How to Apply Oil to Hair and Skin: 8 Natural Oils (To Always Have in Your Vanity)

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Wondering how to apply oil to hair and skin and which ones you should use? This post covers all the best oils you should alway have in your vanity.

Natural oils can be a life changing additive to your haircare and skincare routine. They add moisture that penetrate the skin layers and hair follicles to transform the dry and lackluster.

Not all oils are created equal though.

As someone whose hair and skin have always been on the drier side, I have dabbled in using many different oils. Some I loved while others not so much.

That’s why I am here to share with you how to apply oil to hair and skin as well as which ones you should be using.

If you were going to narrow it down to 7 oils you need in your vanity, these are the ones and why.

This post is all about how to apply oil to hair and skin.

How to Apply Oil to Hair and Skin

While most oils have multiple uses, not all oils should be applied in the same way. More specifically, some oils work better than others for certain uses. Not only this, some oils are liquid at room temp while others are solid.

Makeup Removal/Oil Cleansing

A great way to incorporate natural oils into your skincare routine is by using them to remove your makeup. My favorite types of oils to use for this are Rosehip oil and Marula oil.

What you do is put about a quarter size dollop of oil on your fingertips (these oils are typically packaged in a glass bottle with a dropper). Rub your fingertips together to warm the oil and then gently press them to your face and massage in circular motions. This loosens the makeup from your skin and you can then go in with a cotton round to wipe the residual makeup off.

When I use this technique I go in with a cleanser after to ensure all traces of my makeup are completely removed.

Lotion/Moisturizer

This is by far the most obvious and common use for natural oils. They are known for their moisturizing properties so what better way to use oils than to use them as a lotion replacement or skin moisturizer.

The best oil for an allover body moisturizer is definitely coconut oil. It usually comes in a large tub. Keep in mind, coconut oil is a solid at room temperature so you will have to scoop it out of the jar and rub it between your hands to melt it. Then you can generously massage it into your body to be left with super soft moisturized skin.

I especially love to use coconut oil as my daily moisturizer in the summer because it gives my legs a nice glow. It’s also great to use on the heels of your feet to prevent calluses and dry patches.

Natural oils are also great to use as a lightweight face moisturizer. When it comes to using oils on my face, I find that coconut oil is a little too thick for me. I like to stick with rosehip, marula, or argon oil.

Weekly Hair Mask/Conditioning Treatment

When talking about oils for hair, it’s important to keep in mind that not all oils are made up of molecules that are small enough to penetrate the hair follicle and in turn provide real moisture to hair.

According to Hair Growth Lab, the ones that actually have the ability to get into the hair shaft and moisture are coconut, avocado, and olive oil. So when I am choosing an oil to use as a hair mask I always aim to use one of those.

Since your scalp produces its own oil, you naturally have a higher concentration of oil on your scalp area. So, the hair closest to your scalp doesn’t need much additional oil. Instead, focus your efforts on the ends of your hair where it is naturally the most dry and thirsty.

Don’t worry about applying too much oil. Saturate your hair in oil and then put a shower cap on to retain the heat and hence help the oil penetrate better. I’m no scientist but I do know that heat is a catalyst and speeds up chemical reactions- so I figure it can’t hurt to add some heat to the mix.

You can use your blow dryer or invest in one of these handy dandy driers to sit under while you apply your weekly hair oil mask treatment. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes and then shampoo (twice) and condition. You will be left with super soft, moisturized hair!

Apply Oil to Nail Cuticles

An area of your skin that easily forgotten when it comes to oil application are your nail cuticles.

Nevertheless, this area is one that benefits greatly from oil application. Dry cuticles can have a negative impact on the overall appearance of your nails. Combat this by massaging a few drops of sweet almond or coconut oil into your nail bed and cuticles.

Do this weekly for best results!

Apply Oil to Hair to Stimulate Hair Growth

Castor oil is amazing for stimulating hair growth. You can massage it into your scalp, eyebrows, or apply it to your eyelashes. In my opinion, pure castor oil is too thick and goopy to use in any other way but it is extremely useful for promoting hair growth.

After lash extensions, my eyelashes were sparse and thin. But after applying castor oil to my lashes before bed for a couple of weeks I saw noticeable improvement in thickness.

Oils you need in your vanity:

What to Look For When Purchasing Natural Oils

High quality oils are more effective because they simply are more potent. When shopping for a quality oil, there are a few things to do to guarantee you are getting a good quality oil.

First, you want to aim for a product with the least amount of ingredients so that you know you are getting an oil in its purest and most potent form. Some indicators of this could be labels reading “cold pressed, ”single-ingredient,” “pure,” “certified organic,” or “unrefined.” When in doubt, look at the ingredients list on the back of the product.

Another way is to do your oil shopping at health food or vitamin stores. Grocery stores like Trader Joes, Whole Foods or Fresh Thyme have a great selection of natural oils. Same thing goes for vitamin stores such as Vitamin Shoppe.

If you want to order your oils from Amazon, I have linked the best ones I could find above.

Final Words on How to Apply Oil to Hair and Skin

Incorporating natural oils into your skin and hair care routines are a great way to not only improve your appearance but keep your skin and hair healthy.

Do you have a go-to oil that you can’t live without? Share in the comments below and be sure to check out these similar posts for more hair and skin related beauty tips!

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