While they sound great in theory, I’ve always been wary about trying new hair oils. My fine and fickle hair can go from fresh and bouncy to greasy and lifeless if I so much as look at it the wrong way—so hair oils are a hair care gamble I’m not super inclined to take. But when Odele, the chic and affordable hair-care brand you’ve likely seen at Target, launched a hair oil last month that claimed to suit all hair types….I obviously had to roll the dice and try it out.
The Hair Oil ($12) promises to nourish and repair thirsty strands, while taming frizz and sealing split ends for that coveted, fresh-from-the-salon shine and softness. And it claims to do all this while feeling lightweight enough for all hair types. Sounds like a tall order, I know. But the thing is, it actually works. Read on for why the Odele Hair Oil is now a forever staple in my hair-care routine.
The high-end packaging (and scent to match)
First thing’s first, the Hair Oil looks like pure luxury—the weighty glass bottle (that’s equipped with a pump for added convenience) and modern, minimalist design speaks to my little aesthete heart, and is even more impressive given the affordable, $12 price tag. It’s scented with Odele’s signature, gender-neutral fragrance, Marine, which touts notes of fresh cucumbers, earthy oakmoss, and sweet ylang ylang, but really can best be described as “fancy.” It’s 100-percent plant-derived, too—Odele lists all the oils and extracts it contains on its website, and honestly, I’m here for the transparency (and we’ll get into the smoothing ingredients in one second!).
The silky blend of light and nourishing ingredients
Odele describes its Hair Oil as “concentrated but lightweight,” which sounds like an oxymoron at first but actually makes total sense once you use it. It contains argan oil, a holy grail hair-care ingredient that delivers rich nourishment and shine to dry, frizzy hair.
Its other star ingredient, camellia oil (aka, tea seed oil or tsubaki oil), is a dry oil—which means it absorbs quickly and doesn’t leave a heavy, slick feeling behind. Beyond its featherlight feel, camellia oil is a natural source of antioxidants that boost hair health, and is rich in fatty acids that help repair dry, damaged hair, and enhance its ability to maintain moisture. The Hair Oil also features baobab oil, another dry oil derived from the seeds of baobab trees—which, in addition to strengthening strands and combating frizz, “work[s] to increase hydration of the strands and moisturize the scalp,” Dominic Burg PhD, trichologist and chief scientist at Evolis Professional, previously told Well+Good. It’s this dreamy combo of lightweight and intensely nourishing oils that gives the Hair Oil its silky soft feel.
The experience and results
One to two pumps is all I need (on damp hair) to achieve a hydrated and de-frizzed air-dry that still keeps its natural volume. And I can run my fingers through my strands with zero traces of greasiness. Depending on how I feel (and how much time I have), I’ll also use a pump on dry hair after I blow-dry it and add some flat-iron waves, to replenish any moisture lost while heat-styling and give my hair some shine. I’m consistently delighted by the results.
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My frizz and flyaways? Tamed. Dullness? Never heard of her. Dry ends? They’re hydrated and thriving. The Hair Oil’s smooth, light as air texture is soaked up in a flash, and I can see the difference in the shine and overall vibrance of my hair every time. And the best part is, I never have to worry about it undoing all of my styling efforts with that heavy, greasy feeling I’ve experienced with hair oils in the past.
Photo: Author
Take a gander at the reviews, and it’s clear that Odele shoppers are equally in love. “Love this product,” writes one customer in a 5-star review. “I’ve used other oils and this one is super lightweight and hydrates but doesn’t make my hair oily. I have thin, fine hair and it works wonders.” Another shopper with medium-thick hair says she loves it, too. “I put it in wet hair after a shower at night and it leaves me with nicely separated beachy waves,” she says in a 5-star review. “I also applied [it on] wet hair before a blow dry and flat iron and it kept the style longer, with no flyaways at the roots. Not greasy or oily. This will be replacing my old hair oil.”
So, before you shell out the big bucks on a new bougie hair oil, know that you can find one that’s just as fancy and twice (dare I say thrice?) as effective—for a fraction of the price—in the Odele Hair Oil. Find yours on the Odele website.
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