July 08, 2026

Hair Oils & Curly Hair

What Nobody Tells You About Oils and Curly Hair

If you've spent any time in curly hair communities — Facebook groups, Reddit threads, TikTok comments — you've seen the debate. "Coconut oil saved my curls!" one person says. "Coconut oil destroyed mine!" says the next.

They're both right. And the reason comes down to one thing most people never check: their hair's porosity.

Why the Same Oil Works for One Person and Not Another

Porosity is simply how easily your hair absorbs and retains moisture. It's determined by the condition of your hair's cuticle — the outermost protective layer made up of overlapping scales, a bit like roof tiles.

Low porosity: Cuticle scales lie flat and tight. Water beads on the surface. Hair takes a long time to get wet and a long time to dry. Product tends to sit on top rather than absorb in.
Medium porosity: Cuticle scales are slightly raised. Absorbs moisture well and retains it. This is the "goldilocks" zone — the easiest to manage.
High porosity: Cuticle scales are raised or damaged (from colour, heat, chemical treatments, or just genetics). Absorbs water fast, loses it fast. Feels dry quickly after washing.

Understanding your porosity changes everything about how you choose products — especially oils.

Infographic showing three hair porosity levels with cuticle scale diagrams

The 30-Second Porosity Test

Take a clean strand of hair (no product on it) and drop it into a glass of room-temperature water. Wait 2-4 minutes.

Floats on top: Low porosity
Sinks slowly to the middle: Medium porosity
Sinks to the bottom quickly: High porosity

A few caveats: this test isn't perfect (surface tension can affect results), so also consider how your hair behaves. Does product sit on top? Probably low porosity. Does your hair drink up everything you put on it and still feel dry? Probably high porosity.

Find Your Perfect Oils

Select your porosity type to see which oils work best for you:

Low Porosity — Keep It Light

Your cuticle lies flat and tight, making it hard for heavy oils to penetrate. Lightweight oils with smaller molecular structures can slip through the cuticle and actually hydrate from within — rather than sitting on top creating buildup and greasiness.

Best oils for you:

Argan Oil Lightweight, absorbs easily, rich in Vitamin E and antioxidants

Jojoba Oil Mimics natural sebum, penetrates without coating

Grapeseed Oil Very light, non-greasy, won't weigh curls down

Marula Oil Fast-absorbing, deeply nourishing without heaviness

Pro tip: Apply to soaking wet hair — water opens the cuticle slightly, giving lightweight oils a better chance to absorb. This is exactly why Wuli's Curl Cream (with argan, jojoba, and marula) works best on wet hair.

Use sparingly: Heavy mineral oil and petroleum-based products — they create a barrier your tight cuticle can't absorb through, leading to buildup and weighed-down curls.

Medium Porosity — The Flexible Zone

Your cuticle is partially raised — the sweet spot. Oils absorb well and moisture is retained at a healthy rate. You have the most flexibility in what you can use, so focus on oils that deliver nutrients rather than just sealing.

Best oils for you:

Argan Oil The all-rounder — hydrates, protects, adds shine

Jojoba Oil Balances oil production, great for daily use

Sunflower Seed Oil Rich in Vitamin E, softens without heaviness

Castor Seed Oil Strengthens, adds thickness, supports growth

Pro tip: You can experiment freely. Wuli's Curl Cream combines argan, jojoba, and castor seed oil — a blend specifically chosen to work across porosity types. Apply to damp hair and let it do the balancing for you.

High Porosity — Seal & Protect

Your cuticle is raised or has gaps (from colour, heat, or genetics), so moisture enters fast but escapes just as quickly. You need oils that both penetrate and seal — creating a protective layer that locks hydration inside the hair shaft.

Best oils for you:

Castor Seed Oil Thick, excellent at sealing cuticle gaps and locking moisture in

Shea Butter Creates a protective moisture barrier, deeply nourishing

Marula Oil Penetrates deeply, rich in omega fatty acids

Argan Oil Versatile — hydrates and helps smooth raised cuticles

Pro tip: Apply cream first (while hair is soaking wet), then let it dry. The Curl Cream delivers moisture via argan and jojoba while castor seed oil and shea butter seal it in. For extra protection on day 2-3, refresh with Sea Salt Spray to reactivate without rewetting.

Watch out for: Using oils without a cream or leave-in underneath. Oil alone doesn't add moisture — it only seals what's already there. Always hydrate first, then seal with oil.

The Oils Inside Wuli's Formulas

When we formulated Wuli's range, we specifically chose oils that work across porosity types — because most people don't know their porosity, and a good product should just work.

Our Curl Cream contains:

Argan oil — lightweight, universally effective, rich in antioxidants
Jojoba esters — mimics natural sebum for absorption without heaviness
Botanical seed extracts — plant-derived nutrients that support hair strength

These aren't heavy oils that coat and suffocate your curls. They're lightweight, plant-based oils chosen to hydrate and define without the buildup. Whether you're low, medium, or high porosity, the formula is designed to deliver the right amount of moisture and protection.

That's the beauty of a well-formulated product — you don't need to be a hair scientist. You just need to apply it to wet hair and let it do its job.

Common Oil Mistakes to Avoid

Applying oil to dry hair. On dry hair, oil just sits on the surface. Always apply to wet or damp hair for absorption.
Using too much. A little goes a long way. Start with a pea-sized amount and add more only if needed. You can always add — you can't subtract.
Mixing too many oils. The "cocktail" approach (argan + coconut + castor + jojoba all at once) usually results in greasy, weighed-down curls. Pick one that matches your porosity.
Skipping clarifying. If you use oils regularly, you need to clarify every 2-3 weeks to prevent buildup. Our Deep Detox Shampoo is designed for exactly this.
Applying oil before cream. For most curl types, the order matters: wet hair → cream/leave-in → oil (if needed). Oil should be the last step, sealing moisture in — not the first step, blocking moisture out.

The Bottom Line

Hair oils aren't good or bad. They're tools — and like any tool, they work brilliantly when matched to the job and terribly when they're not.

If you've had a bad experience with oils, you probably used the wrong type for your porosity. Don't swear them off entirely — just get smarter about which ones you use.

Or, take the lazy-proof approach: use a product that's already formulated with theright oils in the right amounts. Less guesswork, better curls.

July special: Every Curl Cream purchase this month includes a FREE Mini Sea Salt Spray (20g). The right oils, already built in — plus a free gift to try our most popular refresher. Just add to cart. Shop Curl Cream →

Want to learn more about what goes into Wuli's formulas? Check out our Truth Bomb video series — short, honest videos about curl care ingredients and techniques.