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Japanese skin and hair care products often contain oils because they are great for your skin and hair. Oils can protect your hair from harsh external elements such as UV rays and general air pollution, but they are mainly used to moisturize, so are also ideal for consumers with dry or damaged hair.
Additionally, if you’ve ever spent time in Japan during the summer months, you’ll already know that the humidity is high, especially during the rainy season, causing hair to frizz and curl. Hair oils are just one way you can help to keep your hair smooth and shiny in these conditions.
What Kinds Of Ingredients Do Japanese Hair Oils Use?
Many Japanese hair oils contain natural botanical ingredients like tsubaki oil (Japanese Camellia seed oil) that helps to moisturize and protect your hair to restore its natural shine. Camellia oil has many benefits for hair and is rich in oleic acid, which is similar to the natural oils produced by our scalp. This makes it highly moisturizing and nourishing. It helps to seal in moisture, preventing dryness and frizz and keeps the hair hydrated and soft.
Tsubaki oil has a lightweight texture that is easily absorbed by the hair, adding a natural sheen and gloss to it. It smooths the cuticles, allowing light to reflect off the hair surface, resulting in a more lustrous and shiny appearance.
How Often Should You Use Japanese Hair Oil? When To Use It?
How often you apply hair oil and when is really down to the type of product you are using and your hair type. Within this article, you’ll learn that some products can be applied to damp or dry hair and used on a daily basis whilst others are better used before bedtime as more of a deep conditioning treatment. You can also find recommendations for Japanese hair oils based on your hair type, whether its coarse, fine or frizzy!
How we decided
Now let’s take a look at some of the best Japanese hair oils available to order online and their benefits!
Our recommendations
- Limited
Best Salon-Quality Hair Oil
Napla N. Polish Oil
This salon-quality premium hair oil is created by Napla, who has been producing hair care products and other cosmetics since 1959. Their factory in Tokushima prefecture benefits from access to a pure water source from a nearby mountain stream which it uses as a base ingredient for its products. This focus on pure and natural ingredients also helps reduce damage to your hair and scalp. Other natural ingredients include organic botanical oils and shea butter.
The Napla N. Polish Oil is a popular treatment used in salons for styling and conditioning hair. It should be applied from mid-length to the ends to give your hair extra shine and a wet finish and can also be used as a leave-in treatment. This product also has a pleasant citrusy fragrance of mandarin orange and bergamot.
Pros
- Lightweight shine
- Organic oils tame frizz fast
- Silicon-free
Cons
- Dispenser hard to control
- Contains fragrance
Best Vegan Hair Oil
Diane Be True Damage Repair & Moisture Vegan Hair Oil
This 100% vegan and cruelty-free Japanese brand was founded on the belief that both science and nature are important in the development of their haircare products, and this reflects in their research into the ingredients they use which are sustainably grown and sourced.
Ideally suited for consumers who are looking to repair dry or damaged hair, this product contains over 90% of natural and organic plant oils, including ingredients such as refreshing basil, celery, cassis, and pink pepper to create a green fruity scent.
It has a non-greasy and non-sticky texture and contains plant-derived keratin and sugar squalane, that cooperate effectively with natural and organic oils such as avocado oil and cactus oil to repair damaged hair.
Pros
- Vegan keratin repairs damage
- Non-greasy gloss with plant oils
- Green fruity scent invigorates
Cons
- Contains fragrance
Best Hair Oil For Dry Hair
Shiseido Tsubaki Oil Perfection Japanese Rinse-Free Hair Oil
Shiseido is the largest cosmetics company in Japan and has been making skin, body, and hair care products for more than 150 years.
Tsubaki Oil Perfection is a rinse-free hair conditioner that can be added to your hair routine after bathing. Its benefits to hair include damage repair, hydration, hair glossing, and heat protection. This oil is mainly for dry hair and can be applied after you blow-dry. It’s non-greasy and should be smooth as you run a comb through it.
Tsubaki oil has many benefits when used in haircare products. It’s rich in oleic acid, which is similar to the natural oils produced by our scalp. This makes it highly moisturizing and nourishing for the hair. It helps to seal in moisture, preventing dryness and frizz, and keeps the hair hydrated and soft.
Tsubaki oil also contains antioxidants to strengthen and protect hair, and it has a lightweight and non-greasy texture, making it suitable for fine hair as well as thick hair.
Best Hair Oil For Glossy Hair
Milbon Plarmia Hair Serum Oil M
Milbon hair products benefit from rigorous scientific testing to ensure that the ingredients they use are high-performing, high quality, and long-lasting, and emphasizing the importance of reducing long-term damage to your hair.
The Milbon Plarmia collection of oils uses plant-based ingredients to restore and revitalize dry and damaged hair. Hair Serum M is designed to help restore the shine to your hair and also provides heat protection when styling.
This particular product is designed for coarse hair, but there is another formula available that is better suited to fine to medium hair too. It has been rated 5-stars by our customers who love the shine it adds to their hair after use.
Pros
- Evening primrose locks moisture
- Smooths stiff strands shiny
- Heat shield eases blow-dry
Cons
- Contains fragrance
- Not for fine/medium hair
Best Multi-Purpose Hair Oil
Oshima Tsubaki Pure Natural Japanese Camellia Oil
This highly-rated product from Oshima is popular with Japanese Taste customers who use it not only on their hair but on their skin and nails too for an impressive moisturizing effect.
Oshima Tsubaki uses Japanese Camellia oil as its principal ingredient, which is known for its restorative and anti-aging properties. It also contains oleic fatty acids (omega 9) that are highly effective at retaining skin and hair moisture.
Other key benefits of this product include moisturizing, softening, and protecting your hair from air pollution. It also helps to treat scalp itchiness and dandruff and has a calming effect.
Oshima Tsubaki Pure Natural Japanese Camellia Oil helps with dry or dull-looking hair and split ends and can also be applied to your skin to help repair dry or sun-damaged skin.
This oil is best applied either on dry hair or on damp hair after washing. Simply add a few drops to the palm of your hand and massage into your scalp and hair ends.
Pros
- 100% pure and natural
- Versatile for hair skin scalp
- Oleic acids retain moisture
- Additive-free, fragrance-free
Cons
- Glass bottle fragile
- May be heavy for fine hair
Best Hair Oil For Damaged Hair
Yolu Calm Night Repair Hair Oil for Damaged Hair
Yolu Calm Night Repair Hair Oil is best used alongside shampoo or other hair treatments if you have damaged or dry hair and your existing hair routine is not quite enough to achieve the level of moisture and radiance you are aiming for.
This oil helps to restore dry or rough hair and split ends and also helps reduce the damaging effects of coloring, and other preservative chemicals.
This oil can also be used on your scalp and is ideal to use on your hair before bedtime because its refreshing fragrance of bergamot and blackcurrant (cassis) berries promotes restful sleep.
Pros
- Ceramide mends split ends overnight
- Scalp-safe
- Silicone-free, mineral oil-free
Cons
- Does not add hair volume
- Contains fragrance
Best Natural Hair Oil
Horiuchi Tsubaki Oil Pure Versatile Camellia Oil from Kyushu
Horiuchi Tsubaki Oil Pure Versatile Camellia Oil from Kyushu is a 100% pure and natural Japanese camellia seed oil, which has been a beauty staple in Japan for centuries. This oil is made from premium, selected camellia seeds grown in Kyushu and is known for its ability to moisturize the skin, repair dryness, and keep hair soft, shiny, and healthy. It deeply penetrates the hair shaft to repair damage from within, leaving a light, fresh, feminine fragrance.
This natural camellia oil is extremely versatile and can be used on the entire body. It can be applied to treat dry, cracked skin on the heels, elbows, and knees, used as a replacement for hand cream, mixed with conditioner for extra hair hydration, or even used as a natural, gentle, moisturizing makeup remover or cleansing oil. It has a thick, non-sticky texture that absorbs quickly when applied to the skin or hair.
Pros
- Kyushu-sourced pure hydrates deep
- For hair, face, hand & body repair
- Can be used as a makeup remover
- Additive-free, fragrance-free
Cons
- Remover: Not for oily skin
Best Hair Oil For Frizzy Hair
Milbon Plarmia Enriched Day Essence Hair Oil for Dry Hair
Milbon Plarmia Enriched Day Essence Hair Oil for Dry Hair is an ideal addition to your daily hair care routine to help protect your hair and reduce frizz.
As with all their hair oils, Milbon places emphasis on researching the most effective and long-lasting ingredients. While ingredients such as apricot oil and rice bran oil help to moisturize your hair, their special formula won’t leave it looking greasy.
Pros
- Apricot rice oils anti-frizz
- Even spread little greasy
- Resists dryness
Cons
- Contains fragrance
Best Smelling Hair Oil
Allna Organic Hair Essence Salon Exclusive Hair Styling Serum
Allna Organic is a Japanese cosmetics company that focuses on using high-quality natural and organic ingredients to ensure that their products are gentle on the skin and hair. The Allna Organic Hair Essence Salon Exclusive Hair Styling Serum is used by professional hair stylists in Japan to help repair dry or damaged hair.
This special hair serum is made with 25 kinds of natural plant oils such as avocado oil, jojoba seed oil, camellia seed oil, shea butter, and olive fruit oil. It is perfect for use on the ends of the hair after heat styling, as it will not only prevent further damage to the hair but will also help to keep your hairstyle in place all day long.
This product also has a lovely fragrance of tea tree, lavender, and orange and can also be used as a light hair mask.
Pros
- 25 plant oils define elastic
- Guards against heat damage
- Additive-free
Cons
- Contains fragrance
Best Hair Oil That Can Be Used As A Heat Protectant
Milbon Plarmia Hair Serum Oil F
The Milbon Plarmia collection helps to reconstruct broken and damaged hair cells while hydrating dull or distressed hair. Like Hair Serum M featured earlier in this article, Serum F is also designed to help restore the shine to hair and provide heat protection from heat when styling, however, this hair oil is better used on fine to medium hair.
To apply, simply add to towel-dried hair from mid-length to the ends. You can blow-dry afterward or allow your hair to dry naturally. Our customers love this product for its lightweight texture, great smell, and silky, shiny effects.
Pros
- Jojoba oil locks in moisture
- Repairing damage
- Heat protection & easy styling
Cons
- Not for coarse/thick hair
- Contains fragrance
Most Moisturizing Hair Oil
&honey Deep Moist Hair Oil 3.0 Hair Treatment
In 2018 ViCREA launched their &honey organic honey-based product line which focuses on hair hydration with natural ingredients. It has since become a hugely popular and award-winning hair and skincare range.
ViCREA &honey Deep Moist Hair Oil 3.0 Hair Treatment is designed to moisturize and restore your hair from the roots. Its premium quality ingredients include New Zealand Manuka honey, Japanese raw honey, and royal jelly extract, which help to hydrate and improve stiff or tangled hair. ViCREA’s original honey serum also leaves your hair with a shiny gloss.
This product also contains 100% organic certified Moroccan argan oil to deeply hydrate your hair whilst minimizing damage to your scalp.
Pros
- Honey restores inside
- Argan hyaluronic glossy soft
- Mineral oil-free, antioxidant-free
Cons
- Contains fragrance
Looking for more hair oils? Check out our hair oils collection page and discover all of the best hair oils from Japan!
Want to learn more about Japanese hair products? Check out our article on The Best Japanese Shampoos for Dry and Damaged Hair and The Best Japanese Hair Conditioners and Treatments for Beautiful Shiny Hair.
