scalp is allergic…
I put sunflower oil in my hair and all my beautiful relaxed hair and my became very dry and weak. I had bad breakage! I learned it in was in my creme of nature shampoo and my mint oil. Smh
I love them all,but using castor for my hair and Jojoba for my skin.Thats my combo 😉 I get all my oils and beauty products on iherb.Com You can also use reward code ZQL811 and checkout and get $10 discount on your first purchase.Check it out girls 😉
Coconut is LIFE! I use it on my hair, face and body. I cook IN it and use it as a primary ingredient in baked goods. I use it in sugar scrubs. I take a teaspoon lately for health benefits. It’s incredible stuff. The brand pictured in this article is awesome. But on Amazon.com its pretty expensive. I priced it yesterday at over $10. Then decided to try Trader Joe’s where I picked up the same 16oz jar for 6.00.
I definitely love coconut oil. It helps keep my hair soft and shiny. I also tried avocado oil and I do like it for keeping the moisturize in my hair as well as it’s “sunscreen” properties. But, since it’s a bit heavy, it’s best for the cooler months. As for castor oil, regular castor oil is a waste; however, Jamaican black castor oil is the business and my edges thank me for it. However, I used to love olive oil. But, I haven’t gotten much out of it when compared to the aforementioned oils. So, it’s staying in the background for… Read more »
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I like all the butters except the shea too heavy for my hair never heard of the coffee butter emu oil wont use any more come from the emu bird
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I use olive,pure coconut, argan as a combo, shea is also great
prada ??? ??
I love castor oil on my edges, and I mix castor and coconut oil for a dc once a week. Either applied outside of that give me issues. Jojoba is nice and light. Those are they only three oils I use on my hair, and my hair is relaxed, color treated, and happy x
Shea Butter is a staple. Never changing that. Always worked well for me. A little goes a long way. The key is to not be heavy-handed with it.
Coconut oil is great too. Learning how to use it lightly and not pack it on as well.
For me,
Shea Butter A+
Castor Oil A
Coconut Oil A+
I found that JBCO is way to heavy and greasy! I like to put olive oil in my shampoo and coconut or jojoba oil in my conditioner. I also use a mix of eucalyptus oil and rosemary oil in some Hawaiin Silky moisturizer on my scalp every night and especially when I’m wearing a sew-in because it is great for itching.
Meh… for me:
Argan Oil & Apricot Oil Mix = A+
Apricot Oil (alone) = A+
Argan Oil (alone) = A
Jojoba Oil = A
Avocado Oil = A
Coconut Oil = A-/B+
Shea Butter = C
Olive Oil = D
Castor Oil = D
When I first went natural in June of 2010, I first used olive oil because it was so readily available, and over time, as my inner product junky flowered, I tried most of these other oils and butters at some point or another. In the past year I’ve gone back to EVOO because my hair loves it. Coconut oil feels like death on my hair and I can only use shea butter in another product, not my itself.
So, as stated this article is completely subjective and could have just said “use what works best for you.” Don’t see the point in this really.
what about palm oil??
Jojoba is the way the go for me. Even though my hair is short, my hair is also very thick. I flat iron my hair a lot, like 3–5 times a week because I have hair that can handle that, but coconut oil made my hair extremely flat afterwards. It had plenty of shine and was very soft, but I don’t want to lose my body. Jojoba is lighter than coconut oil, washes out well, and works GREAT when you co-wash. I also felt it actually penetrated my hair. Coconut oil felt like it just sat on top of it.… Read more »
Olive oil. A (I love it! Not too heavy, not too light)
Castor Oil B+ (Great for sealing ends and installing/ uninstalling twists but too heavy for general hair use)
Coconut Oil. B (Great pre-poo and oil rinse but the one I bought smells a bit funky)
Castor Oil Coconut Oil Combo. A (Works amazing for general hair use!)
Shea Butter. C (Okay for post wash, too heavy for day to day)
Coconut / Jojoba / Almond ‑A(s)-I switch out the almond and Jojoba, but never the Coconut.