Hair oil—not just for coarse and/or dry hair! Or so says Pauline Maynard, our in-house beauty industry veteran, who's worked on products for Maybelline and Vichy (and who tipped us off to the wonders of cushion compacts last winter). She's the type of person who, when you ask for an off-hand product recommendation, you end up getting three—all with distinct use cases. She's good to have around, given our line of work.

But back to the point about hair oils. The question you should be asking yourself isn't if you need one, but rather which one do you need? Contrary to popular belief, this is not a one-size-fits-most product. Pauline breaks it down:

If you have damaged or overworked hair:

This may be you if you a) love a good blowout, b) flat iron ever, or c) are born with hair that breaks easily even if you treat it right. In any of these instances, “Go for silicone-free oils to really bring in-depth care to the hair,” Pauline says. “Silicones tend to prevent oil particles from penetrating the fiber,” The recommendation: Redken Diamond Oil Shatterproof Shine is the absolute gold standard. Zero silicones, and a super concentrated dose of natural oils (coriander, apricot, and sunflower) make for a very nurturing treatment.

If you have frizzy hair:

With frizz, it's often a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't scenario. “You need something to weigh down the frizz, but you don't want to look oily–like you immediately need to wash your hair,” Pauline explains. Garnier Sleek & Shine Moroccan Oil is the best of both worlds. It's rich enough to slick things down, but the hair absorbs it so well, it won't look greasy (even at the root).

If you have dull or otherwise lifeless hair:

'Here, silicones can actually be your friend,” Pauline says, going against everything we've previously thought to be true. “In this case, you're looking for shine,” If your hair is on the thin side, Moroccan Oil—THE pioneer in Oils—has an appropriately titled Light version. “It is pure genius,” Pauline says. “It almost disappears upon application and leaves absolutely zero residue,”

But that's not all! A quick refresher—in case you've been using it wrong—on how to use your chose oil. Another Pauline note: “The most important thing to keep in mind is to avoid applying too much. Once it's on, you can’t go back. Best to layer it step by step,”

1. Use one drop in your shampoo or your conditioner to boost nutrition, then rinse out.

2. If you feel it needs even more nutrition, apply 2 to 3 drops max on damp hair before the blowdry.

3. For deeply damaged hair, you can apply one drop after the blow dry as a shine-boosting finisher.

Photographed by Tom Newton.