Overnight Oil Treatments for your Hair
Your hair can make all the difference between a good day and a bad day!

If in good shape, it can make you steal glances at yourself while passing in front of window panes, feeling like the main character of a movie. On the contrary, bad hair days can affect your confidence and make you wary of your looks.
So, is there a big event coming up – a weekend date, a friend’s wedding, or perhaps a much-awaited meeting to secure a job promotion? Well, in that case, you can be on the top of the game by getting the best overnight oil treatments done for your hair.
Overnight Oil Treatments For Your Hair
We will discuss several oil treatments to promote hair growth and improve its shine, but before that, let’s find out your hair type.
What Is Your Hair Type?
To select an effective hair oil treatment for yourself, you need to know your hair type. Everyone has different hair with special needs. Some people have dry hair and scalp, while others have oily hair, and they differ in volume, length, and texture, among other factors.
So, before picking a treatment for yourself, take a look at your hair and identify its type by following these simple steps:
1. Hair Texture
The natural pattern or shape of the hair is referred to as its texture and can be determined by observing the hair shape by air drying it after a wash. If the hair does not curl or bend, the texture is straight, but if there is a slight S-like shape, it is wavy.
Moving on, if you can see prominent loops, the texture is curly, and if it is loopy to the point that you can see zig-zag patterns or spirals, then it is categorized as coily.
2. Structure Of The Hair
Your hair structure is determined by the thickness of each strand, which primarily affects how your hair will react to certain products or retain hairstyles. Pick a hair from your scalp, or take one out of your comb and lay it down on a table.
Next, get a six-inch long piece of thread and place it next to the hair and observe. Your hair structure may be:
- Fine – if the strand seems thinner than the thread
- Medium – if both are of the same thickness
- Coarse or thick – if the hair strand is thicker than the thread
3. Porosity Of The Hair
Hair porosity is its ability to retain moisture or any product like oil, shampoo, serum, color, etc. It is a lesser-discussed quality, but knowing it can help you decide which hair products are good for you. The easiest way to find out is by putting a hair strand into a water bowl.
In case the strand sinks, it can absorb a lot of moisture and is highly porous. If it floats below the surface of the water but doesn’t touch the bottom, your hair is well-balanced and has optimal porosity. However, if it just stays on the surface, that means it cannot absorb moisture easily.
4. Scalp Moisture
It’s not possible to care for your hair by neglecting the scalp, as both need equal love and attention. Moreover, it is the skin that holds the hair roots together and, if not in good shape, it will affect your hair quality significantly.
Assessing the scalp is easy; you just need to inspect your hair the next day of washing it and look for these signs:
- Normal scalp – little oil build-up
- Oily scalp – roots are greasy and flat
- Dry scalp – the skin is flaky
- Oily and dry patches – some parts will be flaky, some will be greasy
Best Overnight Oil Treatments For Your Hair Type
Once you’ve determined your scalp and hair type, finding the perfect overnight oil treatment becomes easier. There are a plethora of treatments catering to the different types of hair, and we’ve put together some of them to take you one step closer to healthier hair.
1. Straight Hair
We’ll start off with tips to maintain straight hair, as it is low maintenance. It is mostly frizz-free and has proper porosity but can appear dull or brittle at times. Therefore, an oil that adds some volume and shine to it can significantly better the hair quality. And for that matter, olive oil [1] and jojoba are fitting choices.
2. Wavy Hair
Wavy hair is fairly easy to manage and lies in the middle range for most parameters. It is neither too frizzy nor too oily and just needs moisture balance to be tamed. Olive oil is versatile and a great fit for keeping this type of hair healthy and nourished. It is enriched with retinol [2] and tocopherol to hydrate the scalp and protect the keratin in each strand.
3. Curly Hair
Curly hair lacks moisture and is prone to dryness, which often leads to split ends. That’s why it needs to be treated with an oil rich in fatty acids and essential vitamins. And coconut oil is the one-stop-shop for all these qualities.
This oil can penetrate the scalp without evaporating, so it is beneficial for hair with low porosity too. It repairs split ends, softens hair, and reduces dryness, owing to its moisturizing properties. While normal coconut oil is extracted from the kernel, virgin oil is produced using a wet-milled method and is less processed. Therefore, it cures curly hair problems even more effectively.
4. Coily Hair
Managing hyper-coiled hair is no easy task; it needs rich fatty and hydrating oils. We have two suggestions to fit the bill, and you can try whichever feels more practical.
A. Castor Oil
It is a vegetable oil extracted by first-pressing the Castor beans and is much thicker and richer than other oils. Because of the omega 6 and omega 9 fatty acids [3], it can deal with the twists and loops of coily hair more easily than others.
Moreover, dealing with frizzy hair is where this oil delivers the perfect shot and works well if your scalp is oily but the hair is dry.
B. Black Jamaican Castor Oil
Want to get the shine back in your coily hair? Black Jamaican Castor oil [4] might be your best bet then. Much like olive and normal castor oil, this one also helps retain the hair moisture but stands out because of its antibacterial and alkaline nature.
Also, it offers faster absorption and reaches each of the hair strands despite the coily texture to ensure maximum benefits. As a result, it can also treat dry-scalp issues like dandruff and excessive hair fall.
5. Thin Hair
Thin hair appears low in volume and is prone to breakage or split ends. To promote natural hair growth, stimulating the hair follicles is essential, and Rosemary essential oil can help with that. It is loaded with protective nutrients and compounds and is best for turning back the clock on your scalp.
Furthermore, it nourishes the regenerative tissues to keep the hair healthy and promote growth.
6. Coarse Hair
With its protein richness and high vitamin content, Avocado oil can hydrate coarse hair. This hair type often creates crevices on the scalp, which can be easily filled by the oil, thanks to its amino acids.
On top of that, it contains vitamin E [5], D, and A, which are all building blocks of a shiny mane. The oil strengthens each strand and nourishes it from the root.
7. Oily Hair
Oily hair can be tiring because no amount of shampoo can keep it grease-free for more than two days. Since there is enough oil in the hair, people frequently make the mistake of not oiling their hair altogether, and that worsens the situation.
This type of hair also needs regular oil treatments to regulate the sebum production in the scalp, and a light formula like Ylang-ylang is an excellent choice. You can apply the oil to reduce the greasy feel of your hair and balance the oil secretion. Simply mix five drops with olive oil and leave it on the hair overnight for best results.
8. Dry Hair
Moving ahead, we have a top oil suggestion for dry hair that can lock in the moisture and stop the scalp from flaking. Standing true to the description, almond oil contains omega-9 fatty acids in high amounts to soothe a dry and irritable scalp.
In addition to vitamin E, the oil has nut-derived emollient qualities to stimulate hair growth. However, those with nut allergies should be cautious and run it by their physician before use. In that case, coconut oil and argan oil are also competent choices.
9. All Hair Types
Lastly, Argan oil is a versatile choice that can treat all hair types efficiently. No doubt it is rare and expensive, but worth every buck because of its all-around and overnight benefits. For starters, it is rich in vitamin E, which makes it an excellent growth stimulant, increasing hair elasticity and decreasing breakage.
Furthermore, it is power-packed with 80% essential fatty acids like Linoleic, Oleic, Stearic, and Palmitic acids. These compounds help tone down frizz and add sheen to dry ends. All in all, argan oil protects, conditions, and hydrates the hair, giving visible results in just one night.
Overnight Oil Treatment: Step By Step Guide
Now you know which oil is beneficial for different types of hair [6], so it’s time to move on to the next part of our guide. Once you find the perfect hair oil treatment, you can apply it to your hair for maximum benefits by following these simple steps:
1. DIY Overnight Hot Oil Treatment
Step 1
Since hot oil treatment works the best on clean hair, wash your hair thoroughly using an oil-clear shampoo. This helps the oil penetrate the hair shaft and moisturize the hair cuticles deeply.
Step 2
Heat three to six tablespoons of your preferred oil in the microwave for ten to fifteen seconds.
Step 3
Get rid of hair knots by softly running a brush through it. Then, do a little patch test on your wrist to check the oil temperature and evenly massage it on the damp hair. Don’t forget to cover your shoulders with a towel before application.
Step 4
Cover your hair with a shower cap and leave it overnight. Make sure to wash your hair thoroughly the next day, rinsing out all the residual oil and following it with a conditioner.
Step 5
Repeat it weekly or fortnightly, depending on how damaged your hair is.
2. Normal Overnight Oil Treatment
All the steps are the same as the DIY hot oil treatment, except you don’t need to heat the oil. However, we suggest going for the previous method for damaged hair because heating up the oil activates amino acids and fatty acids, making it more nourishing for the hair.
Final Words
Oiling your hair is the best way to naturally enhance its quality without breaking your wallet on expensive hair treatments. And the best part is, there are endless oil options to cater to your specific needs.
It doesn’t matter if you have multiple hair problems; you can always mix up different oils and get the best of them. For instance, if you have a dry scalp but oily hair, you can mix lavender with coconut and treat both issues.
Similarly, olive and jojoba oils can be mixed to maintain straight hair, while coconut and olive work well for dry hair that might also be thinning out. We hope that’ll set things into perspective and help curate the best combination for your hair.
That said, we’ll wrap up for the day with one final tip – don’t apply nut oil without consulting a dermatologist. Until next time!
References
[1] – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12058980/
[3] – https://frolicious.de/2016/01/31/benefits-of-omega-3-6-9-fatty-acids-for-hair/
[4] – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5015816/
[5] – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3819075/
[6] – https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/types-of-hair