The Best Hair Oils For Bleached Hair

If you're searching for a versatile way to restore moisture to bleached hair, look no further than a hair oil. Hair oils — sometimes called hair serums — can be used as a treatment or as a styling product, and the majority are suitable for all hair textures. "Even the most expertly bleached hair can benefit from more moisture," says Cara Craig, a senior colorist at New York City's Suite Caroline salon. According to Craig, the best hair oils for bleached hair are light in color and packed with nourishing oils like argan, sweet almond, and coconut. In addition to restoring hydration to dried-out hair, these oils can also help with restoring shine, minimizing unwanted frizz, and preventing future damage.

The Expert

Cara Craig is a colorist based in New York City. She joined the Suite Caroline salon in SoHo in 2013, where she currently serves as a senior colorist. Craig specializes in blonde color, and her clients include models like Lindsay Ellingson and Megan Williams.

How To Choose The Best Hair Oil For Bleached Hair

If you have bleached hair, perhaps more important than knowing what to look for in a hair oil is knowing what to avoid. "If you are platinum blonde, I would be cautious when using a hair oil that is orange-tinted or even very dark in color," Craig advises. "There is a chance it could really change your blonde tone.” Opting for a completely clear or very pale yellow oil will ensure that your color stays intact.

You'll also want to stick with products that are strictly formulated for hair. "For instance, I don't recommend the use of pure coconut oil in hair because it's a food," Craig says. "The molecules in coconut oil aren't small enough for the hair to absorb it. While you could use coconut oil for control and shine, it won't truly hydrate, which is a main reason that we apply oil to hair," she continues, adding that if you want to use coconut oil, skip the jars from the grocery store and find a hair product infused with the ingredient instead.

How To Use Hair Oil

You can choose to apply your oil as a treatment or as a styling product, depending on your preferences (and hair texture). "Folks with straight, fine, or medium texture hair will typically use hair oil as a hydrating treatment that can be applied pre-shampoo," recommends Craig. "Apply the oil from the mid-lengths to the ends of your hair, and let it sit for at least 20 minutes before you shampoo." You can also use your oil as a styling product to help smooth unwanted frizz and keep your hair looking glossy, once again, concentrating the product from the mid-lengths to the ends of the hair to avoid greasy roots. "You can use hair oil as a treatment once a week, and if using hair oil as a styling product, as much as you'd like," Craig adds of how often to apply.

Shop The Best Hair Oils For Bleached Hair

In a hurry? Here are the best hair oils for bleached hair:

1. Best Pre-Shampoo Oil For Bleached Hair: Leonor Greyl Paris L'Huile De Leonor Greyl

2. Best Oil For Bleached Hair According To A Beauty Editor: SACHAJUAN Intensive Hair Oil

3. Best Drugstore Hair Oil For Bleached Hair: Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Anti-Frizz Serum

4. Best Hair Oil For Bleached Hair That's Curly: Maui Moisture Nourish & Moisture + Coconut Milk Weightless Oil Mist

5. Best Hair Oil That Speeds Up Drying Time: Aquage SeaExtend Silkening Oil Treatment

6. Best Brightening Hair Oil: Joico Blonde Life Brilliant Glow Brightening Oil

7. Best Splurge-Worthy Hair Oil: Oribe Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil

1. Expert’s Pick: Best Pre-Shampoo Oil For Bleached Hair

Quality ingredients and a luxurious scent are Craig's must-have qualities in a hair oil, and Leonor Greyl Paris' L'Huile De Leonor Greyl checks both boxes. The light yellow oil, which contains a blend of organic jojoba, coconut, sunflower seed, and sesame seed oils, was formulated to be used as a pre-shampoo treatment to help revive dry hair. Because these oils are naturally rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and omegas, the product can also be used all over to protect your hair (and color) from sun damage when you're at the beach — one of Craig's favorite ways to use it. "You'll have that effortless, French Riviera look, as the oil works to protect, treat, and give your hair a great texture when mixed with the salty air," she says. Vegan and cruelty-free, Leonor Greyl's oil is also free of silicones, so it won’t cause your hair to become weighed down or limp.

Key Ingredients: Coconut Oil, Sesame Seed Oil, Jojoba Oil, Sunflower Seed Oil, Vitamin E Size: 3.2 oz. Cruelty-Free: Yes

Relevant Review: "I love this oil — works wonders for repairing my bleached and colored hair. I try to use it about once a week and leave it in for as long as possible before shampooing."

2. Editor’s Pick: Best Luxury Hair Oil

“I’ve been bleaching my hair for as long as I can remember, and I’ve always used oils to keep my ends looking healthy and soft,” says Elite Daily beauty editor Adeline Duff. “Lately, I’m obsessed with SACHAJUAN’s Intensive Hair Oil. To me, the mark of a good hair oil is that it doesn’t make your hair look (or feel) greasy, and this one passes that test with flying colors. It also has an amazing scent, so I slather the residue all over my arms when I’m done combing it through my hair. And though I have extremely thick, long hair, I find that all I need is a pump or two to coat my entire mid-lengths to ends.”

Key Ingredients: Argan Oil, Sea Buckthorn Oil, Sunflower Seed Oil, Rosemary Leaf Extract Size: 1.7 oz. Cruelty-Free: Yes

Relevant Review: "I love this product. It is a very light oil and helps with frizziness. I apply a small amount on my hair after I blow dry and along with controlling the frizziness, it makes my hair incredibly soft. It also smells amazing!!!”

3. Best Drugstore Hair Oil For Bleached Hair

In terms of drugstore hair oils, you'll be hard-pressed to find a product that comes more highly recommended than this Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Anti-Frizz Serum. With nearly 15,000 five-star ratings on Amazon, the crystal-clear formula uses argan and apricot kernel oils to increase moisture, reduce breakage, and add a shiny finish to your hair. Pairing the oils with the brand's Kera-System (a combination of vitamin E, plant protein, and conditioning agents) also gives this oil superior frizz-smoothing abilities for up to 72 hours — even on the most humid days.

Key Ingredients: Argan Oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, Vitamin E Size: 5.1 oz. Cruelty-Free: Yes

Relevant Review: "Been using this stuff for years on my very dry ( bleached from level 5 to level 10 ) platinum hair. I add a couple of pumps, more or less depending on how long my hair is, work through wet hair and just air dry. Without this stuff my hair would probably look like straw. But this actually makes it look healthy. Great price, smells nice, nothing to say bad about it. One of my holy grail products for being a bleach blonde.”

4. Best Oil For Bleached Hair That's Curly

Curly hair that's bleached tends to be even more prone to dryness than finer, straight hair types. Because of this, curly hair can benefit from a combination of oils and other rich moisturizing ingredients, like the mango seed butter found in Maui Moisture's Weightless Oil Mist. Conveniently, you can spritz this oil through your hair before and after you blow-dry for a dose of intense moisture that won't make your hair feel greasy or weighed down. Coconut and guava fruit extracts provide even more nourishment to dry hair while also helping to impart the silicone-free oil with a tropical scent.

Key Ingredients: Coconut Oil, Aloe Leaf Extract, Coconut Fruit Extract, Guava Fruit Extract, Mango Seed Butter, Sesame Seed Oil Size: 4.2 oz. Cruelty-Free: No

Relevant Review: "I love this product. I’m a dry oil fiend for my natural, thick and curly hair and use this all the time. I live in the USVI and it helps my poor sun damaged hair feel soft and silky again. A little goes a long way so start out with half what you’d normally use and go from there.”

5. Best Hair Oil That Speeds Up Drying Time

There are multi-tasking hair oils, and then there's the Aquage SeaExtend Silkening Oil Treatment. Not only does it work to smooth unwanted frizz and keep hair silky soft, but it also reduces your blow-drying time by 40% (a major plus if you have long hair) and protects against thermal damage from hot styling tools like straighteners and curling wands. You'll want to apply a few pumps of this oil to your hair while it's still damp and prior to combing (the oil will also help to detangle), but you can also use it once your hair is dry. Though it includes argan oil, sweet almond oil, and the brand's AlgaePlex blend of nutrient-rich seaweed and algae, the oil still remains completely clear so you don’t' have to worry about it altering your blonde color.

Key Ingredients: Argan Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Blue Seakale Extract, Sea Fennel Extract, Seaweed Size: 1.7 oz. Cruelty-Free: Yes

Relevant Review: "This stuff works so well for my hair!! Especially in the winter when my hair is more dry. Its a soft light oil that doesn't weight my hair down at all! I have bleached blonde/silver hair so I am always looking to help with frizzy dry hair, this product has always been my go to!”

6. Best Brightening Hair Oil

Hair oils can help preserve your blonde color by offering protection against sun and heat damage, both of which can alter the tone of your color. But Joico's Blonde Life Brilliant Glowing Brightening Oil takes things a step further with its combination of strengthening keratin and detoxifying ingredients that work to neutralize chlorine and remove trace minerals that can contribute to brassiness. For maximum brightening benefits, you may want to pair this with the brand's Blonde Life shampoo and conditioner, too.

Key Ingredients: Coconut Oil, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Tamanu Oil, Monoi Oil, Rosehip Oil, Arginine Size: 3.4 oz. Cruelty-Free: Yes

Relevant Review: "This product works very well. I get so many compliments on how healthy my hair looks. My hair is colored regularly and with this product it has never looked so shiny and healthy. Highly recommend for processed blonde hair.”

7. Best Splurge-Worthy Hair Oil

If you believe that more is more, Oribe's Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil contains the most good-for-hair ingredients of any oil on this list. Though it feels lightweight (and smells like a high-end fragrance), the oil contains a blend of super-moisturizing oils and plant-derived butters to better condition dry, damaged hair. You'll also find Oribe's signature complex in here, which is made up of watermelon seed oil, lychee fruit extract, and edelweiss flower extract to offer protection against heat and environmental damage. It’s a splurge to be sure, but if your budget allows, you won’t find a more luxurious hair product than this.

Nourishing Ingredients: Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Shea Butter, Argan Oil, Olive Fruit Oil, Murumuru Seed Butter, Watermelon Seed Oil, Black Currant Seed Oil, Lychee Fruit Extract, Edelweiss Flower Extract, Babassu Oil, Cassis Seed Oil, Jasmine Oil, Vitamin E Size: 3.4 oz. Cruelty-Free: Yes

Relevant Review: "Oh my gosh!!!!! I just got mine and it's amazing!! The price is a little steep yes, but [definitely] worth it. My hair was severely damaged from heat tools, dyes and just plain ole neglect for years, but just used it for the first time & my hair has never felt healthier. My best hair care buy ever hands down.”

Expert:

Cara Craig, senior colorist at Suite Caroline salon in New York City.