If there is a weekend ritual that most Indians will swear by, it’s a luxurious hair oil massage that you give yourself, or have the privilege of your mummy, daadi or naani do for you. Natural oils are mixed with kitchen ingredients or herbs from the garden to whip up homemade concoctions that nourish, condition and strengthen the hair. There are no measured recipes for these superfoods for hair. Traditional knowledge passed on from one generation of mothers to another has kept them alive. But the fact that they serve as surefire remedies for a multitude of hair woes speaks volumes of their benefits.
5 Amazing Benefits Of Oiling Your Hair
Remember fussing while your grandmother made you deep-oil your hair and sit with it for a long time? If you have luscious locks today, you can thank her for it. Massaging oil into the scalp has an invigorating effect. You will feel instantly relieved after a good head massage. But the benefits of oiling your hair regularly are a lot more than skin deep.
1. Stimulates Hair Growth
The massaging action of fingers stimulates the scalp and causes blood to rush to the hair follicles. This in turn stimulates them and they get ready to work. Strong and active hair follicles are the reason for quick and healthy hair growth. When making homemade hair growth oil, you can include ingredients that promote healthy hair growth (like amla) to amplify this effect.
2. Reduces Hair Fall
Stimulation of the scalp during champi strengthens the hair follicles. Strong hair follicles hold onto hair better and they fall less. Stronger hair is also less prone to breakage. So hair loss due to breakage of weak hair is also minimised.
3. Improves Texture
Many ingredients used to make homemade hair growth oil have conditioning and nourishing properties. So oiling your hair regularly stimulates growth and boosts volume, while adding softness and shine to the texture of your locks.
4. Tames Frizz
Frizziness of hair is caused by dryness. A dehydrated scalp and hair ageing leads to hair that looks dry, rough and lifeless. Oil adds moisture to the scalp and hair ends. Massaging in oil and leaving it on quenches the thirsty hair and rejuvenates them.
5. Reduces Flakiness
Dandruff and flakiness of the scalp caused by dry, cold weather can be treated by oiling your hair. It conditions and moisturises the scalp, locking in the hydration. Regular oiling has a visible impact on the reduction of scalp flakiness.
5 Homemade Hair Oil Recipes For Gorgeous Hair
The best thing about homemade hair oil is that it doesn’t have to be limited to one ingredient. You can customise it to your hair’s needs for optimum nourishment. Plus, you can be assured that what you are using on your precious locks is free from adulteration.
But if you have been putting it off because it sounds tedious, that is not the case! You can make an effective and nourishing homemade hair oil easily with readily-available natural ingredients. Here are some easy recipes for you to make homemade herbal hair oil without a fuss!
1. Onion Hair Oil
Need more reasons to love the onion? Well, it is an excellent ingredient for stimulating hair growth and treating scalp-related conditions. Here is an effective recipe to make onion oil at home that brings out the best of onion for hair health.
You Will Need:
- 100 ml of coconut oil
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 small onion
- Lavender essential oil
Method:
- Finely chop the chop and put it in a pan along with the garlic and coconut oil.
- Heat the pan on low flame for 5-7 minutes.
- When the mixture cools down completely, add in 2-3 drops of the lavender oil (it has calming properties).
- Strain the liquid in a container and store in the fridge.
2. Aloe Vera Hair Oil
Aloe vera is well known for its moisturising properties. When used in hair oil, it lends the same benefits and helps to revive dry and dull hair. And, in case you were wondering how to grow eyebrows, aloe vera is a great solution for thicker, fuller brows as well. You can gauge the popularity of this blend from the fact that it is now being marketed by big brands as a solution for frizzy hair. But you don’t need to hunt for expensive products because you can make aloe vera hair oil at home.
You Will Need:
- 2 tablespoon pure aloe vera gel
- 125 ml of coconut oil
Method:
- Mix the two ingredients to combine them properly.
- Then heat then over low flame for 5-7 minutes.
- Take it off the flame and let it cool down completely. Then store it in an airtight container.
- Leave the oil for at least 2 weeks for the aloe to thoroughly infuse. Then it will be ready for use!
3. Amla Oil
While you may have learnt of amla as a source of vitamin C in school, you probably heard of its benefits for hair much earlier. Our grandmothers swear by this ingredient for long, healthy and luscious hair. It is a multi-benefit ingredient as it conditions hair and reduces hair fall and premature greying. Want to know how to make amla oil at home?
You Will Need:
- 120 gms of amla powder
- 1 litre of water
- 250 ml of coconut oil
Method:
- In a pan, add 100 g of the amla powder to the water and boil it till it is half of the original volume.
- While it cools, add the remaining powder to coconut oil. Then added the cooled amla liquid.
- Now put this mixture to simmer and boil till all the water evaporates. At this stage, the mixture appears yellow and transparent.
- Strain the solution and store it.
4. Kalonji Oil
Kalonji seeds are a common kitchen ingredient that is well known for being beneficial to hair growth. After all, they are packed with nutrients like Vitamins A, B, C, magnesium and fatty acids. When used to make hair oil, kalonji seeds boost hair growth, condition the hair and also treat roughness. If that makes you eager to know how to make kalonji oil at home, here is the answer.
You Will Need:
- 1 tablespoon kalonji seeds
- 250 ml of coconut or olive oil
Method:
- Grind the seeds as finely as possible, to a smooth powder.
- Add the powder to the oil and store in an airtight container (you can use either coconut or olive oil as both have conditioning properties)
- Leave the solution for 2-3 days and then it will be ready to use.
5. Hibiscus Oil
If you are struggling with frizzy hair that is prone to dryness and premature greying, hibiscus (gudhal) is just the ingredient for you. Filled with the goodness of vitamins A and C, it helps minimise these hair woes. Plus, it has a conditioning and smoothening effect when used in a hair oil.
You Will Need:
- 5-10 hibiscus leaves
- 2 hibiscus (gudhal) flowers
- 60 ml of coconut oil
- 60 ml of almond oil
Method:
- Wash the leaves and flowers properly. Then dry them under the sun.
- Take coconut and almond oil in a pan (both are super-conditioners and excellent for hair growth). Heat them over low flame.
- Add in the dried gudhal leaves and flowers and oil the mixture for 5 minutes.
- Take it off the flame and let it cool.
- Then strain the hibiscus-infused oil in a container.
- It is advisable to warm the oil a bit before using (but do not boil it).
Key Takeaways
- While it may feel intuitive to leave the oil on as long as possible, it is actually not the best practice; don’t keep the oil on for more than hour as it may clog pores and cause oily dandruff
- You will see the benefits of oiling on your hair health only if you do it regularly; oil your hair twice a week and wait for at least 2-6 applications for results to show
- Shampoo your hair properly after oiling to remove any excess, but do not over-shampoo as it dries out the hair
FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is the right way of oiling hair?
A. Following are the steps to oil your hair the correct way:
- Never be aggressive while oiling as it can lead to breakage and weakening of hair
- The right technique is to take the oil on your fingertips and gently massage it in small side-to-side motions
- Part your hair into sections to ensure even application throughout the hair
- When you are done putting oil all over your scalp, massage it in to ensure that oil doesn’t just sit at the surface and is absorbed
- From the scalp, move on the hair and apply oil all along the lengths with special focus on the tips as they tend to be drier
- Do not go overboard with oiling the lengths as that may weigh them down and cause breakage
- Wrap your hair with an old t-shirt or Indian towel; you can also use a warm head-wrap at this point
- Keep the oil on for an hour before washing
Q. What precautions should I take while preparing homemade hair growth oil?
A. The recipe and preparation of your homemade hair oil should be just right to ensure that the ingredients are used properly and are effective.
- When making homemade oil, never boil it on high heat as that will destroy the nutrients of the ingredients
- Let the oil cool down completely before storing it in a container or the fridge
- Ingredients in homemade oils take time to infuse, allow them to sit for at least 10-12 days before using for maximum benefits
- Use ingredients that are locally available and fresh; also make sure they are free from pesticides and other harmful chemicals
- Patch test the hair oil before using, if using any of its ingredients for the first time
