Beauty Badam Oil for Hair Compared: Handcraft vs Pure Body vs NOW
Handcraft Blends, Pure Body Naturals, and NOW Foods all sell 100 percent pure, hexane-free sweet almond oil, so the differences come down to size, dispensing, and value rather than quality. We compared the three across purity, extraction method, bottle size, dispenser type, price, and best use case to help you pick the right bottle for your oiling routine.
| Factor | Handcraft Blends Sweet Almond | Pure Body Naturals Sweet Almon | NOW Foods Sweet Almond Oil, 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purity | 100% pure sweet almond oil | 100% pure sweet almond oil | 100% pure sweet almond oil |
| Extraction | Cold pressed, hexane-free | Cold pressed, hexane-free | Expeller pressed, hexane-free |
| Bottle size | 16 fl oz | 16 fl oz | 4 fl oz |
| Dispenser | Standard cap | Pump and disc cap included | Standard cap |
| Typical price | Check price | Check price | Check price |
| Price per ounce | Lowest of the three | Low | Highest (small bottle) |
| Best for | Best value for weekly oiling | Mess-free pump dispensing | Travel and first-time triers |
| Hair treatment ranking | Top 20 in hair treatment oils | Popular carrier oil pick | Trusted wellness brand |
| Sourcing | Imported, bottled in USA | Grown and bottled in USA | Packaged in USA |
| Fragrance/additives | None | None | None |
Our Verdict
For most people doing weekly hair oiling, Handcraft Blends is the smart buy: 16 ounces of pure, cold-pressed, hexane-free oil at the lowest per-ounce price, with a strong track record in the hair treatment category. Choose Pure Body Naturals if you want the included pump, which makes dispensing cleaner and reduces waste enough to justify the slightly higher price. Choose the 4-ounce NOW Foods bottle if you travel with your oil, want to try almond oil before committing, or oil infrequently enough that a big bottle would go rancid. Whichever you pick, you are getting genuine pure badam oil with no fillers, which is what matters most.
More Top Picks in This Category
Not sold on either of these two? Here are more bestselling options worth considering.
Best for: Travel size or first-time triers
NOW Foods Sweet Almond Oil, 4 fl oz
- 100% pure sweet almond oil
- Expeller pressed, hexane-free
- Compact 4 fl oz bottle
- UV-protectant clear bottle
Pros
- Trusted wellness brand
- Perfect travel size
- Very affordable to try
Cons
- Small bottle runs out quickly
- Higher cost per ounce
- No pump dispenser
Want the Full Picture?
Pure Almond Oil vs Commercial Blends: What You Actually Give Up
Handcraft Blends, Pure Body Naturals, and NOW Foods all sell essentially the same thing: pure sweet almond oil with nothing added. The bottles on this page compete on size, dispenser, and price, not formula. Commercial hair-oil blends are a different product category wearing similar packaging. A typical blend starts with a small amount of almond or argan oil, then adds silicones like dimethicone for instant slip, synthetic fragrance for the salon smell, and sometimes colorants. That is not automatically bad: silicones give a glassy finish that pure almond oil cannot match, and they wash out cleanly with regular shampoo.
The honest tradeoff is control versus convenience. Pure oil gives you one ingredient you fully understand, which matters if your scalp reacts to fragrance or if you use oil before coloring, since some stylists prefer no silicone film on hair they are about to process. Blends give you cosmetic elegance and scent in one step, at a much higher cost per milliliter of actual plant oil. The way to judge a blend is the ingredient list order: if almond oil appears after dimethicone and fragrance, you are buying a silicone serum with almond branding, not an almond oil. For shoppers comparing across the whole almond category, our almond hair oil comparison lines up big bottles against starter sizes so you can see what the price differences really buy.
How Much Almond Oil Your Hair Length Actually Needs
Over-oiling is the most common almond oil complaint, and it is always a dosage problem, not an oil problem. Sweet almond oil is a medium-weight oil, so the amounts that work are smaller than most people guess. For a chin-length bob, three to four drops warmed between the palms is enough for the lengths. Shoulder-length hair takes about a nickel-sized pool, roughly six to eight drops. Long hair past the shoulder blades can use up to two teaspoons, but only if it goes on in sections, ends first, working upward, and never straight onto the roots unless the scalp is genuinely dry.
Density matters as much as length: fine hair needs about half the amount of coarse hair at the same length, because there is less surface area to absorb it and excess oil shows faster. If you are comparing lightweight oils for this job, our baobab oil guide covers another fast-absorbing option with a longer shelf life. If you have already overdone it, do not reach for a full clarifying wash immediately. Blot the oiliest sections with a dry towel, dust a little dry shampoo or cornstarch at the roots to absorb the surplus, and let the lengths drink in the rest overnight. The hair will usually balance out by morning, and you will have learned your hair's real limit for next time.
Sweet Almond Oil Goes Rancid: Shelf Life and Storage
Sweet almond oil has a moderate shelf life. Unopened, it keeps about a year in a cool, dark place. Opened, expect six to nine months of peak freshness, less in a hot bathroom. The telltale signs are a sharp, bitter smell replacing its faint nuttiness, and a sticky film on skin where it used to glide smoothly.
The three bottles compared here come in different sizes for a reason, and shelf life should influence which size you buy. A large bottle is only a bargain if you will finish it within the freshness window. Store almond oil away from windows and shower steam, keep the cap tight, and skip decanting it into a pretty clear glass bottle, since light is one of the fastest ways to turn it.