Hair oils are the pride and joy of clean hair care, this we know. But there are so many nourishing oils to choose from — there’s coconut for fatty acids, jojoba for lightweight moisture, avocado for antioxidants for example. To which we say: Why not create your very own blend? Most market options include a cocktail of nourishing oils, anyway, so you can definitely do the same.
It’s like taking care of all of your hair goals in one fell swoop: Each oil has a slightly different nutrient profile and antioxidant concentration, so pairing them can leave you with a shiny and soft head of hair.  Below, we tapped experts on the best oils to blend for your strands.
Which Oils Are Best To Blend?
As mentioned, “Each one carries different characteristics and can impart different nutrients,” notes Michelle O’Connor, texture specialist and artistic director at Matrix. For example, coconut oil has tons of lauric acid; olive oil boasts vitamins E and K; and castor oil is rich in ricinoleic acid. That said, you can’t really go wrong with mixing: “I’m a huge fan of Jamaican black castor oil, coconut oil, rosemary oil, and lavender oil,” O’Connor notes.
Those essential oils also have tons of vitamins and nutrients to nourish the strands—rosemary and lavender oils in particular, have been linked to improving hair thickness and promoting speedier hair growth, respectively.
Anthony Dickey, hairstylist and founder of Hair Rules, is partial to mixing avocado, olive, almond, coconut, and castor oil with a base of jojoba oil since it’s closest to the skin’s own sebum. “They all work together really nicely, and you can use them at your discretion for your hair.” The only caveat: castor and coconut oil are quite thick, so you might want to add them slowly—whatever works best for your strands.
3 DIY Oil Blend Recipes
The thing is, there’s no shortage of hair oil blends to play with. Although, these experts have a couple of favourite potions.
Here’s how to make O’Connor’s ultra-moisturizing blend:Â
- 2 Tbsp. Jamaican black castor oil
- 2 Tbsp. coconut oil
- 1 to 2 drops rosemary oil
- 1 to 2 drops lavender oil
Mix in a glass bottle or jar until well combined. Adjust the specific measurements to your liking—just make sure there’s a larger ratio of carrier oils to essential oils.
Below, Dickey’s nourishing hair treatment:
- 3 to 4 Tbsp. jojoba oil
- 1 Tbsp. avocado oil
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. almond oil
- ½ Tbsp. coconut oil
- ½ Tbsp. castor oil
Mix all the ingredients in a glass bottle or jar until well combined. Again, feel free to play with measurements here, but no matter which oils you’d like to focus on (some prefer more almond to olive; others are looking for a douse of coconut), just remember to keep jojoba oil as the base. You might also want to use castor and coconut oil at your discretion, as those are the heaviest.
In Summary
Creating your own oil blend isn’t so tricky—just combine a bunch of hair-healthy oils and call it a day. The good thing about mixing oils is that there’s lots of room for trial and error (although, always be extra careful when dealing with those essential oils). The most difficult part, it seems, is deciding whether you’ll use the concoction as a hot oil treatment or hair mask.
