Lusting after smoother locks? These are the best hair oils of 2023 (2023)

The Kérastase hair oil has built up quite the fan base, and it’s easy to see why. The gorgeous golden packaging adds a little luxury to your everyday routine, and our tester is a sucker for boujee-looking bottles. But, of course, it’s what’s on the inside that really counts, and the elixir ultimate certainly doesn’t disappoint.

Hero ingredients include amla extract, camellia and argan oil which all help to strengthen strands, stimulate hair growth and even prevent premature pigment loss, meaning it works to keep grey hairs at bay. It also acts as a heat protector up to 230C, seals split ends and instantly adds shine while smoothing strands and fighting frizz.

Whether used on damp hair as a primer or dry hair as a finisher, the competition was close, but Kérastase kept the top spot as our favourite find.

At 50ml, this isn’t the smallest hair oil we’ve found, but housed in a plastic bottle with a twist-to-lock pump, it is perfect for travelling. Dubbed a hybrid hair oil, baobab and jojoba oils are rich in fatty acids, moisturising dry and weak strands and adding shine and strength at the same time.

The brand recommends applying a few drops to freshly washed damp hair, which our tester found added softness and made a hard-to-tame mane easier to style. And it can also be used on dry locks to fight frizz and flatten flyaways. But, in even better news, the brand is also a B corp meaning those conscious of where they buy their beauty products will be pleased.

Moroccanoil is one of the most famous hair oil brands around, building a strong reputation as the go-to solution for hard-to-tame manes. Working with the hero ingredient, argan oil – which comes from the argan tree native to Morocco, hence the name – it is thicker than the likes of coconut oil, jojoba oil or castor oil. So, although suitable for all hair types, it will work best for those with thicker, frizzier locks.

A little goes a long way, and the handy pump distributes the perfect amount, so long as you press it gently. Our tester loved using this on the ends of their hair, as argan oil works wonders to help heal split ends, moisturise strands and reduce breakage. And for a deeper treatment, we also worked it into the roots for an hour pre-washing to give our scalp some much-needed TLC too.

The first thing to note about this hair oil is that it is incredibly thick, meaning it’s best for those with coarse, curly or coily hair. Cupuaçu seed butter deeply conditions while active ingredients patauá oil, buriti fruit oil and pequi oil flood the hair with healthy fats fighting signs of breakage while adding shine and defining waves, curls and coils.

Our curly-haired tester found it made the most noticeable difference to hair health out of all of those we tried, but be sure to use it sparingly as there’s a fine line between glossy and greasy-looking strands. It even heats protects, making it a styling star for all occasions.

This hair oil instantly transported us to a tropical Island – so long as we closed our eyes and blocked out the sounds of the M25 – thanks to its sweet floral coconut scent, giving us a moment of peace on a stressful day. Named super shine, it does exactly what it says on the tin, transforming lacklustre locks into seriously shiny strands. Just be sure to use it very sparingly on the roots, lest you be left looking more greasy than glowing.

But, it isn’t only an aesthetic boosting oil, as argan oil – which is rich in essential fatty acids Omega-3, 6 and 9 – and jojoba oil work to strengthen strands and replenish the hair’s natural lipid content for healthier and stronger locks from the inside out. No parabens, sulphates or silicones are included, and it’s also suitable for vegans, so everyone can enjoy this one.

At just 25ml, this hair oil is another great option for on-the-go top-ups and travelling. In signature Aēsop packaging, the dark brown glass bottle fits perfectly with the rest of the brand’s apothecary vibe and has a similar botanical-like scent to boot. It is lightweight, so a little goes a long way, and our tester found just two to three drops was the perfect amount to quickly cover each strand. It didn’t cause the roots to become too greasy either, a definite plus for an everyday oil.

Borago officinalis seed oil is the key ingredient, working to restore strength and shine to brittle strands prone to breakage and a cocktail of other oils such as olive, avocado, jojoba, jasmine and grape, seal in moisture and make for softer, smoother strands. While we love this as an everyday oil for dry, damaged hair, it also works wonders on beard and moustache hair, making it a great all-rounder for everyone.

Founded by celebrity hairstylist to Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner, Jen Atkin, Ouai has racked up quite a loyal following of beauty buffs, and it’s easy to see why. Designed to fight frizz, seal split ends, repair damaged strands and protect from heat styling, this one hair oil has many functions, reducing your need for a whole host of products.

African galanga, argan, ama and Asian borage oils are the key ingredients, working to hydrate the hair, soothe scalps and restore strength and shine. Whether used on damp strands to aid with styling, loaded on as a hair mask overnight or sparingly smoothed through dry locks to add extra oomph, it’s a one-stop-shop for silky-looking strands no matter your hair type.

Founded by a biomedical scientist, physician and world-leading stem cell biology expert, Augustinus Bader is the luxury brand to know for those looking for potent products with visible results. Every product is made with meticulous detail to the ingredients, including a patented trigger factor complex called TFC8, comprised of more than 40 ingredients.

Working to stimulate the body’s natural renewal process, this hair oil helps to heal damaged strands and restore and regenerate new ones for healthier, happier hair. Of course, prolonged use will yield the best results, but immediate effects include hydrated, shinier and smoother strands that are only going to get stronger with time.

While most hair oils are designed to be added into dry locks, this Percy and Reed pick is best used on freshly washed, damp strands to seal in moisture and treat your tresses at their most vulnerable state.

Camellia oleifera seed oil, macadamia ternifolia seed oil and sunflower seed oil are the three key seed oil ingredients, moisturising the hair and scalp to aid stronger and shinier locks. Beta-carotene, carrot root extract and seed oil help to encourage sebum production in the scalp to keep hair naturally hydrated and aid growth.

Our tester fell in love with the scent, how easy it was to use, and the immediate silky feeling it left on our freshly washed hair – not to mention the visible reduction in frizz and flyaways.

Tea tree oil has long been used to treat blemishes, soothe colds and battle bacteria, but when it comes to hair, it’s been said to help with hair growth and diligently reduce dandruff. So, if you’re prone to a scratchy scalp or blemishes on your body, this two-in-one body and hair oil may be just the ticket.

At 50ml, it is on the slightly smaller side, so don’t expect to bathe your body in it, but for on-the-go use, we found it soothes skin, instantly adds shine to hair, and the tea tree scent was quite the treat. Hemp seed oil is also included, which is high in essential fatty acids, including Omega-3 and Omega-6, hydrating and protecting both the skin and hair and hemp extracts and cleansing ingredients add to its potent skin-boosting power.

This Osmo hair oil hit us with the distinct smell of strawberries, which, although lovely, did catch us off guard when looking through the key ingredients of avocado, coconut and argan oil – so it’s safe to say it isn’t a fully natural product. Of course, this is no issue at all, but anyone after an all-natural hair oil may want to look elsewhere.

What this hair oil did excel at was repairing dry locks, as just three drops were enough to instantly hike up hydration levels and leave strands smooth and shiny. The brand recommends using it on damp hair to deeper penetrate each strand, and we did notice that it reduced the drying time a little bit too. So, for hydrated hair that smells super sweet, look no further.