Applying warm oil to your scalp and skin may sound icky at first, but the relaxing and beauty benefits you reap from it are well worth any challenges and disbelief. The very application of oil involves heating it to a comfortable temperature and then using massaging motions to apply it—whether to the scalp and hair roots, or to the skin. Other than the benefits of the oil in itself, the massage increases blood circulation which in turn is beneficial for rejuvenation of the skin and hair on a cellular level. Oiling can aid in more youthful looking skin and hair, prevent greying and sag, and provide various anti-aging benefits as well. So basically, it’s one good thing indeed.
And there’s no dearth of oils to choose from—olive, coconut, castor, jojoba, mustard—there’s an oil to please every palate be it in terms of stickiness, smell, or feel. But that said, you can add a lot to oil and turn it into an elixir that can truly do wonders for your scalp, hair, and skin. Here are some simple and doable recipes.
Coconut & Curry Leaves Elixir For Hair Growth & Strength
Facing hair loss, weak hair or just sluggish hair growth? Well, southern India has an elixir for you for sure.
Pour 250 ml virgin coconut oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. When the oil starts to smoke, lower the heat and add in a handful of curry leaves. Let the leaves sputter and spatter and turn off the heat, and let the oil cool to touch. Strain the oil into a clean container with an airtight cap, and use this to massage your scalp whilst you soak in the sun for an hour or so. Wash off with warm water and your favored hair care products, styling as usual. Your hair will feel a lot softer and also get a boost in growth—after two months of weekly use, the hair fall should lessen a tad as well.
Coconut, Castor & Aloe Elixir To Repair Damaged Hair
This one takes a little more effort but the end result is very worth it if you want to nourish an itchy scalp, repair damaged hair, or simply give some TLC to your dull and dry skin.
Pour 250 ml virgin coconut oil in a pan. Meanwhile, you will need two aloe vera leaves—wash them and peel off the edges of the leaves (with the thorns on them). Now pat the leaves dry and slice them into cuboids, cutting across the leaf. Drop these leaves in the coconut oil and turn the heat up, letting the leaves sputter. Once the oil begins to smoke, turn down the heat and let the leaves turn crisp. Turn off the heat and let cool a bit. Now add in 100ml castor oil to the still warm oil and strain the lot. Put this in a wide-mouthed container and use weekly, heating the oil before application. Use warm water to wash off and style as usual. If the oil foams a bit while it heats up, it’s the castor oil at work and perfectly natural.
You may crush those “fried” aloe vera leaves and use them as a skin scrub—there’ll be plenty of oil left in them to do your skin some good!
Hibiscus & Mustard Oil Infusion For Dry & Dull Hair
Another awesome oil to induce some good hair growth, prevent split ends, and nourish chemically-treated hair takes next-to-nothing to make. Pour cold-pressed mustard oil into a bowl and drop 7-10 freshly plucked hibiscus flowers in it, submerging the flowers fully into the oil. Cover and keep overnight. In the morning, you’ll see the oil is tinted and also that the petals of the flower have turned translucent. Strain the oil and squeeze the petals to get the last drop of goodness from them—now massage this oil into your scalp and hair. Cover your head with a shower cap or with a hot towel and keep on for an hour so before washing off and styling as usual.
Use it for 2-3 months on a weekly basis to see far lusher hair growth than before, plus for soft and shiny locks.
Vitamin E & Olive Oil Elixir To Nourish The Scalp & Skin
Finally, if you need to feed winter-dried hair, skin, or scalp, all you have to do is squeeze out some vitamin E capsules into olive oil—one capsule per 2 tablespoons oil is a very nourishing ratio. Heat the oil a little so that the two mix well, and add in a few drops of lavender or rose, or any anti-aging essential oil to add a wonderful fragrance and some more nourishing benefits.
You can use this oil on the scalp and hair like this, but for the skin, you can add some more benefits. Add in some coffee grounds to the oil mixture and use this to gently scrub and massage your skin. The exfoliation will help the skin absorb the oil even more, and after the application just shower with warm water for skin that looks as good as it feels.
Remember not to use any ingredient you may think you are allergic to, and keep your ingredients as fresh, organic, and wholesomely sourced as possible. Oil away…
