We get asked about Davines Oil Non Oil almost every week behind the chair at Sølvi. Someone leaves their appointment with soft, glossy hair, asks what we used, then wants to know how to get the same finish at home. The honest answer is that it takes about ten seconds once you know the technique. The trouble is most people use it like a regular oil, and that is exactly where it goes wrong. Here is how our stylists actually use it in our downtown studio at 104 S Capitol Blvd, and how you can copy it at your own bathroom sink.
What Oil Non Oil actually is
The name throws people. Oil Non Oil is a weightless softener built around roucou oil, an antioxidant-rich oil that smooths and tames frizz without the greasy, heavy feeling you get from a traditional hair oil. That is the whole point of the odd name. It behaves like an oil where you want it, softness and shine, but skips the weight that flattens fine hair. It runs $34 for a bottle that lasts most of our clients several months because you use so little. It also carries the signature Davines scent, which lingers in a good way.
Step one: start with clean, damp hair
This product is designed to go on damp hair, not soaking wet and not bone dry. After you wash, gently squeeze your hair with a towel until it stops dripping. You want it damp, around the point where it feels cool but not wet enough to leave water on your hands. Roucou oil spreads more evenly through damp strands, so you get consistent softness instead of a few greasy patches. Rushing this step is the most common mistake we see.
Step two: use far less than you think
For fine to medium hair, start with a single pump or one small drop the size of a pea. For thick or coarse hair, two pumps is usually plenty. Rub it between your palms first so it warms up and spreads, then it will not land in a clump. We cannot stress this enough. A little goes a long way, and the number one reason someone tells us the product made their hair look oily is that they used three times what they needed.
Step three: work mid-lengths to ends, skip the roots
Bring your hands to the middle of your hair and rake down toward the ends. Keep it off your scalp. Roots produce their own oil, so adding more there is what makes hair look flat by lunchtime. Once it is distributed, comb through with a wide-tooth comb so every strand gets a light coat. Then style as you normally would, air dry or blow dry. The antioxidant finish helps tame flyaways and frizz either way, which matters a lot in our dry Idaho climate where static and frizz are a year-round battle.
A dry-hair trick for day two
You do not have to wash your hair to use it. On day two, when ends feel rough or a little frizzy, warm half a pump between your palms and press it lightly over the surface and ends. It revives shine and knocks down frizz without a full wash. Boise winters and our hard tap water dry hair out fast, so this quick refresh has become a daily habit for a lot of our regulars.
The honest drawback
This is a finisher and a softener, not a heat protectant. If you blow dry or flat iron, do not rely on Oil Non Oil to shield your hair from heat. Use a proper heat protectant first, then this afterward for shine. And if you have very fine, easily weighed-down hair, the line between just right and too much is thin. You may need to test it on a couple of strands before you commit to your whole head. For most people that learning curve takes one or two uses, then it is second nature.
Want us to dial it in for you?
The fastest way to learn the right amount for your specific hair is to watch a stylist do it once. We are happy to show you during any appointment, and we will tell you straight if a different finisher suits your hair better. Take a look at our full salon services, or book an appointment online and we will get your at-home routine sorted in person.