The hair oil is, in our view, the most over-marketed and most under-explained hair product in the contemporary market. The marketing is, in most cases, focused on the ingredient — an argan, a coconut, a marula, a moroccan, a brazilian. The ingredient is, in our view, less important than the formulation. The formulation is, in our view, the work.
The hair oil is, in our view, also the hair product that the contemporary wearer is, on average, the most uncertain about. The wearer is, in most cases, unsure how much to apply. The wearer is, in most cases, unsure where to apply. The wearer is, in most cases, unsure when to apply. The wearer is, in most cases, also unsure whether to apply — the wearer is, in many cases, the wearer who, in 2026, has heard that oils are bad for the hair, in a way that the wearer is, in many cases, no longer able to evaluate.
The hair oil is, in our view, not bad for the hair. The hair oil is, in our view, the product that, properly chosen, properly applied, is the product that the contemporary hair most needs. The need is, in most cases, the need for shine. The shine is, in our view, what the hair oil is, finally, for.
We have, over the last three months, tried three new hair oils. We are writing them up because each of them, in a different way, does a thing that the other oils on the market do not do. The three oils are, on the whole, doing different work. The work, in each case, is the work of making the hair catch the light.
One — a weightless argan
The first oil is a weightless argan. The argan is, in formulation terms, an argan oil — an oil pressed from the kernels of the Argania spinosa, a tree native to Morocco. The argan oil has, in the last twenty years, become the most-marketed hair oil in the Western market. The argan oil has, in our view, become, in the contemporary market, synonymous with hair oil.
The weightless argan is, in formulation terms, doing a particular thing. The argan oil is, in most argan oils, a medium-weight oil — heavier than a silicone, lighter than a coconut. The argan oil, on most hair types, feels like an oil. The argan oil, on most hair types, looks like an oil.
The weightless argan is, in formulation terms, an argan oil that has been re-engineered to feel lighter. The re-engineering has, in most cases, been done by fractionation — the heavier fractions of the argan oil have been removed, leaving only the lightest. The re-engineering has also, in some formulations, been done by blending the argan oil with a small amount of a very light silicone, in a way that cuts the weight.
The weightless argan is, in our view, the oil for the fine hair. The fine hair is, in most cases, the hair that is, by default, too easily weighed down by a standard hair oil. The fine hair is, in most cases, the hair that the standard hair oil flattens. The weightless argan is, in our view, the oil that, on the fine hair, adds shine without adding weight. The added shine, on the fine hair, is, in our view, the most useful shine the fine hair can have.
The weightless argan is, in our view, also the oil for the humid day. The humid day is, in most cases, the day on which the standard hair oil swells the hair — the hair, on the humid day, frizzes. The weightless argan is, in most cases, the oil that, on the humid day, does not swell the hair. The non-swelling is, in our view, the most useful behaviour the oil can have on the humid day.
The weightless argan is, at $28, fairly mid-priced for a hair oil. The weightless argan is, in our view, the oil of the everyday.
Two — a heavy Indian oil
The second oil is a heavy Indian oil. The Indian oil is, in formulation terms, a traditional hair oil — a blend of coconut oil, sesame oil, and a small amount of a herbal extract, often amla or bhringraj. The Indian oil has, in the Western market, been, until recently, a niche product — available, mostly, at Indian grocery stores, used, mostly, by women of South Asian heritage.
The heavy Indian oil is, in our view, the oil for the thick, dark, often wavy hair. The thick hair is, in most cases, the hair that needs the weight. The thick hair is, in most cases, the hair that the weightless argan cannot nourish. The thick hair is, in most cases, the hair that, in our view, is under-served by the contemporary Western market.
The heavy Indian oil is, in formulation terms, doing a particular thing. The coconut oil is, in most cases, the penetrating oil — the coconut oil is, in most cases, the oil that absorbs into the hair shaft, rather than sitting on the surface. The sesame oil is, in most cases, the coating oil — the sesame oil is, in most cases, the oil that sits on the hair shaft, in a way that protects the hair. The amla or bhringraj is, in most cases, the traditional ingredient — the herbal that has, in the Ayurvedic tradition, been used for hair care for centuries.
The heavy Indian oil is, in our view, the oil that nourishes. The nourishment is, in our view, the work that the standard hair oil does not do. The standard hair oil is, in most cases, a surface product. The Indian oil is, in most cases, a deep product.
The heavy Indian oil is, in our view, also the oil for the scalp. The scalp, in most cases, is the part of the head that the standard hair oil avoids. The scalp, in most cases, is the part of the head that, in the Ayurvedic tradition, has been the primary site of the hair oil application. The scalp, in our view, is the part of the head that the contemporary hair care has, in the last twenty years, forgotten.
The heavy Indian oil is, at $18, fairly inexpensive for a hair oil. The heavy Indian oil is, in our view, the oil of the deep care.
Three — a silicone-spray hybrid
The third oil is a silicone-spray hybrid. The hybrid is, in formulation terms, a silicone emulsion — a water-based preparation, with a small amount of a heavy silicone (most often dimethicone, in some form), dispensed, in most cases, as a spray. The hybrid is, in our view, the most engineered of the three oils. The hybrid is also, in our view, the most useful of the three oils, in a particular way.
The silicone-spray hybrid is, in formulation terms, doing a particular thing. The silicone is, in most cases, the shine molecule — the silicone is, in most cases, the molecule that reflects the light. The water is, in most cases, the carrier — the water is, in most cases, the molecule that carries the silicone to the hair, in a way that distributes it evenly. The spray is, in most cases, the delivery — the spray is, in most case, the delivery that atomises the silicone into a fine mist, in a way that avoids the wet patch.
The silicone-spray hybrid is, in our view, the oil for the long hair. The long hair is, in most cases, the hair that needs the shine. The long hair is, in most cases, the hair that is, in most cases, under-served by the standard hair oil, because the standard hair oil does not distribute evenly on the long hair. The spray, in most cases, distributes evenly.
The silicone-spray hybrid is, in our view, also the oil for the quick application. The quick application is, in most cases, the application that the contemporary wearer needs — the contemporary wearer is, in most cases, the wearer who has, in the morning, two minutes for the hair oil. The spray, in most cases, is, in those two minutes, the only delivery that distributes evenly.
The silicone-spray hybrid is, at $24, fairly inexpensive for a hair oil. The silicone-spray hybrid is, in our view, the oil of the morning.
A note on the shine
The hair oil is, in our view, finally, the product that makes the hair catch the light. The shine is, in our view, the work that the hair oil is, finally, for. The shine is, in our view, also the work that the contemporary hair care market has, in the last twenty years, been most aggressive in trying to replace — with the silicone spray, with the gloss spray, with the light-reflecting finish. The replacements are, in most cases, surface products. The replacements are, in most cases, products that reflect the light without nourishing the hair.
The hair oil is, in our view, the product that does both. The hair oil is, in most cases, the product that reflects the light — in the way the silicone spray does. The hair oil is, in most cases, also the product that nourishes the hair — in the way the standard hair oil does. The hair oil is, in our view, the only product that does both.
The hair oil is, in our view, also the product that the contemporary wearer is, in 2026, most in need of. The wearer is, in 2026, the wearer who has, in many cases, been told that oils are bad. The wearer is, in 2026, the wearer who has, in many cases, been told that the hair does not need the oil. The wearer is, in 2026, the wearer who has, in many cases, forgotten the oil.
The forgetting is, in our view, a mistake. The oil is, in our view, what the hair has been waiting for. The oil is, in our view, what the hair is, finally, for.
The three oils named above are, in our view, three oils worth trying. The three oils are not, in most cases, all oils. The oil for the wearer’s hair is, in our view, one oil, chosen carefully, used sparingly, and applied to the right place, at the right time. The oil is, in our view, finally, the most personal hair product the wearer owns. The product is, finally, what the wearer makes of it. The making is, in our view, what the oil is for.