Indian hair care - oiling.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Does anyone here know much about this? I guess what I want to know is whether the hair is kept oiled (visibly oiled) and braided/bunned for days at a time, or whether oiling is only done just before washing? I'm curious about this. Because would it harm hair to be well oiled for days on end?

Does anyone know?

[pili]

Following. My hair seems to love oil.

[littlestarface]

I think they keep oil in it all the time, even after they wash it still has some oil in it I think. That one girl here who started the post your oiled hair pictures says her hair always has oil in it even after a hair wash.

[Anje]

Not Indian-inspired, but I always oiled my hair immediately following washing, usually while it was still damp. Not enough that it looked visibly oiled (my hair doesn't absorb much oil, so I can't just wait for it to soak in), but enough to add a little slip and weight.

[JillRenee]

I always have a little oil in my hair to protect my fine hair from tangles and dryness; doesn't seem to hurt anything.

[mizukitty]

Hair length should see no adverse effects from being oiled for days (except maybe solid at room temp oils that would.. solidify should your hair become cold :lol:)

Here is a link (http://lakshyayoga.blogspot.com/2014/02/secrets-from-mother-india-home-made.html) about a woman who talks about the long standing tradition of oiling hair in India. Very fascinating read.

I'm not sure about heavy oiling on scalp for long periods of time - that could aggravate dandruff or SD if you are prone to those issues. I have issues with both and can sometimes oil my scalp overnight, but not often.

[Neoma]

When I went to Nepal the first time, one of DH's nieces did a heavy coconut oiling and braided her hair. I was quite shocked when I found out that she was going to walk around like that. But she did.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Hair length should see no adverse effects from being oiled for days (except maybe solid at room temp oils that would.. solidify should your hair become cold :lol:)

Here is a link (http://lakshyayoga.blogspot.com/2014/02/secrets-from-mother-india-home-made.html) about a woman who talks about the long standing tradition of oiling hair in India. Very fascinating read.

I'm not sure about heavy oiling on scalp for long periods of time - that could aggravate dandruff or SD if you are prone to those issues. I have issues with both and can sometimes oil my scalp overnight, but not often.

Thanks for the most interesting link :) I haven't ever tried oiling my scalp, I have been somewhat hesitant to try scalp oiling in case I get problems from it.


When I went to Nepal the first time, one of DH's nieces did a heavy coconut oiling and braided her hair. I was quite shocked when I found out that she was going to walk around like that. But she did.

Neoma, how long did she keep the oil on her hair?

[Entangled]

You may find this thread relevant:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=139600

[Sarahlabyrinth]

You may find this thread relevant:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=139600

Thanks, Entangled!

[ghanima]

You actually posted in that thread, ha ha!

[ChloeDharma]

I did this for a long time, also washed with herbs like shikakai and conditioned with blends of herbs like fenugreek, yogurt etc. I oiled my hair straight after washing and by the next day would oil and massage my scalp. I did experience amazing growth when I kept this up with certain oil blends containing bhringraj but I no longer do this routine. I do however keep my hair heavily oiled about half of the time now and feel it benefits my length and my scalp.
I think it's particularly useful in winter to protect hair from the extremes but also I generally feel more comfortable in a heavily oiled bun so it just works out well for me.

[Kat-Rinnè Naido]

Indian hair care oiling. You wash your hair, dry it in the sun and oil it when it is almost or completely dried and braid it. You continue to oil it between washes as the need may be. Some may even saturate their hair with oil that the forehead gets shiny.

[MotherofJames]

I've watched several Indian oil YouTube tutorials. Some women apply it for 2-3 hours prior on the day or night that they select to wash their hair. Others sleep in it overnight and also add Alma if they want extra conditioner , and wash out in the morning. I've done both. But I do find that I would need a stronger shampoo formula to get out the oil. However , once I do, man o man.... My hair is so very soft and healthy . I personally use a mix of oils . There are several YouTube videos on this . Some just put " a little here and there " for daily use , which I've also done too, but only if I'm going to wash it sooner than later.

[MotherofJames]

Oh and also, the way I saw it on the video was that you pile it on top of your head ( no clips or anything) and put it loosely in a hair cap or you can use seran wrap and wrap your hair inside it. I've also done both but I like the seran wrap better because it doesn't fall out

[MotherofJames]

When I went to Nepal the first time, one of DH's nieces did a heavy coconut oiling and braided her hair. I was quite shocked when I found out that she was going to walk around like that. But she did.


I've done that too! I love it

[Ophidian]

My ends are oiled pretty much every night, and more goes on the length and scalp the evening before a wash. I am currently using Indian herbs pretty much exclusively and don't have trouble with excess oil as long as I give it time to soak in. I normally don't heavy oil.

I'm going to derail for a minute, apologies! But I wanted to ask ChloeDharma in particular what made her stop doing an herb washing routine. I am curious because it seemed to be very popular for a time but all the "regulars" in the old threads (CD, Mira-Chan, Shell, etc) appear to have gone on to other things. Just wondering because I started doing Indian herbs and oiling a few months ago and absolutely love it. I can see how it might be a bit inconvenient to track down herb and mix powders in the long run though, when compared with other methods. Just wanted to make sure everyone's hair didn't start falling out or something (half joking). Ok, done derailing :flower:

[ghanima]

I found that too much oiling caused dryness both in my hair and scalp. It was hell to detangle. Damp oiling is way better. Now I am experimenting with other techniques and don't miss it at all tbh.

In ayurveda there is a foundational practice called abyanga, where you massage all body, including the scalp, with warm (eventually medicinal) sesame oil, every morning before showering. The warm oil allows toxins (ama) to come up from deeper layers of the body so as to be eliminated. Maybe come to think, that's where it may all have come from. Anyway, I mentioned it because I found that warm oil penetrated my hair much better. And if you guys like pre-poo oiling, try out pre-shower all body oiling, because it feels amazing. The oil mixed with the water of the shower makes for the softest velvety skin.

[Anje]

My ends are oiled pretty much every night, and more goes on the length and scalp the evening before a wash. I am currently using Indian herbs pretty much exclusively and don't have trouble with excess oil as long as I give it time to soak in. I normally don't heavy oil.

I'm going to derail for a minute, apologies! But I wanted to ask ChloeDharma in particular what made her stop doing an herb washing routine. I am curious because it seemed to be very popular for a time but all the "regulars" in the old threads (CD, Mira-Chan, Shell, etc) appear to have gone on to other things. Just wondering because I started doing Indian herbs and oiling a few months ago and absolutely love it. I can see how it might be a bit inconvenient to track down herb and mix powders in the long run though, when compared with other methods. Just wanted to make sure everyone's hair didn't start falling out or something (half joking). Ok, done derailing :flower:
I'm in contact with Mira-chan enough that if you ask her a question, I'll give her a nudge for you to make sure she's seen it. I've seen Shell active a bit recently too. Definitely go ask!

[Ophidian]

Thanks for the tip Anje!

[Kat-Rinnè Naido]

Hair length should see no adverse effects from being oiled for days (except maybe solid at room temp oils that would.. solidify should your hair become cold :lol:)

Here is a link (http://lakshyayoga.blogspot.com/2014/02/secrets-from-mother-india-home-made.html) about a woman who talks about the long standing tradition of oiling hair in India. Very fascinating read.

I'm not sure about heavy oiling on scalp for long periods of time - that could aggravate dandruff or SD if you are prone to those issues. I have issues with both and can sometimes oil my scalp overnight, but not often.

Thank you for the link mizukitty. It was a very interesting read. I must add though a lot depends of which part of the world you grow up as an Indian, cultures, traditions seem to be rather different. Example the understanding of "oil bath" to me due to practice is totally different. It is actually a cleansing bath performed rather differently on an auspicious day.

[lapushka]

I don't think that keeping your hair oiled for longer periods of time is an issue. I do, however, think that you can't do the same thing to your scalp. I think it would clog pores and you would get some irritation from it. I can't oil my scalp (or condition it), due to SD (seborrheic dermatitis), but I don't think that if you have a normal scalp this is the best thing to do either. Anyway, just my 2cts.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

You actually posted in that thread, ha ha!

Yes, I know :D

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

My hair never personally liked this. I do a heavy oiling now before showering, but I try to keep products minimal on the days I dont wash, and its because the oil seems to collect dust and cause tangles. The longer I go without trims the harder it is to treat my ends with things, like oils. I want to give it a try again but eh.

[duchess67]

The state where I originally come from in India, the custom there was ladies (as well as men) usually apply oil on scalp and the length of hair 30 minutes to an hour before showering. Not a lot of oil, depending on hair length and thickness the amount of oil varies. Wash hair daily with just water, and shampoo probably once a week or so and other days when hair gets too oily they wash with herbal powders. Shampoo probably once a week or so, not often. Most of the older generation women have long beautiful hair.

The link posted above, the lady wearing that cream colour saree hails from the state Kerala. It is the traditional saree of that state. She has gorgeous long hair, and that is how the majority of women's hair looks there.

The climate there is very hot and humid, so I guess that's the reason why everyone washes their hair daily.

[Neoma]

Neoma, how long did she keep the oil on her hair?I don't remember. It was a matter of days... :flower:

[Sarahlabyrinth]

The state where I originally come from in India, the custom there was ladies (as well as men) usually apply oil on scalp and the length of hair 30 minutes to an hour before showering. Not a lot of oil, depending on hair length and thickness the amount of oil varies. Wash hair daily with just water, and shampoo probably once a week or so and other days when hair gets too oily they wash with herbal powders. Shampoo probably once a week or so, not often. Most of the older generation women have long beautiful hair.

The link posted above, the lady wearing that cream colour saree hails from the state Kerala. It is the traditional saree of that state. She has gorgeous long hair, and that is how the majority of women's hair looks there.

The climate there is very hot and humid, so I guess that's the reason why everyone washes their hair daily.

Thank you :)


I don't remember. It was a matter of days... :flower:

Wow, so interesting. All the different oiling customs from different areas.

I heavy oiled my hair last night, soaked it in conditioner this morning, then shampooed (diluted) and conditioned as usual this morning. Hair is very happy.

[likelikepenny]

This is a link I read a long time ago and lately I've been following it's advice, minus the LOC method.

https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/curly-nikki-529979/how-i-grew-long-natural-hair-using-indian-4706993441

[Kat-Rinnè Naido]

The state where I originally come from in India, the custom there was ladies (as well as men) usually apply oil on scalp and the length of hair 30 minutes to an hour before showering. Not a lot of oil, depending on hair length and thickness the amount of oil varies. Wash hair daily with just water, and shampoo probably once a week or so and other days when hair gets too oily they wash with herbal powders. Shampoo probably once a week or so, not often. Most of the older generation women have long beautiful hair.

The link posted above, the lady wearing that cream colour saree hails from the state Kerala. It is the traditional saree of that state. She has gorgeous long hair, and that is how the majority of women's hair looks there.

The climate there is very hot and humid, so I guess that's the reason why everyone washes their hair daily.

Thank you for your valued input. :blossom:

likelikepenny thank you for the link, interesting reading.

[ChloeDharma]

My ends are oiled pretty much every night, and more goes on the length and scalp the evening before a wash. I am currently using Indian herbs pretty much exclusively and don't have trouble with excess oil as long as I give it time to soak in. I normally don't heavy oil.

I'm going to derail for a minute, apologies! But I wanted to ask ChloeDharma in particular what made her stop doing an herb washing routine. I am curious because it seemed to be very popular for a time but all the "regulars" in the old threads (CD, Mira-Chan, Shell, etc) appear to have gone on to other things. Just wondering because I started doing Indian herbs and oiling a few months ago and absolutely love it. I can see how it might be a bit inconvenient to track down herb and mix powders in the long run though, when compared with other methods. Just wanted to make sure everyone's hair didn't start falling out or something (half joking). Ok, done derailing :flower:

Hi Ophidian,
I'll start by clarifying that I don't want people to think I'm in any way against her washing now and still consider that routine the best that I have used so far in terms of how amazingly it improved my hair growth.
The reason I changed is due to a few factors. First I changed where I live as I had to move back in with my father and it became much harder to keep the same lifestyle as he was a hoarder with a barely functioning kitchen and bathroom, it was like living in a mechanic's garage!
Second the oil I had most success with was discontinued and you will probably see me moaning about this in older threads over the course of literally years!
Also health problems mean that I had to scale down everything to a bare minimum so switched to just simple oiling and conditioner only washing for quite a while.
Now I'm back to using shampoo and conditioner but do still use the herbs just in a different way and my routine has adapted a bit but I still use the oils on my scalp, party of me still thinks back to how good the been washing was but I love the convenience and reliability of conventional products plus my scalp does seem to like a good sudsing with shampoo but I do still use fenugreek in some DT's if I can be organised enough for the forward planning required. I do find making a rinse of it using the whole seeds instead of powder is more convenient.

I hope I've managed to explain my position a bit more clearly and I hope my change in routine hasn't put anyone of trying using herbs and oils exclusively because I do still think it's a great routine :-)

[Ophidian]

Thank you for your reply ChloeDharma! I never got the sense that anyone was discouraging herb washing at all, just wondered what people's experiences were with them long term and what influenced decisions to stop using them (efficacy, convenience, other problems, etc). I appreciate your taking the time to share your experiences :flower:

[pandabarrier]

Sighting of heavily oiled hair worn in public.
I saw an Indian lady with long oiled braid, late forties?, not much grays. Her hair care practices must work, her hair was very thick.

[Dark40]

I love the idea of Indian hair care and oiling! There are a couple of their oils I use on a regular basis called, "Alma Dubar Indian Oil," and "Jasmine Dubar Indian Oil," and they both protect my chemically-treated hair from dryness, damage, and breakage!!! I really love their essential oils!!! They all really moisturize my hair!!!

[poli]

I just got Hesh bhringraj oil (coconut based) and I'm trying it out. I'm not brave enough to put it on my scalp just yet, but I used it on my ends. One drop absorbs into dry hair completely, I could hardly say it was oiled. More (four drops) make my hair greasy like any other oil, but left overnight most of it it also absorbed well.
The smell is growing on me, but it is strong and far from subtle. Anyway it smells better than Dabur Amla oil I had before.

[ChloeDharma]

I just got Hesh bhringraj oil (coconut based) and I'm trying it out. I'm not brave enough to put it on my scalp just yet, but I used it on my ends. One drop absorbs into dry hair completely, I could hardly say it was oiled. More (four drops) make my hair greasy like any other oil, but left overnight most of it it also absorbed well.
The smell is growing on me, but it is strong and far from subtle. Anyway it smells better than Dabur Amla oil I had before.

Really??? Do you have a link to show exactly what oil that is? I used to use the Hesh Bhringraj oil years ago and it was amazing but then it was discontinued and they just did the ancient formula mahabhringraj oil instead which has mineral oil in and just didn't work well for me. If they have brought back the bhringraj oil I will be so happy as I have been bitching about them discontinuing it for years now!
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=hesh+bhringraj+oil&prmd=sivn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwib_euH5YHUAhXJPxoKHdEAAyU4ChD8BQgIKAI&biw=962&bih=601#imgrc=WelKPalmuYMCMM:

Edited to add a picture of the oil I used to use

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=hesh+bhringraj+oil&prmd=sivn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwib_euH5YHUAhXJPxoKHdEAAyU4ChD8BQgIKAI&biw=962&bih=601#imgrc=WelKPalmuYMCMM:

[esfand]

I think it's common to leave oil long-term for most people who use oil, it's not just an Indian thing. It's also common for curly hair types to lock in moisture by using grease (usually with occlusives like petroleum jelly, lanolin, and mineral oil) on freshly washed hair. I leave oil in my hair for days on end and my hair is gorgeous.

[poli]

Really??? Do you have a link to show exactly what oil that is? I used to use the Hesh Bhringraj oil years ago and it was amazing but then it was discontinued and they just did the ancient formula mahabhringraj oil instead which has mineral oil in and just didn't work well for me. If they have brought back the bhringraj oil I will be so happy as I have been bitching about them discontinuing it for years now!
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=hesh+bhringraj+oil&prmd=sivn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwib_euH5YHUAhXJPxoKHdEAAyU4ChD8BQgIKAI&biw=962&bih=601#imgrc=WelKPalmuYMCMM:

Edited to add a picture of the oil I used to use

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=hesh+bhringraj+oil&prmd=sivn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwib_euH5YHUAhXJPxoKHdEAAyU4ChD8BQgIKAI&biw=962&bih=601#imgrc=WelKPalmuYMCMM:

Yes, this is the one I got.
I got it from local auction site. But I'm sure you could buy it elsewhere too. It has expiry date - 2018 printed on, so it's not some old batch.

[ChloeDharma]

Yes, this is the one I got.
I got it from local auction site. But I'm sure you could buy it elsewhere too. It has expiry date - 2018 printed on, so it's not some old batch.

Oh my God!! I am so happy to hear this! I hope I can find it to buy, THANK YOU for replying on this thread!!!

[mira-chan]

My ends are oiled pretty much every night, and more goes on the length and scalp the evening before a wash. I am currently using Indian herbs pretty much exclusively and don't have trouble with excess oil as long as I give it time to soak in. I normally don't heavy oil.

I'm going to derail for a minute, apologies! But I wanted to ask ChloeDharma in particular what made her stop doing an herb washing routine. I am curious because it seemed to be very popular for a time but all the "regulars" in the old threads (CD, Mira-Chan, Shell, etc) appear to have gone on to other things. Just wondering because I started doing Indian herbs and oiling a few months ago and absolutely love it. I can see how it might be a bit inconvenient to track down herb and mix powders in the long run though, when compared with other methods. Just wanted to make sure everyone's hair didn't start falling out or something (half joking). Ok, done derailing :flower:
Hello!

I stopped her washes for similar reasons as ChloeDharma. I moved and our building pipes and set up just couldn't handle the herb washes. Then I was also writing my PhD and didn't have time for it. Oiling I still do occasionally as needed but I didn't have the time oil wait 2-3 hours I usually needed before washing, then wash. I've been in full on benign neglect mode for a couple years and even cut back from fingertip to tailbone. I now spend a grand total of 5 minutes on my hair wash usually, unfortunately. I haven't had time to do a 20 min deep conditioning since September or October last year I think. Maybe my schedule will allow more soon and I still have some things sitting around to use, but not yet. Herb washes with oiling are definitely more time consuming than my 5 minute washes.

I'm also more likely to oil my scalp than the rest of the hair. It doesn't like oiling on damp hair at all, and only minimal needed on dry. Something I want to try later is a long deep conditioning then oiling once dry-ish to seal things in. My hair is low porosity so can act finicky with stuff put on it. My hair was ok with herbal washes, but needed longer moisture treatment times and fenugreek caused buildup. One fenugreek treatment - awesome hair, second one - bleh, clarify and repeat.


I'm in contact with Mira-chan enough that if you ask her a question, I'll give her a nudge for you to make sure she's seen it. I've seen Shell active a bit recently too. Definitely go ask!
:waving: Hi!


Oh my God!! I am so happy to hear this! I hope I can find it to buy, THANK YOU for replying on this thread!!!
I'm glad to hear your favorite oil is back. I remember those posts in the old threads.

[Cherriezzzzz]

I think it's common to leave oil long-term for most people who use oil, it's not just an Indian thing. It's also common for curly hair types to lock in moisture by using grease (usually with occlusives like petroleum jelly, lanolin, and mineral oil) on freshly washed hair. I leave oil in my hair for days on end and my hair is gorgeous.

I've found out my thick, unmanageable, virgin hair thrives with mineral oil which is in my new favorite leave in conditioner. It even pulls tons of water out of my wet hair, making it dry faster. Oiling is my new favorite hair pastime. I keep coconut oil next to my bed to oil and braid it at night afterwards. I've often thought I'd braid my (someday) long hair with coconut oil in it and go outside, easy. It makes my hair "hold"without hairspray, gel etc albeit lightly. I love the shine it imparts on my red color. It brings out all those gold strands :)

[ephemeri]

I personally oil my hair daily with coconut oil and haven't seen any ill-effects. In fact, quite the opposite. I use coconut oil for the most part, and only a small pea-sized amount on my dry hair. It gives shines and cuts down on frizz and makes my hair soft and feel protected. My hair drinks up oils and leave-ins like crazy though, so my routine probably wouldn't be effective for everyone. My hair doesn't ever look oily with this routine either.

[poli]

I used my bringraj oil as a pre-poo, for scalp massage and now for rinse out oil. It's making the hair softer and maybe also a little fuller. Hope it continues to work. I did however get a small rush on my neck and face. Could be related since my hair likes coconut oil but my skin not so much.

[lapushka]

I used to have the Vatika coconut oil. In the green little bottle with the ball-top. That was about the *only* coconut oil I actually liked. I have no clue why, but it never got dry or crunchy on me, while other coconut oil would do that and even fractionated coconut oil. Odd, that!

[mira-chan]

I personally oil my hair daily with coconut oil and haven't seen any ill-effects. In fact, quite the opposite. I use coconut oil for the most part, and only a small pea-sized amount on my dry hair. It gives shines and cuts down on frizz and makes my hair soft and feel protected. My hair drinks up oils and leave-ins like crazy though, so my routine probably wouldn't be effective for everyone. My hair doesn't ever look oily with this routine either.

My hair absorbed oil and leave ins when I first joined LHC due to damage on the length from friction (ponytail only for years with hip+ length hair). At this point all my hair is post LHC and doesn't absorb anything anymore. Had to change the routine a bit since. Though I'm still interested in checking out that Bhringraj oil once I'm done with my batch of argan oil.

[pandabarrier]

Does anybody wrap a hot towel on the head when doing pre-poo oiling? I saw this in some YouTube videos about Indian hair oiling, and also Aisha25 mentions this in one of her posts (I can't remember which thread though).

[mira-chan]

Does anybody wrap a hot towel on the head when doing pre-poo oiling? I saw this in some YouTube videos about Indian hair oiling, and also Aisha25 mentions this in one of her posts (I can't remember which thread though).

I've done something similar with a shower cap or a hat in the the summer, then letting body heat and summer heat do the warming. It's meant to help thing penetrate the hair more.

Also, Hi neighbor! :D

[Ophidian]

Hello!

I stopped her washes for similar reasons as ChloeDharma. I moved and our building pipes and set up just couldn't handle the herb washes. Then I was also writing my PhD and didn't have time for it. Oiling I still do occasionally as needed but I didn't have the time oil wait 2-3 hours I usually needed before washing, then wash. I've been in full on benign neglect mode for a couple years and even cut back from fingertip to tailbone. I now spend a grand total of 5 minutes on my hair wash usually, unfortunately. I haven't had time to do a 20 min deep conditioning since September or October last year I think. Maybe my schedule will allow more soon and I still have some things sitting around to use, but not yet. Herb washes with oiling are definitely more time consuming than my 5 minute washes.

I'm also more likely to oil my scalp than the rest of the hair. It doesn't like oiling on damp hair at all, and only minimal needed on dry. Something I want to try later is a long deep conditioning then oiling once dry-ish to seal things in. My hair is low porosity so can act finicky with stuff put on it. My hair was ok with herbal washes, but needed longer moisture treatment times and fenugreek caused buildup. One fenugreek treatment - awesome hair, second one - bleh, clarify and repeat.


:waving: Hi!


I'm glad to hear your favorite oil is back. I remember those posts in the old threads.

Thanks for your reply Mira-Chan! Herb washes have been working really well for me but I can definitely see how time consuming it can get. I also have some concerns about how my shower is handling it, though I do usually strain my mixes. I have found the need to shampoo every 1-2 months to remove build-up, but I don't have the quick build up with methi that you describe and I use it every wash. My one issue with it has been the smell--I find it tolerable if not wonderful, but my spouse really dislikes it. It seems to dissipate once my hair is dry but it's not ideal.

[Ophidian]

I personally oil my hair daily with coconut oil and haven't seen any ill-effects. In fact, quite the opposite. I use coconut oil for the most part, and only a small pea-sized amount on my dry hair. It gives shines and cuts down on frizz and makes my hair soft and feel protected. My hair drinks up oils and leave-ins like crazy though, so my routine probably wouldn't be effective for everyone. My hair doesn't ever look oily with this routine either.
I do this too

[mira-chan]

Thanks for your reply Mira-Chan! Herb washes have been working really well for me but I can definitely see how time consuming it can get. I also have some concerns about how my shower is handling it, though I do usually strain my mixes. I have found the need to shampoo every 1-2 months to remove build-up, but I don't have the quick build up with methi that you describe and I use it every wash. My one issue with it has been the smell--I find it tolerable if not wonderful, but my spouse really dislikes it. It seems to dissipate once my hair is dry but it's not ideal.
I did best with mud pack version of washes, there is no straining for that unfortunately so it was a problem with plumbing.

For the scent: Add a bit of spice that you like the smell of to your mix to improve the smell, or even a drop of Essential oil after straining the mix. I regularly added clove powder to my henna mixes to improve the scent. :) Some may even help the wash with cleansing, astringent or conditioning benefits. Things like rosemary and lavender are wonderful for the scalp.

ETA: Daily oiling with coconut oil. I tried this but coconut oil is solid about 7 months out of the year here and it does solidify on the hair. It was a no go for me outside of summer. For winter, best thing that worked so far has been sesame oil, not toasted variety. It's ok for light daily oiling, or it was when I did this. I don't oil my hair much for now.

[pandabarrier]

I've done something similar with a shower cap or a hat in the the summer, then letting body heat and summer heat do the warming. It's meant to help thing penetrate the hair more.

Also, Hi neighbor! :D
Hi mira-chan :waving:
Thanks for the reply, I guess that will help in the winter too, I use a mix of coconut oil, EVOO and babassu oil for pre-poo, but that solidifies on my hair in cold weather.

[Kat-Rinnè Naido]

I did best with mud pack version of washes, there is no straining for that unfortunately so it was a problem with plumbing.

For the scent: Add a bit of spice that you like the smell of to your mix to improve the smell, or even a drop of Essential oil after straining the mix. I regularly added clove powder to my henna mixes to improve the scent. :) Some may even help the wash with cleansing, astringent or conditioning benefits. Things like rosemary and lavender are wonderful for the scalp.

ETA: Daily oiling with coconut oil. I tried this but coconut oil is solid about 7 months out of the year here and it does solidify on the hair. It was a no go for me outside of summer. For winter, best thing that worked so far has been sesame oil, not toasted variety. It's ok for light daily oiling, or it was when I did this. I don't oil my hair much for now.

I love coconut oil but cannot use it too frequently. It works on my hair in summer. But frequent use cause my hair to feel dehydrated and crispy. Not sure why, anyone with ideas please share.

[mira-chan]

I love coconut oil but cannot use it too frequently. It works on my hair in summer. But frequent use cause my hair to feel dehydrated and crispy. Not sure why, anyone with ideas please share.

Possibly buildup caused by a chemical reaction with body chemistry or other products causing full occlusion of water from the hair. Sweet almond oil give my hair and skin that crispy feeling even from one use. These things react differently to different body chemistry, different water and things used to wash hair. Just like I have fenugreek cause build up but Ophidian doesn't have that problem.

[Kat-Rinnè Naido]

Possibly buildup caused by a chemical reaction with body chemistry or other products causing full occlusion of water from the hair. Sweet almond oil give my hair and skin that crispy feeling even from one use. These things react differently to different body chemistry, different water and things used to wash hair. Just like I have fenugreek cause build up but Ophidian doesn't have that problem.

Thank you for that bit of information, mira-chan

[mira-chan]

Thank you for that bit of information, mira-chan

You're welcome. :)

A lot of people forget to take into account body chemistry, which can cause very different reactions in different people depending on what other product they use, diet, and skin microbiology (what organisms live on there). Sometimes your bacteria just find some oils gross and throw tantrums. :silly:

[Dark40]

This weekend I've applied some Alma Dubar Indian Hair Oil on my hair, and it came out amazingly soft, shiny, and healthy looking! I really love the results that it came out after drying it!!!

[blackgothicdoll]

That's funny, I never knew this was an Indian thing until I started reading more on it. When I was a little girl, my mom used to heat up olive oil and slather it all over our hair an hour before washing. The only thing she didn't do was massage it into the scalp, though she massaged my scalp (vigorously :( ) while washing.

I've revisited this with coconut oil and found it great, but I do massage oil into my scalp because my scalp is so terribly dry. It helps me rub off the dead skin before washing, I think. My hair is always shiny, though I am sure I wash all of the oily out because I shampoo twice. I do put oil in my hair again after washing, but not nearly as much as the "hot oil treatment" or "heavy oiling". Just a few drops per section of hair after I apply my leave-in. And of course I add my oil to my ends and hair throughout the week until it's time to wash the hair again.

[Xxanderia]

Love the amla oil! I mix this with black seed oil and it’s fantastic

[amiraaah]

I personally use parachute oil(the virgin coconut oil)since i was a little kid but my hair reacts differently to coconut oil that’s why sometimes i stop using it. I used all the other oils from the same brand but they are always filled with mineral oil which my hair hates.I also tried an indian oil named “trichup”, it was for the scalp only and i had little to no shedding(usually i don’t shed much ) when using it which weirded me out. Other brands like vatika didn’t work at all for my hair.
Oiling is a huge tradition in india. They also have a tradition (i heard about it from many indian youtubers but correct me please if you are an indian),when the winter comes they drench their hair in like a 200 ml or even more of oil to hydrate it. I also know that they keep oil on their hair all the time and put it in a braid but not on the scalp though. An indian woman we know use a shampoo made of shikakai powder to wash her hair.
I want to add my experience With oiling since i oil my hair alot. I don’t reccommend leaving oil on your scalp for more than 2 hours max. I experienced so much hair fall with that and i always thought that i’m doing something wrong to my hair but i couldn’t figure it out. Untill i thought that maybe it’s because of the oil being left on my scalp for long periods of time and when i stopped doing do my hair returned to it’s normal shedding .

[Rosy blossom]

I personally use parachute oil(the virgin coconut oil)since i was a little kid but my hair reacts differently to coconut oil that’s why sometimes i stop using it. I used all the other oils from the same brand but they are always filled with mineral oil which my hair hates.I also tried an indian oil named “trichup”, it was for the scalp only and i had little to no shedding(usually i don’t shed much ) when using it which weirded me out. Other brands like vatika didn’t work at all for my hair.
Oiling is a huge tradition in india. They also have a tradition (i heard about it from many indian youtubers but correct me please if you are an indian),when the winter comes they drench their hair in like a 200 ml or even more of oil to hydrate it. I also know that they keep oil on their hair all the time and put it in a braid but not on the scalp though. An indian woman we know use a shampoo made of shikakai powder to wash her hair.
I want to add my experience With oiling since i oil my hair alot. I don’t reccommend leaving oil on your scalp for more than 2 hours max. I experienced so much hair fall with that and i always thought that i’m doing something wrong to my hair but i couldn’t figure it out. Untill i thought that maybe it’s because of the oil being left on my scalp for long periods of time and when i stopped doing do my hair returned to it’s normal shedding .

I second this advice. I did an experiment where for a full year I would keep oil in my hair constantly. So after wash whilst my hair is still damp I would apply oil of my choice and keep it in till next wash day. Although my hair was baby soft, I did have plenty of shedding and it didn't make my hair grow any faster. It did minimise any damage to my hair though. However now I find I have more volume if I do a pre poo treatment then wash it off after an hour or so. My hair feels much better, I think it's gotten longer as well using this method. I still use argan oil for the ends of my hair whilst they're still damp. Women in India can get away with leaving hair in their oil sometimes because of the humidity, plus their diet consists of variety of veggies alongside with meat.

[blackgothicdoll]

They also have a tradition (i heard about it from many indian youtubers but correct me please if you are an indian),when the winter comes they drench their hair in like a 200 ml or even more of oil to hydrate it.

If I'm not mistaken, this isn't a tradition, it's just a YouTube trend and completely unnecessary. Similar to the american "100 pumps of conditioner" trend. Most actual videos I see, it looks like around 1/4 cup that they are using, which is somewhere around 50ml. That is still a lot of oil, though.


Women in India can get away with leaving hair in their oil sometimes because of the humidity, plus their diet consists of variety of veggies alongside with meat.

It's not really because of diet (though that may effect the length of their hair), but some hair types really like oil. I haven't gotten down to the bottom of it, but I always leave oil in my hair. In fact, it would be borderline sinful for me to not have some sort of oil or serum in my hair. I do not remember a time in my entire life that my hair didn't have oil in it, except for back in the day when we used "grease" instead, which still had oil in it (my hair did not like this nearly as much as plain oil, though). I know it is a cultural thing, but I haven't figured out a comparison between Indian and African hair types besides hot climates. Otherwise, our hair types are almost totally opposite when you think about it!

Obviously I'm not fully African either, maybe I have other ethnicities in my gene pool that attribute to my coarse strands, but that will just have to stay a mystery. I do know that friends of mine who also have 'heavy' hair tend to use oil, like my chammoro friend.

[momof3mary]

I damp oil my chin length fine hair with cannabis hemp seeds oil. It dries perfectly, not greasy at all.

[emilyogini]

I apply oil from the jaw down after every single wash, and I've done this for many years. I oil on top of a leave in conditioner to seal everything in and it's always worked great for me, but every person is different, so I want to tell everyone to please do what's best for you!

I used coconut oil back when that was super trendy, and I've used avocado oil, olive oil, and jojoba. Jojoba and coconut are wonderful and light weight (I add geranium, lavender, vanilla, and rose to my jojoba in a dropper bottle). Avocado is good when I want something heavier. Olive oil...I mostly just cook my food with now.

[Kat]

I have Dabur Vatika oil and another bhringraj oil... but I rarely use them. The smell is just way too strong. I don't mind it, but I'm pretty sure other people would-- most people are pretty sensitive to scents, and on top of the fact that the smell is strong, to me those oils have a scent that to many/most Americans would be off-putting (because it's not a typical "American" smell and many people think that if something is unfamiliar, then it's bad). I also worry that it would be off-putting to the cat, or bad for him (I know essential oils are bad for cats and have stopped using my beloved essential oils for that reason, unfortunately). IOW-- can't use them in public, can't use them at home...

I go back and forth on oiling my hair. I probably overdo it a bit (I never hit the line between "can't even tell I have it in" and "whoops that's a bit much"), and I just get a bit tired at times of having heavy, oily, flat hair (it's usually not a huge deal as I have it braided 99.9% of the time but still, I can feel it when I take it down to detangle and such), and for me, I feel like after having it in for a week or so (I wash once a week), my hair gets crunchy-ish, almost like when coconut oil gets chilly in hair but not just when cold. I'm thinking of switching from coconut to almond, or making a mix of the two, for this reason.