8 Hair Clipper Oil Alternative​s You Can Try Instantly

For grooming enthusiasts, it’s common knowledge that you must maintain your hair clipper for a wide variety of reasons.

But what if you’ve run out of clipper oil and are looking for an instant alternative? Or what if the cost of hair clipper oil feels hefty and you want a cheaper alternative?

Or are you threatened by the environmental threat of generic clipper oil and would prefer to use something eco-friendly?

To satisfy all of these demands, I’ll be giving you eight hair clipper oil alternatives that work like a charm!

Top Hair Clipper Oil Alternatives for Frequent Groomers

Here is the list of clipper oil alternatives you can use on a regular basis without running your device into a clogged mess. Let’s check each of them out and figure out your perfect match!

Baby Oil

The key element of baby oil is mineral oil and a certain amount of fragrance is added to it as it caters to a younger population.

Since it’s meant for babies, there’s no toxic properties and the thickness of the oil is very light, almost resembling water.

Therefore, baby oil is marked safe for using as a clipper blade alternative – although using it excessively can cause build ups.

Pros

Cons

Sewing Machine Oil

Sewing machine oil is specifically meant for heavy-duty machinery and therefore is deemed as a perfect fit for clipper blades.

This particular oil is very thin and therefore can be evenly spread across and within the blade teeth. On top of that, it’s transparent, has no odor and doesn’t cause any residue.

One concern is that sewing machine oil isn’t widely available at every retail store and thus emergency usage may be hindered should you not already own some.

Pros

Cons

Vegetable Oil

For readily available supply of hair clipper oil alternative, vegetable oil is probably the most feasible one as these are permanent residents of every kitchen.

Vegetable oils include sunflower oil, olive oil, canola oil, coconut oil etc. and these can be temporary solutions due to their properties.

For instance, vegetable oil must be used in limited quantities to reduce immediate blade friction. But in the long run, such oil will not only cause residue, but also evaporate due to a lower boiling point.

Pros

Cons

3-in-1 Oil

There are a select few categories of multipurpose oil, also known as 3-in-1 oil, widely used for lubricating small tools and machinery.

Due to its similar properties with clipper oil, this stands as a strong recommendation to be used as an alternative.

However, I’d still recommend you to pick this as a short-term solution because of its very strong odor which might be unnerving to many consumers out there.

Pros

Cons

Mineral Oil

Generally speaking, the wide variety of mineral oils are great substitutes for hair clippers due to the almost uncanny resemblance in texture and properties with clipper oil.

Apart from a few variants, the basic quality of all mineral oils are quite the same: odorless, fine texture, lightweight and non-toxic.

These are available almost everywhere and don’t cost much. Certain mineral oils contain additives of sorts, make sure not to use those unless you absolutely need to.

Pros

Cons

Jojoba Oil

From jojoba plants, the famous jojoba oil is produced and I find it highly useful as a hair clipper oil alternative mostly because of its thickness and non-stick quality.

Jojoba oil resembles sebum, oil that human skins naturally produce. This therefore is great to use on cutting elements that are bound to come in contact with your scalp.

There’s a precaution though – if you regularly use your hair clipper, apply jojoba oil reservedly. Because excessive oiling can cause build ups on the clipper blades.

Pros

Cons

Silicone-based Lubricant Spray

Those who work with motor parts, they know that there are certain types of lubricant sprays used to reduce friction between delicate metal elements.

Silicone-based spray is one such example which can turn out to replace hair clipper oil as it smooths out the blade teeth and prevents rusting.

It works well as long as you use it sparingly and wipe off the extra. Since it’s not food-safe, men with sensitive skin would be better off avoiding it.

Pros

Cons

Aloe Vera Gel [Only During Emergencies]

The most unorthodox hair clipper alternative I’m proposing is probably aloe vera gel. Mind you, this one should only be used during emergencies.

While aloe vera gel does reduce friction instantly and enhances performance, it’s never a long term solution.

You need to thoroughly clean your clipper blades after each application and it can be straining for frequent use. On the other hand, aloe vera gel will keep your skin smooth!

Pros

Cons

How to Properly Apply Hair Clipper Alternative Oil?

Applying alternative oil for hair clippers is almost the same as lubricating your clipper using a dedicated clipper oil.

However, I’m going to briefly go through the application steps to help you understand where the process deviates from the original.

• Step 1: Remove hair clipper cord from the power outlet and turn it off.
• Step 2: Clean out the blades using a cleaning brush and mop it afterward with a cloth rag.
• Step 3: Apply 2-3 drops of the alternative you have picked. Turn on the clipper for around 10 seconds to let the lubricant spread out evenly, then turn it off.
• Step 4: Make sure to wipe off the excess oil.
• Step 5 (Optional): If your preferred oil alternative is known to cause residue, you must clean your clipper blades immediately after the grooming session.

This should give you an estimation of how to make use of your clipper oil alternative and let your hair clipper function without losing efficiency!

What to Avoid as Clipper Oil Alternatives

Now that you know the valid hair clipper oil alternatives, you should learn what to avoid as well. Because certain lubricating agents might feel useful for you, so let me tell you why these will cause more harm than good!

• WD-40: People often mistake WD-40 as lubricants but these are actually degreasers and will cause damage to your clipper blades over time.
• Cooking Spray: Cooking spray sounds like a great alternative, right? This can actually cause gum build-up and lead you to a lengthy clean up job, which clearly isn’t something groomers like ourselves prefer.
• Motor Oil: These are very thick and contain toxic elements, and certainly not meant to be used on hair clippers.
• Petroleum Jelly: While petroleum jelly is good for your skin’s lubrication, it’s way too thick and sticky to work on hair clippers and will clog the blades almost instantly.

What to Look for in a Hair Clipper Oil Alternative

Before I conclude this article, let me tell you the key aspects you should be looking forward to in your ideal hair clipper alternatives.

Upon learning these, you will be able to sort out yourself whether the lubricating agent at your arm’s reach would be the perfect choice for your hair clipper oiling!

• Oil Thickness: This is also known as ‘viscosity’ – implying how thick the oil is. Generally, hair clippers demand thin oil as these can seep through the clipper blade teeth efficiently and reduce friction. As per thicker oil goes, these can clog up your blade and the spread may not be even.
• Non-toxicity: Men with sensitive scalp might find certain types of oil to cause irritation or rashes because of the molecular properties and bodily reaction. These are easily determined by the odor – the stronger the scent, the more likely toxic elements exist within. So pick ones that you know are natural, devoid of chemicals and don’t contain a strong smell.
• Heat-resistance: Your clipper oil alternative must be heat resistant to a certain degree. Because clipper blades in motion tend to generate a lot of heat. Oils with lower boiling point might evaporate during a grooming session and it’s going to leave your blades dry.
• Non-corrosive: Please check beforehand if the alternate oil of your choice prevents corrosion. This is one of the major duties clipper oils serve, otherwise the metal blades might get prone to rust. Should your preferred alternative be devoid of such character, it’s better not to use it.
• Compatibility: Hair clipper blades are made with different types of materials, including stainless steel, titanium, ceramic or something else. Make sure your alternate clipper oil is compatible with your specific blade material, otherwise you might have to witness unpleasant consequences.
• Scent: If you’re a professional groomer, you should choose clipper oil alternatives that smell less or don’t have any odor at all. Otherwise some of your consumers might not be pleased about the experience.

These should ideally guide you toward the alternate hair clipper oil that could turn out to be your regular instrument.

FAQ

Here is a list of FAQs on ‘hair clipper oil’ alternatives to finalize our discussion with some commonly asked information.

Q: How much oil should I use?

Ans: Ideally, not much. General clipper lubrication requires 2-3 drops and the alternatives should not demand anything more than that. However, it still depends on the type of alternative you’re using, but a couple drops should do the trick.

Q: Can I mix different oils to create a DIY clipper oil?

Ans: No, mixing different oils is highly inadvisable because you can’t know for sure what the properties of the mixing outcome would be. These should only be left up for the professionals unless you have expertise in this field.

Q: What should I do if I accidentally use the wrong oil?

Ans: No need to panic, we’ve all been there and accidentally used the wrong oil on our hair clippers. If that happens, simply wipe off the blades using a cloth rag. If you think there’s leftover residue, go for a thorough cleansing as it’ll surely remove the wrong oil.

Final Thoughts

So, have you learned all of the hair clipper oil alternatives I have suggested so that no emergency could halt your grooming journey?

I know these are not every possible clipper oil alternatives, but the ones that are usually readily available around our homes.

If you have used any other alternatives and experienced great results, don’t hesitate to let us know in the comment section of this article.