Want to flaunt your silky, smooth, and long hair? But don’t know how to select a suitable product which fits all your needs?
People often consider that hair oil and hair serum are similar. There are broad differences between the two products. To choose which one is right for you, stick around till the end as I tell you everything you need to know about hair oil and hair serum, from how to use them to what benefits they offer.
Hair Serum Vs Oil: Which Is Better For You
What is Hair Oil?
We all remember our mothers and grandmothers slathering our hair with a ton of hair oil on Saturday nights. Hair oiling is a popular method to nourish hair that has been carried on for ages in Asia. Hair oil penetrates your hair follicles, hydrating and lubricating them. Different hair oils are used for different hair types and hair problems. Hair oil, when massaged to the scalp, strengthens the hair root and prevents dry ends.
What is Hair Serum?
Hair serum contains silicone formula and highly competent minerals and vitamins that form a layer that protects your hair from sun damage, environmental pollutants, and rough brushing.
Hair serum is a water-like texture, like a face serum, and addresses several hair concerns. A serum restores shine as it reflects light. The suitable serum helps repair damaged hair, split ends, and other factors. Hair serum also triggers hair growth. Due to our busy lives, we want something easily manageable and consumes less time. Hair serum gives instant results, prevents hair from tangling, and helps you get ready quickly.
Difference between hair oil and hair serum –
| HAIR OIL | HAIR SERUM |
| Used as a styling agent | Used in treating hair problems and nourishing the hair |
| It gives protection against pollutants and toxins | Conditions the hair and maintains the overall health of the hair |
| Best for instant results in managing and styling | Best for critical repair and deep nourishment. |
| Lightweight texture | Heavy texture |
| Use after and before styling and also post hair wash. | Use once a week. |
| Provide temporary results | Provide long Term results |
| It stays on the upper layers and does not penetrate | Penetrates the scalp and provides nourishment from the root. |
5 Benefits of hair oil
1. Protection against dry scalp
Many hair oils have antibacterial and antifungal properties that prevent inflammation and the scalp and keep the scalp moisturized, preventing dandruff and itchy scalp.
2. Hair growth and hair fall reduction
weekly massaging your hair with hair oil increases the blood flow to your scalp and stimulates hair growth. Applying hair oil offers a supply of nutrients that prevent breakage of hair and hair fall altogether.
3. Prevents frizzy hair
Application of hair oil restores the volume making the hair bouncy and healthy and preventing dry and frizzy ends.
4. Nourishment
A massive advantage that hair oil offers is the Deep nourishment of hair. Hair oil contains essential micronutrients and vitamins, which are highly beneficial in healthy hair growth and preventing any damage to the hair.
5. Revitalization
Hair oil massage helps in the penetration of all the nutrients in the scalp, which leads to the revitalization of tissues present in the skin. Massaging improves the texture of hair, making it smooth and shiny.
4 Benefits of hair serum –
1. Softens hair strands
Nobody likes to touch and run their fingers through dry and brittle hair. Applying a tiny quantity of serum provides excellent hydration and instantly makes the hair smooth and soft.
2. Shining effect
The hair serum protects against UV radiation and reflects the sunlight leaving shiny and perfect hair.
3. Combat fungal infection
Some serums contain antibacterial and antifungal properties, preventing dandruff and curing it with time.
4. Protection against UV radiation
hair serum forms a layer throughout the hair shielding it from harmful UV radiation.
How To Use Hair Oil?
Every hair oil varies in consistency and provides different benefits. You need to take care of one thing while applying hair oil to distribute it evenly throughout the scalp. Make a middle partition of your hair and work your way towards the bottom, massaging your hair gently with your fingertips. Don’t forget to apply oil to the end of the hair and the middle section.
You should leave the hair oil on for at least 30 minutes before washing your hair, whereas keeping it overnight will give you maximum benefits. Use hair oil at least twice a week for quick and better results.
AUTHORS NOTE – slightly heating the hair oil helps increase the penetration ability of the oil and reaches the tissues.
How To Use Hair Serum?
Start by taking a few drops of serum on your hands and apply it from the tip of the hair covering the length of the hair towards the root. With serums, you do not need to take large quantities. A few drops will do the work just fine.
A serum shows better results on damp hair. The correct time to apply a serum is when you finish washing your hair.
AUTHORS NOTE – apply only the required amount of serum to your hair, except for the serums used for hair regrowth.
Read in Detail: How To Use Hair Serum
Types of hair oils –
There are wide varieties of hair oils available in the market that help treat hair problems as long as you pick the right hair oil for your hair texture. Here are some readily available and commonly used hair oils in India.
Coconut oil
Coconut oil is the most commonly used hair oil in the southern parts of India. It is suitable for all hair types and combats dull, damaged, and weak hair. Coconut oil provides Deep nourishment and locks all the moisture preventing the hair from frizz.
Argan oil ( smooth and silky hair)
Argan oil is well known for making the hair smoother and more robust. It is not dense, so it won’t make your hair heavy. Argan oil contains ample vitamin E and essential acids to make the hair manageable and prevent tangling. You can apply argan oil regularly.
Olive oil
Besides having significant benefits for health Olive oil also has many benefits for the hair. Olive oil is a rich source of keratin that gives your hair natural shine and protection from sun damage. Olive oil is a perfect fit for people with dandruff-prone, dull and dry hair.
Almond oil ( dandruff fighting)
Almond oil is a rich source of antioxidants, proteins, vitamins, and minerals, which help remedy breakage and Hairfall. People who face stunted hair growth and heavy hair loss should regularly use almond oil as it boosts hair growth and helps you achieve longer and healthier hair.
Types of serums
There are many serums available, depending on the type of hair.
- Curl defining serum
- Hair growth serum
- Hair fall control serum
- Dryness combat serum
- Silky and smooth hair serum
FAQs
Can you combine both hair oil and hair serum?
Remember not to apply hair oil to the scalp. It is unnecessary to apply hair oil after applying serum as a maximum number of serums are oil-based and provide ample nourishment. However, You can apply hair serum on damp hair after hair wash and then apply some hair oil to the ends of the hair.
When should you use hair oil, and how long should you keep it?
You should usually use hair oil during nighttime before going to bed, as it gives the entire night to absorb and reach the tissues. You should keep hair oil for a minimum of 2 hours before washing your hair.
Conclusion
The selection between hair oil and hair serum depends highly on your needs. A hair oil gives you sticky hair, while a hair serum gives volume and shine to your hair.
In this article, we looked at hair serum and hair oil composition. We saw some hair oils that target specific hair problems and repair them. We also saw how to use a hair serum and hair oil and their benefits to our hair.
In the comments box below, let us know about your choice between hair oil and hair serum.
