Is Olive Oil Good for Your Hair? 6 Benefits

We all love our hair. We want it to be the healthiest and most beautiful, although this is difficult to achieve.

Hair is not so easy to follow and maintain. But there is one ingredient that you can use to have better hair growth. Olive oil, you must have heard of it.

So, let us find out how beneficial Olive oil is for your hair care.

1. Is Olive Oil Good for Your Hair?

YES! it is true that Olive oil is good for hair and face care. Although it works variably for several hair textures and hair types, it can easily be added to the routine for your hair care¹ .

Applying olive oil provides various hair benefits, such as promoting hair growth and cleaning up the hair follicles. Because Olive oil works on clogged follicles and improves blood circulation. Also, reduces DHT production (dihydrotestosterone), which helps in preventing hair loss and more.

For the best benefits, after applying Olive oil to your hair and scalp, it is best to wrap your hair using a shower cap. This helps your hair absorb all the nutrients. Around 15-30 minutes later, rinse off with warm water.

You see, this is how much olive oil helps your hair grow and become healthier. Let us see these benefits in a large scope. However, there is no scientific evidence to prove the benefits of olive oil for hair. But the usage and its benefits can be seen among Olive oil users.

2. Benefits of Olive Oil – Best for Hair Growth

Since we are talking about whether olive oil is good for hair growth, it is important to look for its benefits for different hair textures and types. So, let us start with it!

2.1. Fine Hair

Its richness in polyunsaturated fatty acids such as Omega-3 and 6 helps boost hair and scalp health. The one with the fine hair type can use it to get stronger and thicker hair. It becomes easy for the oil to get absorbed by the hair shaft. This helps to increase the strength of hair strands.²

2.2. Coarse Hair

Its moisturizing properties help the coarse hair type to become soft and smooth. Olive oil treatment for coarse hair helps smooth the hair and bring shine by benefiting the outer hair cuticles. This hair type is vulnerable to breakage along with a larger number of split ends. Olive oil prevents hair loss, and repairs split ends. This is why coarse hair types need to work more to take care of the hair.

2.3. Straight Hair

It helps weigh down the straight hair strands. Also, the hair loss control property of Olive oil helps to give volume to your hair. Further, it also makes your hair thick and stronger. The presence of fatty acids and antioxidants in olive oil increases hair growth.

2.4. Kinky or Curly Hair

Olive oil can improve hair elasticity, which helps people with kinky or curly hair detangle hair twists. The hair entangling leads to hair breakage in this type of hair texture. So, Olive oil acts as a lubricant for your hair and helps to form a smooth layer on the hair strands. This helps to soften and smooth the curls.

2.5. Dry Hair

Olive oil benefits the dry hair type as well as the dry scalp. Because of its moisturizing properties and nourishment. Extra virgin olive oil is better for dry hair type as it is rich in polyphenols that provide anti-inflammation properties. Also, it increases the number of derma papilla cells for hair growth.

2.6. Thick Hair

The thick hair is benefitted by olive oil as it softens the hair and makes it silky. Also, it helps in providing moisture. Thick hair, if coarse, can be very prone to breakage. But oiling prevents hair loss ³and provides strength. Moreover it also helps to smooth your hair.

It is a great ingredient that can help in all ways to protect your heat from sunburn temperature. Also, it promotes healthy hair growth. Let us see how Extra virgin Olive oil differs from other oils.

3. How is Extra Virgin Olive Oil Different?

Extra virgin Olive oil is the most advantageous of all the other forms. This is because it undergoes the least manufacturing process, which prevents its natural oils from being in it.

Otherwise, the olives’ harsh chemical and repetitive processing rip off most of their oils. All this is done to increase the shaft life of these products.

Extra virgin Olive oil contains a higher number of plant polyphenols than processed Olive oil. It is also rich in vitamins and antioxidants.

Olive oil contains essential oil, and hence, about 73% of it is made up of monosaturated fatty acids called oleic acid. Further, it comprises polyunsaturated fatty acids like Omega-3 or Omega-6. Lastly, the remaining 14% of saturated fats and other oils.

4. Few Hairs of Olive Oil that Stimulate Hair Growth

In the previous section, we learned about olive oil’s potential health benefits for hair growth. Now, it’s time to see how cosmetic science uses olive oil for hair benefits. The hair care industry is full of Olive oil products, and we will discuss a few of them today in this section.

4.1. Khadi Natural – Olive Oil

It is an affordable range of Olive oil for hair and skin care. It is a multi-purpose oil that, when applied to the hair, helps moisturize the hair strands and gives you a frizz-free look. For best results, slightly warm olive oil can be applied before bathing.

4.2. Earth and Pure – Extra Virgin Olive Oil

It is an additive-free product that is extracted without using chemical processes. It helps in making your hair thicker, glossier, and stronger by getting easily absorbed by the scalp.

4.3. WishCare – Cold Pressed Olive Oil

It contains natural nutrients, vitamins E and A, essential fatty acids, and antioxidants. It comes with an oil applier combing cap. For better results, warm it up a little and then apply Olive oil to your hair⁴.

4.4. Nature’s Absolute – Cold Pressed Olive Oil

It is like a natural hair moisturizer that helps cure itchiness and remove dandruff. Further, it gives you silky and nourished hair with the goodness of its chemical-free manufacturing process.

4.5. Dabur Vatika Naturals – Spanish Olive Hair Oil

It is filled with the goodness of 7 Ayurvedic Herbs for strong and long hair. It helps strengthen the hair follicles and control hair falls.

4.6. FIGARO – Hair Olive Oil

It is suitable for all hair types, and it is sulphate-free. Also, it is a multi-purpose Olive oil that is beneficial for skin care, cooking as well as your hair. It is also applied as a hair pack that is also rich in anti-oxidant.

4.7. Okay Pure Naturals – Olive oil for Hair

It is made up of pure Olive oil that can be used for the removal of dandruff or for deep conditioning of your hair too. It helps in maintaining the elasticity of your hair strands and nourishes them. Thus making them stronger than before.

4.8. Palmers – Olive Conditioning Spray Oil

It is a cold-pressed extra virgin Olive oil that is not only paraben or phthalates-free but also, mineral oil and gluten-free. Also, it works as a therapy for your hair and scalp with the goodness of vitamin E in it.

It removes itchiness and balances the scalp to strengthen it and increase the shine of your hair. Moreover, the application of Olive oil becomes easy with its spraying formula.

These are some hair care Olive oils that are suitable for hair care. Try and find out the best match for you.

Suggested reading: Is Jojoba Oil Good For Hair: 9 Facts to Know

5. Final Note

So, you see how beneficial it is to use Olive oil for hair growth. It not only promotes hair growth but also helps reduce hair fall. Use olive oil as a main ingredient in hair masks or cosmetics to strengthen your hair shaft. Moreover, for beauty benefits such as in skincare routine, people use Olive oil as it has to moisturizes too.

It is highly recommended that you contact a dermatologist immediately if you find any irritation or any other issue using Olive oil. Although it is not severely effective, precautions are better than cure. So, do not ignore any problem caused to you. Also, a few hair Olive oil products are mentioned in the previous section. Go, try, and find the BEST for your hair.

1. Hielscher, Sabine, Tom Fisher, and Tim Cooper. “How often do you wash your hair? design as disordering: everyday routines, human object theories, probes and sustainablity.” (2007). ↩︎
2. Fernández, Estibalitz, et al. “Efficacy of antioxidants in human hair.” Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology 117 (2012): 146-156. ↩︎
3. Rajput, R. “Understanding hair loss due to air pollution and the approach to management.” Hair Ther Transplant 5.133 (2015): 2. ↩︎
4. Park, Sun-Yee. “The study on safety of olive oil production ozonized of hair and skin improvement.” Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology 32.3 (2015): 583-587. ↩︎

Last Updated on March 7, 2024 by Sathi Chakraborty, MSc Biology