Hair oiling is trending and has taken the internet by storm.
Though for some this beauty ritual may seem new, hair oiling has been around for centuries and has many health benefits.
What is hair oiling? Hair oiling is a practice that originated in the Indian holistic medicine practice called Ayurveda, according to Outlook India.
It has been reported that this ancient practice has been used to strengthen and moisturize people’s hair while also acting as a stress reducing exercise.
“Every summer, our grandma used to come from India with these Ayurvedic ingredients and make these natural hair potions while telling us ancient fables — it was haircare and story time,” co-founder of Indian hair care company Fable & Mane, Akash Mehta said.
Why is hair oiling good for you? A study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Science found that when compared with mineral oil and sunflower oil, “coconut oil was the only oil found to reduce the protein loss remarkably for both undamaged and damaged hair when used as a pre-wash and post-wash grooming product.”
Vogue reported that it hydrates and strengthens hair to prevent breakage, protects hair from heat damage and increases circulation of blood flow to the scalp which makes your hair grow faster.
“Coconut oil, being a triglyceride of lauric acid (principal fatty acid), has a high affinity for hair proteins and, because of its low molecular weight and straight linear chain, is able to penetrate inside the hair shaft,” the study reported.
Rohini Wadhwani of Skin Essentials said massaging oil into your hair stimulates “the circulation of blood to the scalp, helps to bring the nutrients to the scalp, which then works by nourishing the hair.”
How often should you oil your hair? Byrdie reported that according to expert Mona Gohara, depending on a person’s hair washing patterns and genetics there are no particular rules on how often to oil your hair.
“Some may need to hydrate once a week while others may need to every day. For some of my patients with psoriasis or seborrheic dermatitis, I recommend a medicated scalp oil at night, each night, or a few times in a few weeks depending on hair washing preferences,” Gohara said.
SkinKraft reported that typically people should be oiling their hair one to two times a week on average, because doing it too often disrupts the natural oils already in your hair and scalp.
What oils are best for your hair? Vogue reported that “in traditional Ayurvedic texts, sesame oil is recommended in the cold seasons and coconut oil is utilized in the hotter seasons for their respective warming and cooling effects.”
Depending on whether you’re trying to grow your hair or strengthen your existing hair, different oils will help achieve different goals.
In order to grow your hair faster, “lavender, rosemary, thyme and cedarwood” are reported to be the best oils to achieve that result.
Coconut oil is said to be one of the best oils to repair brittle hair and strengthen hair strands against breakage or heat damage.