Hazelnut & mustard oil

[McFearless]

Has anyone used either? I saw them in the cooking oils section when I was shopping and of course I wondered what it would be like on hair.

:)

[little_cherry]

I have used hazelnut oil and it makes the hair feel lovely. I've actually been researching a lot on mustard oil and apparently it's great for hair growth as it has a high sulfur content. Sort of smelly though, but worth it.

[McFearless]

I have used hazelnut oil and it makes the hair feel lovely. I've actually been researching a lot on mustard oil and apparently it's great for hair growth as it has a high sulfur content. Sort of smelly though, but worth it.


Ah. Sulfur does equal hair growth. Its pretty cheap too. I can deal with the smell on days I'm at home. Thanks!:)

Hazelnut is similar to almond oil, right?

[Denebi]

Maybe you can avoid the smell by mixing the mustard oil with an EO of your choice. Preferable one that also is good for hair (-growth) and has a pleasant scent.

[jojo]

I use mustard oil in winter and I love it. Yes it does smell but the smell does go after a few hours, it makes my hair very soft and I honestly believe it has saved my hair from breaking especially when the weather is very cold plus it costs pennies from Indian shops!

[sakuraemily]

i use mustard oil. i boil curry leaves in the oil and then use it. its really good well atleast my hair doesn fall out after applying it it it did with some oils. it is supposed to be good for hairfall. i really like it.
my mom said that when she was in school they used to watch plays put up by some girls from a nearby village. they all used mustard oil n had dark gorgeous hair.
the only problem is the smell, tho that goes when washed.

[sakuraemily]

use the cooking variety because that will be the purest

[ktani]

Mustard oil is classified as a semi-drying oil here, http://www.tis-gdv.de/tis_e/ware/oele/senf/senf.htm

Hazelnut oil is a non drying oil, http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4285688.html.

Both would be easier to remove from the hair than a drying oil, with hazelnut oil being easier to remove than mustard oil.

[ChloeDharma]

Mustard oil really does stink, in fact i find it almost makes me heave. The other thing i found with it was that after applying it to my scalp and massaging it i started to taste it in my mouth a while later. That was REALLY unpleasant.
It's a good oil though to be fair and has a long history of use for hair growth. It tends to be more popular with men in India and more used in the north. I did hear it is believed to somehow enhance testosterone when used for body massage/oil baths but i have no links for that or proof that it works.

[Beatrix_Kiddo]

I've used Chilean hazelnut oil and is really good. I recommend it. My ends felt soft after used it.

[ktani]

Here are two studies, the first, due to have started this month and end in 2014, on human babies to help reduce neonatal death, and the second on premature human babies, published in 2005. It is believed that mustard oil used topically as it is applied with traditional use, may compromise the not fully developed natural skin barrier function of neonatal babies (28 days old), and contribute to infant mortality. The information may have implications for adults using mustard oil topically and scalp problems.

I can see the benefits of sunflower oil used on a baby's skin. As a drying oil, it would help protect the skin and has been shown to positively affect it. It would be a good barrier itself and easy to remove, as skin naturally sheds, compared to using it on hair. They are using "refined locally manufactured sunflower oil" and "locally manufactued mustard oil" for the first study. That would be in keeping with earlier results and mustard oil traditional use. Using sunflower seed oil is less expensive and easier to obtain for families, than a petroleum based emollient that also worked well, in the 2005 study.

Impact of Sunflower Seed Oil Massage on Neonatal Mortality and Morbidity in Nepal (NOMS) (http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01177111)
"Barrier function of the neonatal skin, however, is incomplete in newborn infants, especially those that are pre-term or of low birth weight. Full-body massage of newborns with mustard oil, practiced almost universally (~95%) in communities of south Asia, may further compromise skin barrier function through decreased structural integrity leading to increased trans-epidermal water loss and increased risk of percutaneous penetration by invasive pathogens. Loss of structural integrity is not seen after massage of neonatal skin with alternative topical emollients, including sunflower seed oil. ... sunflower seed oil has been shown to accelerate recovery of the skin barrier function, improve skin condition, and reduce the risk of both nosocomial infections and neonatal mortality among hospitalized newborns in low-resource settings."

From a study in The Lancet in 2005 (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4314859.stm)
"Dr Gary Darmstadt and colleagues from Johns Hopkins University in the US studied premature babies born in Bangladesh. Mothers there, as in much of South Asia, massage their babies with mustard oil. ... Dr Darmstadt believes this could be doing more harm than good because it has a toxic rather than a protective effect on the skin and delays recovery of the skin's natural barrier."

The Lancet article abstract (http://download.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140673605711405.pdf?id=4d037fefcb72946c:6ab6d 4dd:12b654bc125:524f1285901245559) When the link opens, scroll up to read it. One can register for free to read the full text article or access and save the pdf version.

[ktani]

Research into adverse effects of mustard oil on human skin can be found as far back as 2002, possibly further than that,
"Traditional Practice of Oil Massage of Neonates in Bangladesh" http://imsear.hellis.org/bitstream/123456789/586/2/jhpn2002v20n2p184.pdf
"Results of our recent research also suggest that massage of mustard oil may have dramatic adverse effects on the structure and function of the skin barrier, including increased losses of water through the skin, delayed recovery of skin barrier function, and ultrastructural changes in epidermal keratinocytes, indicative of stress and toxicity (23)."

Tests were done on mice, "Impact of topical oils on the skin barrier: possible implications for neonatal health in developing countries" http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=13745296
"Mustard oil, used routinely in newborn care throughout South Asia, has toxic effects on the epidermal barrier that warrant further investigation.", and led among other things to the 2005 study on human babies, and the one being done this year.

All of this was done over 4 years after the mustard oil, and other unpackaged oils were temporarily banned in India. The ban lasted from August 26 to September 30, 1998 and was imposed because the oils were found to be contaminated.

The issue with mustard seed oil for ingestion is the erucic acid content, which was the same issue with rapeseed oil before Canola oil was developed, http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/canola-oil/AN01281.

There are lower erucic acid mustard oils available, http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/labeti/decisions/fatgrae.shtml.
"Brassica juncea has traditionally been considered a mustard plant and a source of mustard oil. It is closely related to varieties that have traditionally been considered rapeseed, or canola, plants. Recently a "canola quality" version of Brassica juncea was developed by lowering the erucic acid content."

http://www.agriculturalproductsindia.com/edible-oils/edible-oils-mustard-oil.html
"Many countries consider mustard oil as unsuitable for human consumption as it has a high content of a substance known as erucic acid which is harmful to the body but now mustard oils with lower erucic acids are also available."

[mira-chan]

I've used mustard oil, I tend to resort to it when my scalp is being problemcatic and itchy. It clears up problems. It definitely has some sting to it so it's warming and a mild irritant, just like chayenne pepper that has been used by some here to promote growth.