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13 February 2014

Tried and Tested: Hair Oils


Over the past year or so, beautifying oils have become all the rage for both skin and hair. From sweet almond oil to cleanse your skin; to using coconut oil not only to cook, but to put on your hair as a mask; to using dry oil on your skin and hair for an extra moisture boost or treatment.

Today's post will feature only hair oils, as these are the ones I've been experimenting with. I haven't been using oil for a long time, but I can already see what all the fuss is about. I have my eyes firmly set on the Moroccanoil range, but I usually don't spend too much money on my hair, so I thought it would be best to try a few cheaper alternatives first.

NUXE Huile Prodigieuse Dry Oil



"Huile Prodigieuse" directly translates to "Prodigious Oil" and "remarkably or impressively great in extent" it is indeed! The bottle, the scent, the product, all screams luxury. The bottle is made of glass and looks like a perfume bottle. The cap twists off and it has a cologne-type dispenser (if that makes sense at all), it's basically just a hole and you need to tilt the bottle to get the oil out. It feels very French, but does get a bit messy after a few uses.

What they say: "Multi-purpose dry oil for face, body, hair with 6 precious plant oils" and "Nourishes, repairs, softens. 97.8% ingredients of natural origin. Preservative-free. "

The six plant oils it contains are borage (a herb with bright blue flowers), St Johnswort, sweet almond, camellia, hazelnut, and macadamia. I definitely detect a soft flowery scent which at first I thought was some sort of lily, but I suppose it's the camellia I'm smelling!

After roughly blowdrying my hair with my fingers (like I always do), I rub two to three drops of the dry oil between my fingers and work it through my hair. My hair smells incredible and with continued use I can definitely see that my hair is more silky.

You can buy this at Style36, Rubybox, and selected Truworths stores for around R210 for a 50ml bottle. It sounds like a lot, but you only need a few drops. I've been using mine for months and it doesn't even look like I've used any! Rubybox also sells little dinky bottles for much cheaper to test the product out first. This dry oil also comes in a shimmer variant with golden particles for about R70 more.

The Body Shop Rainforest Coconut Hair Oil



This was the first hair oil I've purchased and is specifically formulated for hair. The bottle is a no-nonsense plastic bottle with a flip cap.

What they say: "With regular use this luxurious, nourishing oil leaves hair feeling stronger, smoother and softer without drying the scalp. Enriched with organic pracaxi oil and Community Fair Trade organic virgin coconut oil. 99% ingredients of natural origin. If desired, warm in hands before use." Pracaxi is the Portuguese word for "Pentaclethra macroloba" or "Oil Tree". The oil is made from the tree's seeds and has a very high concentration of a certain ingredient that is used in hair conditioners [Wikipedia].

I love the coconut smell, and I love the way it makes my hair smell after I've used it. It does however leave my hair slightly greasy, so I prefer to use it as a treatment every now and then before washing my hair. It does make my hair feel nice and soft.

I can't locate this on The Body Shop's website, but the other beautifying oils are around R120.

Marc Anthony Oil of Morocco Argan Oil Treatment



Ever since oils have hit the market, "argan oil" has been one of the main buzz words for getting soft, silky, glossy hair. Marc Anthony has a whole range of sulfate-free argan oil hair products and this is the accompanying treatment. The bottle is an odd looking dark brown plastic bottle with a pump. The pump makes things much less messy and controls exactly how much product is dispensed. The oil is slightly thicker than the other two products mentioned and also has a darker colour. Even though it is thicker it does not weigh my hair down at all. The smell is very interesting, I can't put my finger on it but I detect something different every time I smell it! It actually smells better on my hair than it does in the bottle.

What they say: "Combat damage, breakage, dryness, dullness and frizz. Infused with ultra-light Mediterranean Olive Oil and Argan Oil - the ancestral beauty secret of Morocco. It deeply penetrates to strengthen, protect and condition. Vitamin E and Shea Butter hydrate and soften."

I've only used this a couple of times. The first time I was quite underwhelmed, but from the second time onwards, I could definitely see and feel a difference in my hair. My naturally wavy/curly hair was much more silky and glossy and even looked a bit straighter! 

Rubybox sells this for R140, but I bought mine at Checkers for R100. I haven't seen it at my local Dischem in a while, but I think they also sell it for R100.

Have you ever used hair oils? What was your experience and which one was your favourite? Tell me in the comments section, I'd love to know!

Until next time!

Hildegarde
xoxo





8 comments:

  1. Love this helpful post. I have never really tried a proper hair oil besides and Argon oil from GOSH cosmetics. The Body Shop hair oils sounds yummy!

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed the post! Yes, The Body Shop oil is super yummy, definitely worth a try. Thanks for commenting!

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  2. I haven't tried any of these oils before, but I have been eyeing the NUXE one for a while. The coconut one sounds divine! :)

    @lipgl0ss_kisses | Lipgloss Kisses | www.lipglosskisses.com

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    1. Thanks for commenting, Chicara! The coconut oil is divine, but I think my favourite is the NUXE one. It's just such a delicate fragrance and I'm excited to try it on my face and body as well.

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  3. Must try this coconut one...I've been using the Beautifying Oil from Body Shop but after Sunday (when I came to a startling conclusion), I've stopped using it.

    The NUXE one is so wonderful but I personally don't use it on my face, it's too fragranced and causes my skin to break out.

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    1. A startling conclusion? Well now I'm intrigued! I really love the NUXE one but have only tried it on my hair, and more recently, on my arms and chest. Love the smell! Thanks for commenting, Luzanne!

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  4. I swore by the coconut oil last year when we went to Mauritius. It really helped put all the moisture back in my hair after a whooole day of swimming in the sea! I loved it and still use it nowadays when my hair needs a good moisture boost :)

    Loren | www.hellominkys.blogspot.com

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    1. Mauritius and coconut oil, what an amazing combination! I'll def remember that for my next beach holiday. Thanks for commenting!

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