Hair oiling isn’t just a step in a routine. It’s a memory, a ritual — passed down with love, from one generation to the next. But while the tradition holds strong, the oils we use today often don’t live up to that legacy.

Some oils look glossy and smell lovely, but beneath the surface, they offer very little. Or worse — they quietly harm. So here’s the real question: Is your hair oil actually feeding hair, or just dressing it up?

You’ll often find it on labels as paraffinum liquidum or white oil. Sounds harmless, right? But it’s actually a petroleum byproduct — yes, the same base used in industrial lubricants.

It’s cheap, easy to process, and gives hair that instant silky feel. But that gloss is just a cosmetic illusion.

Because of its large molecular size, mineral oil sits on the surface of hair—it doesn’t penetrate the strand or deliver any real hydration. Instead, it forms a film that can trap dirt, clog pores, and block essential moisture and nutrients from reaching the scalp and hair roots. Over time, this can leave hair looking dull, feeling heavy, and more prone to breakage.

Because of its large molecular size, mineral oil sits on the surface of hair—it doesn’t penetrate the strand or deliver any real hydration. Instead, it forms a film that can trap dirt, clog pores, and block essential moisture and nutrients from reaching the scalp and hair roots. Over time, this can leave hair looking dull, feeling heavy, and more prone to breakage.

Now contrast that with cold-pressed oils - pure oils extracted without heat or chemicals. This gentle method keeps all the oil’s natural nutrients intact, including essential fatty acids, vitamins (like A, D, E, and K), and antioxidants that actually feed hair.

For example cold-pressed coconut oil can enter the hair shaft and reduce protein loss, making strands stronger from within. Argan, olive, and sesame oils are rich in nourishing compounds like oleic and linoleic acid, which help moisturize the scalp, protect against breakage, and restore elasticity. These oils also offer antioxidant protection from environmental stress—something mineral oil simply can’t do.

Mineral oil isn’t the only hidden danger in many commercial hair oils.

Silicones (e.g., dimethicone) : Add artificial shine but build up over time, suffocating strands and making hair dull and dry underneath.

Synthetic fragrances : Can irritate sensitive scalps and contain undisclosed chemicals.

Preservatives and stabilizers (like parabens or BHT) : Prolong shelf life but offer no hair benefits—and some may disrupt the scalp’s microbiome.

Colorants and emulsifiers : Added only for aesthetics, not care.

Refined vegetable oils : Often stripped of nutrients and bleached or deodorized, giving you oil that’s lifeless and nutrient-poor.

True hair care isn’t about faking gloss — it’s about giving hair what it truly needs to grow, glow, and thrive.

When oiling is done with purpose — using cold-pressed, herb-infused oils — hair is brought back to life. It feels better. It grows stronger. It remembers how to be healthy.

So next time you reach for a bottle, pause and peek at the ingredients. If it’s full of petroleum byproducts and artificial shine, it might be time to let it go — and return to the kind of hair oiling your grandmother would’ve been proud of.

Because hair doesn’t just need oil. It needs care.