Best Hair Oil UK 2026: 11 Oils I Have Actually Tested (Including K-Beauty Favourites)

This is the hair oil that started the entire category for most people, and honestly it still holds up. I use two drops on dry ends after styling and the difference is immediate - hair looks polished, feels softer, and has that expensive salon finish without the crunch. The argan oil base absorbs quickly so you are not left with greasy residue, and the scent is genuinely lovely without being overwhelming. A 100ml bottle lasts me around four months because you need so little each time. It works as a pre-wash treatment too if you have particularly dry or colour-treated hair. At this price point it is not the cheapest option, but the longevity of each bottle makes the cost per use surprisingly reasonable.

If you want to try a hair oil without committing to a premium price, this is where I would start. The Elvive Extraordinary Oil uses six flower extracts and delivers genuinely impressive results for under a tenner. I apply it to damp hair after washing and it cuts my air-dry time noticeably while keeping frizz under control. The formula is lightweight enough for fine hair - something that a lot of drugstore oils get wrong. It doubles as a heat protectant too, which saves a step in your routine. The only reason it does not score higher is the scent can be quite strong if you over-apply, so start with one pump and build up.

This is the Korean hair oil that made me rethink everything I assumed about K-beauty hair care. TREECELL pack nine botanical oils - argan, jojoba, camellia, macadamia, olive, sunflower, avocado, corn, and borago - into a formula that genuinely feels lighter than most single-oil products from UK brands. The hydrolysed keratin and silk protein do something quite clever here: they coat the cuticle without that silicone-y slip that makes cheaper serums feel plasticky. I have been applying two pumps to damp ends after washing and the difference in shine is noticeable within the first use. My split ends looked visibly smoother after a week. At sixteen pounds for 100ml from Skin Cupid, this undercuts most salon oils while delivering results that sit comfortably alongside the Moroccanoil. If you have not explored Korean hair care yet, this is the place to start.

If you have fine hair and every oil you have tried makes it look flat and greasy, try squalane. This is technically a skincare product but it works brilliantly on hair - a few drops smoothed through mid-lengths and ends gives shine without any weight whatsoever. I started using it on my face first and one day tried it on damp ends before bed. Woke up with noticeably softer hair. It is completely fragrance-free and the ingredient list is literally one item: squalane. No silicones, no fragrance, no filler. At under a tenner for 30ml it is also excellent value considering how little you need per application.

This is the priciest oil on the list and it is specifically formulated for hair that has been through it - bleaching, heat damage, chemical treatments. The patented bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate (the same bond-building ingredient in the original Olaplex No.3) works to actually repair broken disulphide bonds rather than just coating the surface. I noticed a genuine difference in my highlights after using it consistently for two weeks. Hair felt stronger when wet and had less breakage during brushing. The downside is the price - at twenty-seven pounds this is a serious investment. But if your hair is genuinely damaged, the repair benefits may justify it over a purely cosmetic oil.

KUNDAL is massive in Korea - they have sold over 100 million units worldwide - and once you try this serum you understand why. The oil-blending technology they use means it absorbs faster than any UK drugstore serum I have tested, with zero stickiness. Macadamia, argan, and almond oils provide proper hydration while the added squalane keeps things lightweight. What sets this apart is the five scent options: Cherry Blossom, White Musk, Amber Vanilla, Pink Grapefruit, and English Rose. I went with Cherry Blossom and the fragrance is subtle enough for daily use but noticeable enough that people ask what you are wearing. At under fourteen pounds for 100ml it sits right next to the L'Oreal Elvive on price but feels considerably more premium. Available from Skin Cupid with UK shipping.

The Nuxe Prodigieuse has been a French pharmacy staple for decades and the formula uses seven botanical oils including argan, macadamia, and sweet almond. What makes this different is that it is a genuine multi-purpose product - I use it on hair, body, and cuticles. On hair specifically, it gives a really natural-looking shine without any stiffness or residue. The dry oil texture means it absorbs in seconds. The scent is warm and slightly floral - it smells expensive. At thirty-three pounds for 100ml it sits in the mid-range, but the fact you can use it head to toe makes it solid value. Apply to dry ends after styling for the best results.

Kerastase is the brand most hairdressers reach for, and the Elixir Ultime uses a blend of marula, argan, camellia, and corn oils. The texture sits between a serum and an oil - it spreads easily and a tiny amount covers a lot of hair. I find it works best applied to towel-dried hair before blow-drying, where it gives serious smoothness and shine. The heat protection element is a bonus if you style regularly. At around sixteen pounds for 75ml this is surprisingly affordable for a Kerastase product, though the smaller bottle size means you will get through it quicker than some competitors.

UNOVE is another Korean brand doing something genuinely different - this oil uses hydrolysed silk protein and silk amino acids to create a coating effect that makes hair feel like actual silk rather than just looking shiny. The five-plant oil complex (olive, sea buckthorn, argan, sunflower, and camellia) provides the nourishment, but it is the silk technology that you notice. After blow-drying with this on, my hair moved differently - smoother, less static, with a soft sheen rather than an oily gleam. If you regularly dye or heat-style and want something that repairs while finishing, this sits nicely between the Olaplex (for serious bond repair) and the Moroccanoil (for everyday polish). The Tender Bloom scent is floral and quite pretty. At twenty pounds for 70ml it is not the cheapest per millilitre, but the silk finish effect is hard to replicate with anything else I have tried. Available from Skin Cupid.

The OGX Argan Oil is one of those products you see absolutely everywhere - Boots, Superdrug, supermarkets - and there is a reason for that. It does a perfectly decent job at taming frizz and adding shine for a reasonable price. The formula is quite rich so I would recommend it for medium to thick hair rather than fine. I use it as a finishing oil on dry hair and it keeps things looking smooth through the day. The scent is pleasant enough but quite synthetic compared to the more premium options on this list. It is not going to repair damaged hair, but as a daily styling oil for frizz control it earns its place.

The Pantene Repair & Protect uses keratin protein to strengthen damaged hair from the inside rather than just coating the surface. At 100ml for under a fiver, the value here is hard to argue with. I apply it as a leave-in on towel-dried hair and it noticeably reduces breakage when brushing - my hairbrush collects far less after a week of use. The texture is lighter than you would expect from a repair oil, so it does not weigh hair down. It also works well as a pre-styling treatment before heat tools. The scent is fairly standard Pantene - clean and fresh but nothing special. If your hair is prone to snapping or splitting and you want something affordable to use daily, this is an easy recommendation.