Like most teenagers, I hated my hair. It was a curly-wavy blend of frizz that I had no idea how to style or upkeep, and the DIY Myspace-era bangs certainly didn't help. I'd never heard of hair products outside of Aussie's curl spray (bless that purple bottle—it was my only hope for a good hair day from the 8th to 10th grade—after that, I would straight iron it every single day until my mid-20s). Now that you know my hair journey, you should also know this: I'm 31 years old and I finally, finally love my hair. But it took a lot of experimenting and testing to find the right products to get there.

One of those products I've been using for the last few months is Davines OI Oil, a hair oil that adds shine, tames frizz, and hydrates hair without weighing it down and making it look greasy. It's ideal for protecting hair from styling tools, and it's also a great way to ensure the best possible results if you decide to air dry and still want some shape and body.

I use the oil on days I have no plans whatsoever for styling my hair, and want truly effortless, beachy waves—which is most days, these days. (When I do want a little more structure, I use my Drybar Double Shot hair brush dryer, which is also another hair lifesaver I've written about.)

I discovered Davines years back, when I'd go to a hair salon that exclusively used the Italian hair-care brand. All of the products deserve space in your shower and beauty cabinet (their hair masks and curl shampoo and conditioner are incredible), but the hair oil I love has special real estate in my beauty cabinet, since it's not so often a hair oil really, really delivers like this one.

Formulated to detangle hair after showering while also adding shine and ensuring softness, this oil is especially ideal for anyone who has coarse or dry hair (thanks to a number of reasons, including hair coloring and high-temp tools). The oil creates a barrier around your follicles, so that if you do want to use any styling tools, your strands are protected. I generally use a few pumps (I have long, thick hair, so you might not need as much if yours is shorter) after towel-drying my hair after washing it.

You can also use it when hair is dry in order to add a finishing touch of shine, just make sure to apply it away from your roots. Just a note though: If your goal is add more hydration to hair, you should add oil when it's already wet. "If your hair is dehydrated and you use oil...your hair will continue to feel dehydrated," hairstylist Lauraine Bailey previously told us, adding that you'll see the best results if you apply oil post-washing hair.