Experts Are Raving About Olive Oil for Hair—If You Use It Right

Rightfully dubbed liquid gold.

Olive oil has long been heralded as liquid gold. It’s good for your body when you add it to meals, a top-tier moisturizer and softening ingredient for skin, and people have been using olive oil in hair for literal centuries. So does it still hold up as a covetable hair ingredient all these years later, especially with all our modern-day formulas and treatment products? We’re diving into all the details about whether it’s OK to use olive oil in hair.

Is Olive Oil Good for Your Hair?

Olive oil is an excellent ingredient for your hair when used sparingly and with care. It’s an emollient ingredient, meaning it can help soften your strands while moisturizing and creating a protective layer that locks in hydration.

“The fatty acids and antioxidants found in olive oil will be very beneficial and nourishing for your strands,” adds Tiffanie Richards, master colorist at Louise O’Connor Salon. “This is one of my personal favorite oils to use to hydrate my scalp and ends of hair when I'm feeling extra dry.”

The only scenario you wouldn't want to use olive oil in hair is if you have very fine or thin hair since it can weigh down your strands and look greasy. You can potentially still enjoy the ingredient for your strands, but you’ll want to use it sparingly and make sure to wash it out thoroughly.

How to Use Olive Oil in Hair

Olive oil is a diverse ingredient you can incorporate into your hair care routine, ranging from taming flyaways to traditional hair oiling. Here are some methods you can try.

Hair Oiling

Also known as hair slugging, hair oiling involves applying oil directly to the hair and scalp to help lock in moisture. Warm the oil in the microwave for a few seconds (it should be warm, not hot), then section hair and apply from scalp to tips. You can massage your scalp to encourage blood flow. Cover with a cap and sleep in it overnight, then shampoo in the morning.

Deep Conditioning Treatment

A deep conditioning treatment works similarly, but you won’t wear the oil for as long, and you won’t apply the oil to your scalp. Instead, apply lightly warmed oil from the mid-shaft to your ends and let it set for 10 to 20 minutes, then shampoo Richards advises. “You may also mix this oil with conditioners or thinner oils for easier applications,” she says. “You will still receive all of the benefits of the oil by making a cocktail with other ingredients.”

Flyaway Tamer

Apply a few drops to the palms of your hand and rub back and forth. This helps prevent you from using too much oil, which can result in a greasy effect. Smooth your palms over the top of your hair and then use a bristle boar brush to further smooth and disperse the oils further down the hair shaft.

Split End Treatment

Instead of focusing the application on your roots to tame flyaways, warm up a few drops in your hand, rub between your palms, and smooth over the ends to help seal cuticles.

How to Remove Olive Oil from Hair

Olive oil is pretty thick, so it often requires good effort once you’re ready to remove it. Richards says she’ll usually do a double shampoo technique.

“The first wash will loosen up the oil and begin to remove, while the second will give more of a lather and cleansing purpose,” she says. “I generally do not recommend shampooing your ends—as they do not get oily unless you're loading products into them—but while using an oil you're going to want to make sure you get your ends as well as your scalp.”

If you don’t like the smell olive oil leaves behind, use a lightly scented styling product or choose a shampoo with a fragrance you like.

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