How to Make a Hot Oil Treatment for Hair

Co-authored by Shun Pittman and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: March 1, 2022 References Approved

Good hair care between haircuts helps you to maintain a healthy texture and shine. Treating yourself to a DIY hot oil treatment will add that extra healthy glow to your hair—plus, it’s super easy! You can use products that you might already have at home to amp up your beauty routine and make your hair look amazing.

Follow these 9 steps to make your own hot oil treatment for your hair.

1

Choose from coconut oil, olive oil, or sunflower oil.

Select an oil based on what your hair needs. Coconut oil and sunflower oil help to nourish your hair and promote healthy growth, so they’re great for any hair type. Olive oil helps your hair retain moisture and add vitamins A and E, so it’s great for damaged hair. You can find these oils at most drugstores or home goods stores, and they’re usually in the food section.^{[1]
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PubMed Central
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- Some experts even recommend adding in a few drops of essential oil, like tea tree oil or rosemary oil. Essential oils can help nourish and moisturize your scalp as well as your hair.^{[2]
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- If you have sensitive skin, place a drop or two of your oil onto the inside of your elbow, then leave it there for 24 hours. If you don’t develop any rash or itchiness, the oil is probably fine to use. If your skin gets irritated, try using a different oil.
- If you don’t want to make your own mixture, you can buy a pre-made hot oil treatment from the drugstore.

2

Heat up your oil in a pot.

Using warm oil helps open up your hair cuticle. Pour 2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 44 mL) of your oil of choice into a heat-safe bowl. Fill up a large pot with water and put it over high heat, then bring it to a boil. Make a double boiler by placing the bowl of oil into the pot, balancing the bowl over the water. Stir the oil for 2 to 3 minutes until it’s warm.^{[3]
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- Using a double boiler heats the oil up slowly and evenly.
- If you can avoid it, try not to heat your oil in the microwave. The intense heat from your microwave can cause oil to break down, and it may heat unevenly.

3

Separate your hair into 2 to 4 sections.

If you have thick hair, this will make it easier to work with. Brush out your hair and split it vertically down the middle, creating 2 equal sections on either side of your head. If you want to, you can split those sections into 2 to make them a little smaller. Clip all the sections up except one with a claw clip or a hair tie to keep them out of the way.^{[4]
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- Your sections don’t have to be super neat. You’ll be taking your hair down in just a second!
- Start with damp, freshly-shampooed hair for this.

4

Test the oil on the inside of your wrist before using it.

Your oil should be warm, not super-hot. Before you start rubbing it on your head, dab a bit onto your finger and drop it onto the inside of your wrist. If it’s too hot for your skin, let the oil cool down for just a few minutes before you start.^{[5]
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- Doing a patch test before using your oil is extremely important. If the oil is too hot, you could burn your scalp.
- If the oil doesn’t burn your wrist, you can go ahead and start applying it to your hair.

5

Massage the oil into your roots.

Start at the top of your hair and work your way down. Use your fingers to scoop up a bit of oil. Bring it up to your scalp and gently massage it into your hair strands. Lift sections of your hair up to get underneath them, and try to cover all of your roots in that section. When you’ve finished one half of your hair, let your hair down and do the other side.^{[6]
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- If you deal with any scalp dryness or dandruff, putting hot oil on your roots will really help with that.

6

Drag the oil down to the ends of your hair.

Your ends are going to need some moisture, too. Grab more oil and start massaging it into the mid-shaft of your hair, then drag your fingers down to the ends. Keep going like this until you’ve coated your entire head in oil.^{[7]
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- Your hair is probably going to look wet or greasy, but that’s a good thing!
- Use a mirror to check out the back of your head and make sure you’ve coated every strand of hair.
- Dragging oil down your entire length of hair is going to help combat dryness and frizziness, and it will also reduce your split ends.

7

Cover your hair with a shower cap for 30 minutes.

Protect your hair so you don’t get oil all over your house. Cover up with a shower cap or a plastic bag to keep your hair contained while you wait. Let the oil soak in for at least 30 minutes so it has time to hydrate and repair your hair.^{[8]
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- If you want to, you could even leave the oil in your hair overnight.
- For extra moisture, wrap your hair in a hot towel for 20 to 30 minutes while the oil sits in your hair.

8

Shampoo and condition your hair in the shower.

Water probably won’t be enough to rinse the oil out. When you’ve let your hair sit for long enough, hop in the shower and lather up some shampoo. When the oil is gone, follow up with a conditioner to leave your hair feeling shiny, soft, and healthy.^{[9]
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- Don’t worry if your hair still feels a little greasy from the oil. If it does, you can shampoo it a second time to get all of the oil out.

9

Use a hot oil treatment 1-2 times a month, depending on your hair type.

Long-term use will help repair dry or damaged hair. If you have curly hair, bleached hair, or damaged hair, you can use hot oil to add moisture and shine every other week. If your hair has a finer texture, you might do better using this treatment once a month instead.^{[10]
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- After your hot oil treatment, use a clarifying shampoo. If you feel like there's still oil in your hair, use the clarifying shampoo again; otherwise, follow up with a hydrating shampoo.

Expert Q&A

Question

Do I wash my hair before or after an oil treatment?

Shun Pittman
Master Cosmetologist, Global Salon Educator & Author
Shun Pittman is a Master Cosmetologist, Author, Owner, and Founder of Corps d’Elite Salon and Corps d’Elite Beauty. With over 25 years of international experience, she is dedicated to and specializes in providing luxury salon services to all hair types and textures and every skin tone and shade. Her services include hair conditioning treatments, cutting, coloring, styling, extensions, and makeup application. Shun has experience working with, coaching, training, and mentoring beauty professionals from multiple companies including L'Oréal, Wella, Matrix, Paul Mitchell, Redken, Big Sexy Hair, and Toni & Guy. She is also a host for national and local media outlets and her work has been featured in The Washingtonian, The Cheddar Network, and WJLA Good Morning Washington's Beauty and Fashion Police segments. Shun is the author of “50 Things Your Hairdresser Wants YOU to Know (and a few things we don’t...)".

Shun Pittman

Master Cosmetologist, Global Salon Educator & Author

Expert Answer

Wash your hair after you use hot oil so you don't have it built up on your scalp.
Question

Can you use this process on dreads?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

Yes you can! Hot oil treatments are great for your scalp and the health of your dreads. However, you may want to stick to using this treatment once a month instead of once a week to avoid an oil buildup in your hair.
Question

Can I add lavender essential oil to coconut oil for damaged hair?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

Yes, lavender essential oil may be able to help repair dry or damaged hair. Add 2 to 3 drops of essential oil to the coconut oil before heating it up. You can also use peppermint essential oil to make your hair smell and feel great.

Warnings

If you are experiencing hair loss, do not use hot oil treatments. The oil can heat up your hair strands and lead to further breakage.^{[12]
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American Academy of Dermatology
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