Hair Oils and Serums

What is hair porosity?

Choosing a hair oil depends mainly on your hair's porosity, meaning how open the hair cuticles are. High porosity hair has wide-open cuticles - it often frizzes, is hard to smooth and style, lacks shine, breaks easily and gets split ends. Low porosity hair has tightly closed cuticles - it is smooth, glossy and resistant to external factors and doesn't frizz, but it can get greasy faster. Medium porosity hair combines features of both: it can be dull and dry, sometimes frizzy, and prone to split ends.

Which oil for which hair?

Oils are rich in fatty acids that make hair stronger, softer, smoother and full of shine. High porosity hair benefits from oils rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6), which coat the hair and protect it from the outside. Medium porosity hair loves oils that form a delicate protective film on the strands, while low porosity hair prefers light formulas that won't weigh it down. Here are our suggestions:

• Róża-Malina Oil by Anwen + Ministerstwo - a universal blend for low, medium and high porosity hair: light macadamia seed, sweet almond and grape seed oils plus raspberry seed and rosehip oils. It smooths and reduces frizz, tangling and static, and application tests confirm that hair becomes more bouncy and glossy. Vegan, dermatologically tested, 50 ml in a glass bottle with a pump.
• Raspberry Seed Oil - a light, velvety oil that works well for high porosity hair: it moisturises, smooths and helps tame frizz.
• Plum Kernel Oil - a light oil with a marzipan scent, a great choice for medium porosity hair. It prevents split ends and leaves hair smooth and glossy.
• Sweet Almond Oil - a cold-pressed classic in a large 140 ml pump bottle, recommended for medium porosity hair. It helps with split ends and adds shine, and it's also handy for the whole family's skin care.
• Blackcurrant Seed Oil - a light oil rich in omega acids that reduces frizz, smooths and doesn't weigh hair down.
• Sugarcane Squalane - ultra-light and fragrance-free, ideal for protecting the ends of healthy hair without weighing it down.

How to oil your hair?

There are several ways to oil your hair, and it's worth testing which one suits you best. You can apply oil to all of your hair, and also to the scalp if it is dry and prone to irritation. Oiling from mid-length to the ends makes hair more resistant to damage and dryness. The classic ritual is applying oil about half an hour before washing - this is how we recommend using Róża-Malina oil. You can oil dry or damp hair (for example, hair misted with a hydrosol), using a single "solo" oil or mixed with conditioner. After oiling, simply wash your hair with a gentle shampoo and follow with conditioner.

Ends serum - a drop that makes a difference

The ends are the oldest part of the hair and the most prone to breakage, so protecting them after washing is a good habit for any length. Just rub a drop of oil between your palms and smooth it over the ends of damp or dry hair. Róża-Malina oil works beautifully as a smoothing ends serum, and for hair in good condition, light squalane is an excellent choice. It's easy to overdo oil, so start with a little and add more if needed.

If your scalp needs more than oil, the Anwen + Ministerstwo line offers the Róża-Malina scalp lotion with caffeine, biotin and ginseng extract, which supports hair growth and reduces hair loss. Not sure which oil to choose? Raspberry seed oil, plum kernel oil and squalane are available in small 30 ml bottles - a great way to find out what your hair loves.