Why I Love Oiling my Hair

I'm very old-fashioned as far as hair is concerned. I don't colour it, but use henna. I never blow-dry or flat-iron it, because I prefer its natural texture. And one of my most favourite indulgences is a good, old-fashioned champi with hair oil. I know a lot of people prefer in-salon treatments over hair oil. And while there's nothing wrong with them, I've got only two of these 'hair spas' done in my entire life. I just feel like I could be putting a lot of chemicals in my hair with these treatments, and the other thing is that hair oil makes my hair as soft and shiny (maybe a bit more) than an in-salon remedy.

The sad part is that we are ignoring our age-old traditional knowledge in lieu of what is trending in the West. So while oiling used to be de rigueur a decade back, now most of us balk at it. The fact is that we only accept traditional ingredients or treatments once they become popular in the West. Look at turmeric, which is now used to make golden lattes aka haldi doodh. I know many people who would turn their noses up at ghee, now eat it with relish because it is finally a 'superfood'. And that buckwheat you add to salads and soups? Its basically kuttu ka atta, which is used to make pooris during Navratri. Are we waiting for someone in the West to discover the benefits of oiling before we start doing it too?

Personally, I LOVE Kama's Brigandi Oil. My friend who had problems with hair growth used it thrice a week for a month and suddenly her hair looked longer by a couple of inches. I have been using it regularly, sometimes overnight or for a few hours, and then wash it off with shampoo. From a short bob, my hair is now suddenly shoulder length, and I don't even need a conditioner.

You can also try my mother's amazing hair oil recipe, although, if you have dandruff it is best to avoid coconut oil: 

Boil half a litre of coconut oil with a little less than a fistful of curry and neem leaves, dried hibiscus flowers, fenugreek seeds and camphor. Add gooseberry powder if your want black hair. Don't strain the oil. Use twice or thrice a week.

Let me finish by saying that if you want your in-salon treatments, go ahead and enjoy them. But give hair oil a chance. Who know, maybe you'll love it.