How to Properly Use Hair Oils for Curls + Curlsmith Bonding Oil Review

This post is sponsored by Curlsmith. I am an affiliate partner with Curlsmith. All opinions are my own.

Struggling with finding the best way to incorporate oils in your naturally curly hair routine? For today’s video, we’re going back to the basics and covering everything you need to know about hair oils, including:

• What are the purposes of oils
• When do you use oils in your routine
• What are the different types of oils
• Penetrating vs. sealing oils
• How to use the Curlsmith Bonding Oil

Curlsmith also just released their newest edition of the Strength Recipe line, Bonding Oil. This is the first oil in Curlsmith’s lineup! It’s not only designed to add shine and soften the hair but actually helps repair the broken bonds in the hair to strengthen it and protect.

What are the purposes of oils?

• Soften
• Condition but NOT hydrate
• Seal in moisture
• Provide slip
• Protect the hair
• Add shine
• Tame some frizz but NOT prevent it entirely

When do you use oils?

• As a pre-poo step, prior to washing the hair to protect from cuticle damage
• When dry detangling to provide slip
• Added to deep conditioners
• At the end of your routine, to soften the gel cast, seal in moisture, and add shine

Types of Oils

Natural oils: naturally derived and won’t build up, can be low in shine and tough to absorb in their pure form

Bonding oils: contain added benefits to strengthen & repair the hair

Silicone-based oils & serums: provide humidity protection, high shine, but may build up over time

Penetrating vs. Sealing Oils

There are 3 types of oils: penetrating, sealing, and some that can do both. Each type of oil serves different purposes because not all oils can soak into the hair.

Penetrating oils are small enough to absorb into the hair but evaporate eventually.

Sealing oils sit on the surface and create a protective barrier or film on the hair.

Some oils fall in between and can absorb some but also seal.

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How to Choose an Oil for Your Hair Type

In general, most all oils will work with all hair types. There’s a couple of considerations:

• Weight of the oil: Heavy oils are best for coarse hair types and light oils are best for fine hair that gets weighed down
• Penetration ability: Low porosity hair struggles to absorb anything, so penetrating oils can actually get through the cuticle. High porosity hair benefits most from sealing oils to help coat the cuticle. A large amount of oils can do both!
• Purpose/step in your routine: Are you trying to do an oil treatment and want maximum penetration, or are you finishing off your style and want to seal in moisture?

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Curlsmith Bonding Oil

Curlsmith’s new Bonding Oil contains both penetrating and sealing oils, so it works to repair damage within the hair while also providing shine and softness. It’s lightweight, so it won’t weigh down fine hair, feel greasy or leave a residue on the hair. It contains keratin but will not cause protein overload.

• Vegan Keratin: Chickpea, Quinoa and Lentil
• Castor oil: seals ad smoothes split ends
• Sea Buckthorn oil: softens & adds shine
• Apricot Kernel oil: smooths and adds shine
• Olive and Shea: formulated to be lightweight & nourishing

How to Use Bonding Oil:

1. After styling your hair with leave-in/cream, and gel, make sure it’s 100% dry.
2. Apply a few pumps of the oil to palms and rub them together.
3. Smooth over the canopy of the hair.
4. Gently scrunch throughout. Leave some of the gel cast for long-lasting frizz protection.
5. Place hands underneath the hair and shake out the roots for volume.

After using Bonding Oil, my curls felt soft and were not crunchy, but did not have frizz and remained defined. The shine was incredible too! Overall I’ve been impressed and plan to keep using it as a finisher in my routine. I might try it as a pre-poo oil next!

If you’re interested in trying Bonding Oil or any of Curlsmith’s products, you can use my code GENAMARIE10 for 10% off your first order.

If you try it out, DM me your photos and your thoughts on IG @genamarie.co!