Since twisting my hair for the winter, i’ve found it necessary to incorporate some new techniques into my regime. One of these is known as Oil Rinsing and it has worked wonders.

What Is Oil Rinsing

Oil rinsing is normally an extra step between shampooing and conditioning that promises to make detangling a breeze, make your hair retain moisture much better and increase softness and shine. It’s like a hot oil treatment done while you are in the shower.

What seems to make oil rinsing work so well is that the shampooing process is done before oil is applied, so any natural oils lost during shampooing are immediately replaced. Also, if the right amount of oil is applied, (not too much) the tresses will not be left greasy after the final rinse but will dry soft with much better moisture retention. Conditioning straight after the oil prevents too much of it from being left on the strands but enough is left to allow it to dry soft.

Oil rinsing is only recommended if your hair is going to be worn in a heat free style. If you are going to blow-dry or flat iron your hair after washing then it’s best to leave this step out and apply a protective serum before adding heat.

Instructions

• Shampoo your hair, if you are co washing only then just rinse your hair but make sure it gets soaked.
• Coat your wet hair with about a handful of your favourite oil like olive, jojoba, castor etc.
• Rinse the oil off with hot water
• Apply conditioner to your strands liberally
• Detangle. This should be quick and painless!
• Rinse with cool water
• Apply your leave in conditioner and seal

How I Apply Oil Rinsing Techniques

Protective twists can leave my hair clumped and rather hard to detangle in the shower. Especially if i’ve left it in for more than a week. What normally takes me a short time (when my hair is left out) is taking me much longer now. If i don’t take care in detangling my hair, then the benefits of keeping my hair in twists are brought to nought, as bad detangling sessions can really break the hair and cause split ends and loss of length. Since i’ve added oil rinsing to my washing routine it’s made this step a whole lot easier!

What I Do

1. After i take down my twists i pre-poo overnight with my oil mix (and a little mist of my spritz or Aloe Vera gel for added moisture) or at least 10-20 mins before washing
2. Once i’m in the shower i completely saturate my hair with water
3. Next i divide my hair into four sections, clip up three of them and apply a liberal amount of the same oil mix to the remaining section.
4. I continue to rinse my hair with water whilst separating my strands (I do this for a few minutes)
5. If i’m shampooing, i then proceed to shampoo the section of hair and scalp, squeezing off the excess and applying a little conditioner before rinsing.
6. I apply a little more oil and then add my detangling conditioner
7. I detangle first with my wide tooth comb and then very carefully with my Denman brush (This is much easier since finger detangling with the oil in steps 3 and 4)
8. I twist the section and clip it up
9. I proceed to do steps 3-8 for the remaining sections.
10. I then rinse my hair fully with the twists still in until all the conditioner is removed
11. If i’ve shampooed then i’ll proceed to DC, if not then i’ll apply my leave-in and shea butter mix and air-dry

My Verdict

Oil Rinsing leaves my hair super soft and really helps to separate my strands after a week (or two) in twists. It makes detangling my hair much easier and saves me much headache and breakage. I love the way my hair feels afterwards.

I would definitely recommend Oil Rinsing to anyone who is searching for easier detangling and ultra softness after washing. I would especially recommend it to those whose hair has been in protective styles such as twists or braids, or any styles that leave your hair quite tangled.