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Leave-In Conditioner Vs. Oil: Which One Is Better?

Buyer's Guide

Generally speaking, a leave-in conditioner is better than hair oil. The number of beneficial ingredients inside a leave-in conditioner is better for the hair. 

However, hair oils often have more natural ingredients, and if you really like hair products with natural ingredients, then hair oil might be the better option for you.

In addition, to leave-in conditioner vs. hair oil, you can also use both. We’ll get more in-depth about this here below.

Studies have shown that a leave-in conditioner is better than hair oils, but both have different effects and are used for different causes.

With that said, let’s dig deeper into the pros and cons.

Pros and Cons of Leave-In Conditioner

Leave-In Conditioner

You probably know that a leave-in conditioner has its pros and cons. Let’s dig deeper into that and see if it suits you.

Pros

  • It makes the hair very soft and smooth.
  • Keeps the hair strong while blowdrying or using styling tools
  • Reduces frizziness
  • Great scent and stays in the hair throughout the day

Cons

  • Using too much can weigh the hair down.
  • It can feel very heavy when you have thick hair.
  • Getting greasy hair is a common problem.

Pros and Cons of Hair Oil

Hair Oil

For hair oils, there are, of course, pros and cons. We’ll compare both and see which suits your hair type the most.

Pros

  • Prevents the hair from breakage
  • It helps the hair stay moisturized and smooth.
  • It makes the mare more manageable for styling.

Cons

  • It won’t make the hair thicker or stronger.
  • Applying oil to the hair might not feel good.
  • It can smell strong if you don’t like certain oils.

Should You Use Both Leave-In Conditioner and Oil?

Yes, both products can be used for hair care. What’s important is not to use both products daily. Using them daily can cause the hair to feel very heavy and oily. To avoid this, it’s recommended to use them every other day.

I’ve tried 20+ different conditioners and hair oils, what I noticed from those products is that you shouldn’t use too much of it. If the hair starts weighing down and feels heavy, you probably used too much.

The worst thing is that you have to wash your hair again or just let it sit for the day. Washing the hair multiple times a day can stress out the hair follicles. So, try avoiding that and only wash your hair every other day.

Leave-in conditioners are great to keep the hair smooth and moisturized, whereas hair oils make the hair shinier and healthier. Both have great benefits. Try looking into the product that suits you the most.

If you haven’t been using one of these products already, I highly recommend you do. It has many great benefits and will improve damaged or dry hair drastically.

All in all, hair products should be used with care. Using both products and some more is fine but keep in mind to use it in moderation.

Can You Combine Leave-In Conditioner with Hair Oil?

Can You Mix Different Shampoos

Yes, you can combine leave-in conditioner with hai oil, but it’s not recommended. Different hair products give different results. Therefore, it’s not smart to use them both together.

Keep in mind that you can use them after each other but don’t mix them and apply them to the hair. You don’t know what it’s going to cause, and there might be bad effects that can happen.

After being a hairstylist for many years myself, I can say that I’m a decent professional in this field. If you’re a beginner with a budget, get the leave-in conditioner.

That will have more benefits for you and probably give better results. It’s not something you can decide in a couple of seconds, but leave-in conditioners are better overall.

If you don’t know which one to buy, you can buy them together and see what works best for you. It’s pretty affordable and won’t break the bank. 

Something that happens often is that people mix different shampoos together. This can work if the shampoo doesn’t have chemicals inside that make it worse. However, combining leave-in conditioner and hair oil isn’t great.

The products won’t match each other and probably give different results. 

What Happens If You Leave Conditioner In Your Hair Overnight?

Nothing will happen if you leave the conditioner in the hair overnight. It won’t have any benefits. It’s basically pointless to apply leave conditioner overnight since it will only have effect for a couple of minutes.

Conditioners are made to use throughout the day and not overnight. It can make the hair very heavy. Some side effects that you might see are clogged scalp pores or extremely greasy hair. 

If you aren’t sure, try to use hair masks overnight, those are great for the hair and won’t have bad side effects. Many people are using hair masks since they’re really good and keep the hair soft and shiny.

Leaving hair oil overnight in the hair is far better than conditioner, but if you have the budget try to use hair masks.

What Happens If You Leave Oil In Your Hair Overnight?

How To Get Asian Hair

Leaving hair oil overnight will make the hair moisturized. However, it can also make the pillow very oily. To avoid this, it’s recommended to use hair oil right before bed or when showering. This will soften the hair and add nourishment.

Generally speaking, what happens if you leave the oil overnight, is that your hair will be extra soft and shiny the next day. However, when sleeping with oil in the hair, it could become a huge mess. 

Therefore, it’s better to use it before bed or in the shower. There are tips like sleeping with a towel, but for most people, that isn’t comfortable. 

Keep in mind that people with an oily scalp shouldn’t apply hair oil overnight, it could make the scalp even worse, and your hair will feel very heavy the next day.

Conclusion

As you’ve come to the end of this article, leave-in conditioners are better in general. It has many benefits for the hair and might be worth trying if you haven’t already.

Using too many products or mixing them together is bad, don’t try it yourself. With that said, stay tuned to our blog.

Written by Christina Bowler

We're a team of hair care enthusiast that have been in this industry for a very long time. Since 2019 we've been writing helpful articles to help you find the right tips, tricks, and products that you might want. Feel free to ask us questions on the contact page.

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