Key Takeaways

• Pre-wash hair oils are used before shampooing to help protect hair during cleansing, while hair styling oils are used on damp or dry hair to add shine, smooth frizz, and finish your look.
• Hair oils do not hydrate hair on their own, but the right pre-wash oil can help reduce friction, minimize moisture loss, and support softer, shinier-looking hair.
• Some oils can work as both a pre-wash hair oil and hair styler depending on the formula and how you use them. 

Jump to:

• What Is a Pre-Wash Hair Oil?
• Does Pre-Wash Oil Hydrate Hair?
• How to Use a Pre-Wash Hair Oil
• Can You Use OLAPLEX Nº.7 Bonding Oil™ and OLAPLEX º7 Shine Serum Oil Mist Before Washing?
• What Is a Hair Styling Oil?
• How to Use a Hair Styling Oil
• Pre-Wash Hair Oil vs. Hair Styling Oil, at a Glance
• Shine Through It All

Pre-Wash Hair Oil vs. Hair Styling Oil: What’s the Difference?

Hair oils can treat, style, or do both. It depends on the product, when you use it, and how you use it. Here’s what you should know about these types of hair oils and how to use them.

What Is a Pre-Wash Hair Oil?

A pre-wash hair oil is an oil or blend of oils, sometimes with other ingredients, applied to hair before shampooing. Depending on the formula being used, pre-wash hair oils can offer a range of benefits for hair, including:

• Hair buffering. For those who wash hair daily, or need to shampoo back-to-back days, a pre-wash hair oil can act as a protective buffer, so the shampoo strips the added oil without completely depleting the hair's natural oils. 
• Added shine. Certain hair oils can boost your hair’s shine by smoothing the cuticle and reflecting light.
• Detangling. Pre-wash oils provide "slip," helping reduce tangles and knots. Think of it like applying oil to gears. Friction causes wear and resistance, and oil reduces it by lubricating.

Does Pre-Wash Oil Hydrate Hair?

A common misconception is that applying oil to hair hydrates it. Hair oil itself cannot hydrate hair as it doesn’t contain water itself or humectants (water-attracting substances) that draw the water into the shaft… unless you’re using a specific formula that contains them. 

What hair oil does depends on the type of oil used. Some oils mainly coat the hair's outer surface to help reduce moisture loss and smooth the cuticle, while others may penetrate the hair fiber more readily, depending on their composition.

But that doesn't mean pre-wash hair oils aren't worth it. The right oil blends can help reduce hygral fatigue — gradual damage caused by the hair shaft repeatedly swelling with water during washing and shrinking as it dries.

If you want to use a pre-wash oil that does hydrate, look for formulas that incorporate humectants and water.

How to Use a Pre-Wash Hair Oil

1. Comb your hair. Use a wide-tooth comb to gently remove any knots or tangles.
2. Apply to dry hair. Saturate your mid-lengths and ends with your chosen pre-wash hair oil product.
3. Leave oil on your hair for 20-30 minutes. If you wish, you can also leave your pre-wash oil in your hair overnight. Use a shower cap to prevent oil from getting on your clothes, face, and pillowcase.
4. Wash your hair. Thoroughly wash your hair using a shampoo. Use a sulfate-free shampoo, like Nº.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo, followed by Nº.5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner.

Can You Use OLAPLEX Nº.7 Bonding Oil™ and OLAPLEX º7 Shine Serum Oil Mist Before Washing?

Yes, OLAPLEX Nº.7 Bonding Oil™ and OLAPLEX º7 Shine Serum Oil Mist are primarily used as hair-styling oils, but they can also be used before washing, depending on your hair needs and how you plan to use them. 

When used as pre-wash hair oil products, OLAPLEX Nº.7 Bonding Oil™ and OLAPLEX º7 Shine Serum Oil Mist can help:

• Provide shine
• Reduce frizz
• Reduce breakage

OLAPLEX Nº.7 Bonding Oil™ is highly concentrated and works well for all hair types, especially very frizzy hair.

OLAPLEX º7 Shine Serum Oil Mist stands out for its bi-phase technology, which blends lightweight oils with a serum containing humectants and water to help hydrate hair. This makes it especially well-suited for lower-porosity hair, where tightly packed cuticles often resist moisture absorption.

What Is a Hair Styling Oil?

Unlike pre-wash hair oil, hair styling oil is used after washing hair. You can use hair styling oil before heat or after drying. Hair styling oils help boost shine, reduce frizz, and protect against heat damage.

Hair styling oils tend to be lighter and applied more sparingly than pre-wash hair oils. They also aren’t shampooed out. Using hair styling oil on damp hair after washing helps seal in moisture.

OLAPLEX Nº.7 Bonding Oil™ and OLAPLEX º7 Shine Serum Oil Mist both work as hair-styling oils. Both protect against heat up to 450ºF.

How to Use a Hair Styling Oil

To use hair styling oil before heat:

1. Wash and condition your hair. Choose a sulfate-free shampoo, like Nº.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo, followed by Nº.5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner.
2. Choose the right hair styling oil for you. For a more targeted application, use OLAPLEX Nº.7 Bonding Oil™, tapping a few drops onto the ends of your hair and applying it to the ends and mid-lengths of damp hair. For hands-free applications, use OLAPLEX º7 Shine Serum Oil Mist, shaking thoroughly and spraying onto the ends and mid-lengths of damp hair as needed.
3. Dry your hair using your preferred method — whether that’s air-drying, diffusing, or using a hair dryer.

To use hair styling oil after heat:

1. Apply your chosen hair styling oil to dry hair. Use OLAPLEX º7 Shine Serum Oil Mist for an easy refresh to boost shine and reduce frizz, or use OLAPLEX Nº.7 Bonding Oil™ as needed for targeted styling.

You can use OLAPLEX º7 Shine Serum Oil Mist and OLAPLEX Nº.7 Bonding Oil™ as either your pre-styler or post-styler, or you can use them together in the same routine for layered shine. If using both, we recommend using OLAPLEX Nº.7 Bonding Oil™ as your pre-styler and OLAPLEX º7 Shine Serum Oil Mist as your post-styler.

Learn more about the difference between the two.

Pre-Wash Hair Oil vs. Hair Styling Oil, at a Glance

Category	Pre-Wash Hair Oil	Hair Styling Oil
Main purpose	Treats hair before shampooing to help protect strands, detangle, and add shine	Styles and finishes hair after washing by boosting shine, smoothing frizz, and helping protect against heat when used before styling
When to use it	Before shampooing, it is usually applied to dry hair as a pre-wash treatment	After washing damp or dry hair, either before heat styling or after styling as a finishing step
How it is applied	Applied more generously through the mid-lengths and ends, and sometimes the scalp, then left on for a period of time before washing out.	Applied more sparingly to the mid-lengths and ends to smooth, soften, and add polish without weighing hair down.
Washed out?	Yes. It is shampooed out after treatment.	No. It is typically left in the hair.
Best for	Anyone looking to buffer hair before washing, help with detangling, or minimize dryness from frequent cleansing.	Anyone looking to add shine, tame frizz, smooth the cuticle, or protect hair during heat styling.
Key benefits	Helps reduce wash-related stress, improve slip for detangling, and support softer, shinier-looking hair.	Helps add shine, reduce frizz, smooth flyaways, and improve the look and feel of finished hair.

Shine Through It All

Now you know the difference between pre-wash hair oil and hair styling oil — and when each one may fit into your routine. Find your way to your best hair yet when you take the OLAPLEX Hair Quiz.