10 Best Curly Hair Oils to Repair, Strengthen, and Protect Your Coils

01.09.2025, 15:33 allure.com

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Finding the best hair oils for curly hair can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack—every bottle promises shine, frizz control, or hydration, but not every formula delivers. Curly textures are naturally drier and more prone to frizz than straight or wavy hair, which makes choosing the right oil a critical step in any curly hair-care routine. Above all else, it’s important to understand your curl type, porosity, and styling needs, and then find an oil that meets your requirements, but more importantly, nourishes without weighing strands down. To cut through the noise, we tapped curl-savvy hair-care pros to share their insights on which oils actually work best, and how to use them for maximum benefits.

Alongside expert advice, we, the editors, tested formulas across curly textures to highlight the best on the market. Here are the 10 that experts and editors agree on, including frizz-smoothing serums, bond-repairing blends, and moisture-locking formulas that actually work.

Cécred

Ulta Beauty

Why we love it: We all aspire to achieve hair that can withstand a full Beyoncé choreography, and it starts with the right oil. Cécred's Nourishing Hair Oil offers a blend of 13 plant-based oils designed to hydrate, protect, and shine. At the heart of the formula is the African Oil Blend (baobab, moringa, and black seed oils) to keep strands supple and resilient, while sea buckthorn oil replenishes with fatty acids and vitamin E. Bioactive Keratin Ferment takes it a step further, reinforcing the hair’s natural barrier, reducing breakage, and restoring protein for healthier movement with every flip and twirl. Our editor in chief, Jessica Cruel, noted that the silicone-free formula is a win in her book.

The finishing touch? Temple Oud, Cécred’s signature fragrance that lingers with notes of oud, sandalwood, and night-blooming jasmine. Whether worked into braids or smoothed over a fresh blowout, this oil delivers lasting nourishment while looking right at home in its sculptural, vanity-ready bottle.

Allure contributor Jailynn Taylor applying the Cécred Nourishing Hair Oil

Allure contributor Jailynn Taylor after applying the Cécred Nourishing Hair Oil

Tester feedback from contributor Jailynn Taylor

"I've tried countless oils searching for one that nourishes my locs without causing buildup, and the Cécred Nourishing Hair Oil delivers on both fronts. Upon application, my locs feel softer and better sealed with the moisture they need to stay strong and flexible. Rather than sitting on the surface, this oil absorbs well and keeps my locs hydrated for days with a subtle sheen. I apply a few drops to my scalp and along the length of my locs between wash days, and the results are immediate: less dryness, more movement, and easier manageability. The Temple Oud fragrance is pleasant and lingers just enough without being overwhelming." —Jailynn Taylor, contributor

Expert feedback from New York City-based cosmetologist Cataanda James

"I love Cécred Nourishing Hair Oil because of the instant results proven after the first use. In general, there are various benefits to oiling curly hair, and results depend on the type of oils applied. Cécred Nourishing Hair Oil is a blend infused with 13 of the most efficacious oils, no fillers, and is multifaceted, rendering a myriad of benefits without weighing the hair down. It has strengthening properties, absorbs into the cuticle for a transfer-free wear, smooths flyaways, tames frizz, encourages hydration and moisture retention, and the scent is simply alluring! It’s best for medium to thick, curly, or straight, and every texture in between. A little goes a long way. Works on wet or dry curls. This is the only oil that is truly perfect for ALL hair types!

I like to add a few drops to my lightener when bleaching darker hair to lighter shades of blonde for deep penetration and nourishment during the process.” —Cataanda James, New York City-based cosmetologist

More to know

K18

Amazon

Sephora

Allure shopping director Shanna Shipin applying K18 Molecular Repair Hair Oil

Why we love it: Instead of masking damaged hair with surface shine, K18’s Best of Beauty-winning Molecular Repair Hair Oil rebuilds hair strength at the bond level where breakage begins. This biotech-engineered formula uses the brand’s patented K18Peptide. The founder, Suveen Sahib, says other bond-building brands work cosmetically, making the hair look smooth and glossy without fixing the problem, while their formula “works at a deeper level to molecularly change and repair the polypeptide chains that have been broken, as well as reconnecting the disulfide bonds.”

Just a few drops deliver 24 hours of order to frizzy hair, noticeably fewer split ends, and significantly more shine, all while protecting against heat up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. The lightweight texture makes it easy to layer into any routine, whether you’re applying it on damp hair for repair or as a finisher on dry strands for instant gloss. With avocado oil, hemisqualane, and sunflower oil reinforcing hydration, this treatment works like skin care for your hair, correcting damage over time while leaving a polished finish.

Tester feedback from shopping director Shanna Shipin

“My poor curly hair—after many years of continued heat-styling, it needs hair oil like it needs hydration. Which is to say: desperately! But because my hair is low porosity, I find that so many oils just sit on the top of the shaft—rather than penetrate the hair. K18, however, continues to prove itself as a mainstay in my routine, because this oil is simply built different. Not only does it leave your hair with a natural-looking shine, but it restores life, lustre, and bounce. It's a K18 product, so of course it's going to repair the hair while tamping down on damage-induced frizz! A word of caution: A little goes a long, long way! It'll take trial and error, but I would not recommend overusing the product, otherwise, you will be left with greasy-looking strands. If you have finer hair, one drop could truly be all you need for your whole head; for my thick hair, I use two, sometimes three—but that's it! When I use it along with the K18 Leave-In? Compliments galore!” —Shanna Shipin, shopping director

More to know

Kérastase

Amazon

Sephora

Allure commerce producer Sarah Hoffmann applying the Kérastase Gloss Absolu Glaze Drops Anti-Frizz Hair Oil

Why we love it: Instead of coating hair with weight, Kérastase Gloss Absolu Glaze Drops deliver a sheer layer of hydration that absorbs instantly into fine strands. This isn't your typical heavy oil that flattens texture; it's a fast-absorbing elixir infused with wild rose oil, bursting with vitamins A, C, and E to restore, strengthen, and smooth while enveloping hair in a mesmerizing scent. The magic lies in its versatility: Work it through damp hair before styling for moisture that moves with you, or smooth over dry strands as your secret weapon against flyaways and dullness.

Hoffmann before applying the Kérastase Gloss Absolu Glaze Drops Anti-Frizz Hair Oil

Hoffmann after applying the Kérastase Gloss Absolu Glaze Drops Anti-Frizz Hair Oil

Tester feedback from commerce producer Sarah Hoffmann

“I was scared of hair oils for a long time. Adding oil to my already grease-prone scalp? No, thank you very much. But I've learned that curly hair in particular really benefits from a hint of hair oil here and there. Kérastase's lightweight oil is ideal for breaking up the cast formed by my curl shaping products without weighing my hair down, and I use what's left to smooth out the curls that have gone frizzy (there's always a few that refuse to behave). These drops also make all the difference in the world for second-day hair—add a bit to your ends and it looks and feels like you just rinsed out your conditioner.” —Sarah Hoffmann, commerce producer

More to know

Haruharu

Amazon

Allure contributing commerce editor Deanna Pai applying the HaruHaru Black Bamboo Frizz-Free Hair Oil

Why we love it: Porosity can make or break how your hair holds onto moisture, and Haruharu Wonder Black Bamboo Frizz-Free Hair Oil is formulated to adapt no matter where you fall on the straight-to-curl spectrum. At its core is black bamboo water, a nutrient-packed base that hydrates and softens, paired with argan oil and sugarcane-derived squalane to trap in moisture without weighing hair down. Its light texture makes it just as effective for fine hair as it is for thicker strands, smoothing frizz and split ends without leaving residue. To further support strength, the formula layers in a complex of 10 hydrolyzed plant proteins, 17 amino acids, and eight peptides, which work together to repair weak areas and boost elasticity while enveloping your hair in an uplifting citrus blend softened by lavender and geranium.

Pai before applying the HaruHaru Black Bamboo Frizz-Free Hair Oil

Pai after applying the HaruHaru Black Bamboo Frizz-Free Hair Oil

Tester feedback from contributing commerce editor Deanna Pai

"Hair oil and I don't really mix. While I could probably use the frizz control, my hair is so fine that oil just tamps it down at the crown and smushes any bit of volume. That's where this stuff has proved different. Instead of just pairing oil with oil, the argan oil and bamboo water feel a lot more lightweight—think a serum. And while it doesn't completely eliminate my frizz (an impossible task), it gave my hair a nice shine and smoothed some of the flyaways around my hairline." —Deanna Pai, contributing commerce editor

More to know

Camille Rose

Ulta Beauty

Walmart

Why we love it: Camille Rose’s Cocoa Nibs & Honey Ultimate Strength Serum manages to target both breakage and growth simultaneously. This healing blend is powered by Ayurvedic ingredients like virgin amla oil and brahmi, two staples in traditional hair