Stress, the environment, and even your genes can all hurt the beautiful, long hair you’ve been working so hard to get or keep. There is no one-size-fits-all answer to hair loss, and fighting it or thinning it takes time, research, and a lot of trial and error. Using the right shampoo and conditioner, scalp scrubs, and hair masks can help your hair grow. But if you want to protect and nourish your hair, a hair oil might be the answer.
Dr. Lauren Penzi, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, says, “Hair oils can be good for your scalp and hair in a lot of ways.” Some of them may just sit on top of your hair, but many new formulas are full of ingredients that are good for your scalp and won’t clog your pores or weigh your hair down. “They want to keep the hair follicles and scalp healthy and free of inflammation. They also want to make the hair shafts stronger and help the hair grow. Look for products that are pure and don’t have too many additives that could irritate your skin.
The best hair growth oils for 2026 are
- HoliRoots Hair Oil
- Best Oil Before Washing
- Fable & Mane HoliRoots Hair Oil
- Rosemary Mint Oil for Strengthening Hair and Scalp
- Best for styles that protect
- Rosemary Mint Scalp & Hair Strengthening Oil from Mielle Organics
- Oil for Healing
- Best for Hair That Is Thinning
- Healing Oil of Virtue
Regular hair oil that you rub into your strands and ends won’t always work. Hair growth oils and serums are made with a lot of ingredients that are known to help your scalp and hair stay healthy. Dr. Garshick, a board-certified dermatologist and clinical assistant professor at Cornell University in New York City, says that “different hair oils may have different types of fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamins, which give each its own properties that could help promote hair growth.”
Getting the right hair growth oil for your strands is important for keeping your hair as healthy as possible. We looked into, tried out, and talked to hair experts to find the 16 best oils for hair growth for all types and textures of hair.
Best Deal
Carol’s Daughter Goddess Strength 7 Oil Blend is a scalp and hair treatment. Carol’s Daughter Goddess Strength 7 Oil Blend for Hair and Scalp $14 $12 NOW 15% OFF Tag for Best Deal GO TO REVIEW
Pros Pro Before shampooing, it makes hair stronger. Disadvantages Con Some people don’t like the smell.
Fable & Mane’s version of hair oil was made to nourish hair before shampooing, even though most people use it after washing. Ayurvedic rituals inspired HoliRoots, which is full of amla, which is good for your skin, ashwagandha, which is good for your health, and plant root extracts that calm you down.
A reviewer on Sephora said, “I love this pre-wash hair oil treatment.” I think it makes my hair healthier, and it’s a great way to smooth it out before a shower. “I would tell a friend to buy this.”
Rosemary Mint Oil for Hair and Scalp Strengthening
Best for styles that protect Rosemary Mint Scalp & Hair Strengthening Oil from Mielle Organics Now 13% off Ten dollars Nine dollars Amazon
Pros Pro Not too expensive Cons Con Some people may find the smell strong.
The Mielle Organics scalp treatment is full of biotin and essential oils that help hair grow. The oil is great for people who wear protective styles like braids and weaves. It also helps get rid of split ends that can keep your hair from growing as long as it can.
Essential oils of rosemary, mint, castor seed, and jojoba seed are the main ones.
Dr. says, “The combination of rosemary and mint essential oils helps to improve circulation and wake up hair follicles, which helps hair grow and thicken.” Garshick
Oil for Healing
Best for Hair That Is Thinning Oil for Healing Virtue $46 Amazon Think About $39 Nordstrom $46 Neiman Marcus
Good things Pro Encourages fixing Disadvantages Con A small bottle costs a lot.
Vitue is known for making products that help hair grow back and stop hair loss. All of its products contain alpha-keratin, which is similar to the keratin that is already in our skin, hair, and nails and helps strands grow in a healthy way. It’s also Vanessa Hudgens’ favorite.
Main ingredients: extract from gardenia flowers, melon seed oil, and vitamin E
A reviewer on Sephora said, “The virtue healing oil made my hair look soft, smooth, hydrated, and healthy!” The smell of the product is strong, and I like it. The oil is light and more like a serum, and a little goes a long way!”
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- Multi-Peptide Serum for Thicker Hair
The best way to boost density The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density $24 Sephora Think about $24 Amazon Thanks to Sephora
Pros Pro Simple leave-in treatment Disadvantages Con Small container
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This treatment from The Ordinary can help if your hair is thinning or you just want it to grow faster. For best results, use it every night before bed and rub it into your scalp. No need to rinse!
Redensyl, Procapil, Baicapil, castor oil, and caffeine are the main ingredients.
Our expert says, “I’ve had hair loss due to stress before, and this serum has always helped.” My hair looked thicker and fuller almost overnight, and over time, tiny new hairs started to grow all over my head. “Wow, I could see the results so quickly!” —Carol Lee, beauty writer
Hair Oil with Gooseberry Delight
Best Packaging Squigs Beauty Gooseberry Delight Hair Oil $34 squigsbeauty.com Think About $34 Amazon Thanks to Squigs Beauty
Pros Pro Ingredients that make things stronger Cons Con Spout can make things a little messy.
The best-selling oil from Squigs Beauty combines alma oil and gooseberry plant extracts to make a nourishing mix that softens and hydrates hair from root to tip.
Amla extract, coconut oil, apricot oil, and orange peel oil are some of the most important ingredients.
An ELLE Editor says, “I’m not proud to say that I don’t take care of my hair as well as I should, so I always wear it in a protective style.” But this is the oil I like to use on my hair between styles because it’s very light, full of nutrients that my hair needs to stay healthy, and works well with the other products I use.
Serum for Women’s Hair
Simple to Use Nutrafol Hair Serum for Women $69 Amazon Thanks to Amazon
Pros Pro Tested in a lab Pro Some people see results right away. Cons Con Some people don’t like the packaging.
Nutrafol is known for its hair growth supplements, but its hair serum is also very strong. You will notice a difference in the fullness of your hair before you know it if you use it every day.
Important parts: peptides, ashwagandha exosomes, and sea buckthorn
Dr. Garshick says, “This helps to nourish the hair and keep it from breaking while also making it look thicker.” It contains ashwagandha, sea buckthorn, and moringa oil.
Full Scalp and Hair Treatment Oil Before Washing
The best way to refresh your scalp JVN Complete Treatment Oil for Scalp and Hair Before Washing $28 Sephora Also think about $32 Amazon $32 Nordstrom
Pros Pro No buildup Cons Con You have to be dedicated to see results.
This scalp oil has squalane and hemi-squalane in it, which makes it easy to wash out and keeps your hair from getting dirty. Not only does it help clean the scalp, but the ingredients that make it stronger also stop strands that are already weak from breaking. For a really deep clean, leave it on overnight.
Hemi-squalane, rosemary extract, and turmeric extract are the main ingredients.
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One person who reviewed Sephora said, “After one use, I was sold!” My scalp is usually dry, but this didn’t make it worse. It just made my hair look like a princess’s hair, which I like because I’m trying to grow it out.
