Homemade Herbal Hair Oils for Healthy Hair

Hair oils prepared adding herbs give you a refreshing bath. Use some thaali (hibiscus leaves and a few more leaves) as herbal shampoo too. You can make such oils at home itself. In Malayalam it’s called ‘Kaachiya Enna’, which literally translates as oil prepared by boiling. In Kerala culture, where Ayurvedic treatment is prominent, many medicinal plants, herbs, leaves etc are added to oil and boiled to prepare both hair and body oil. But I can’t find a suitable English word to translate ‘Kaachiya Enna’. Enna means ‘Oil’. If you know, please let me know through comments.

Oils which protect your hair, you can make them at home itself. But we hesitate it due to various reasons. One reason is countless ingredients are needed to prepare an excellent oil, and many times, most of the ingredients not easily available. Another confusion is, whether same hair oil can be used by all family members. The temperature at which oil is to be boiled, how long to boil, won’t it get damaged etc are other common doubts. All these tensions can itself lead to hair fall.

Through this column I shall provide you a few techniques through which you can prepare simple hair oil at home. Also read: 5 hair oils to stimulate hair growth.

For healthy hair

When hair losses its health, it breaks. Dryness is another reason. If you tie hair too tight, hair may break or fall. Thyroid hormone & PCOS issues, dandruff, vitamin / calcium deficiency, stress etc are other reasons for hair fall. In short, you need to find the right reason behind your hair loss and do the needful. If you use hair oil frequently which suits your hair, it enhances hair growth, blood circulation in scalp and get rid of dryness. Massaging of scalp is equally important.

Three oils to get rid of dandruff

Dandruff affects people of all age groups. Hair loss, itching of scalp and white patches affect hair beauty a lot. It can even affect eye lashes and eye brows. Here are three herbal oils for dandruff treatment. Read more about reasons of this condition and dandruff treatment.

–> Take equal quantities of curry leaves, karuka (Pandanus julianettii) and konna skin (Cassia fistula), and make a fine paste. Take 25 gms from it and boil it in 100 milli coconut oil/sesame oil adding 400 milli water. Keep boiling till oil reduces to 100 milli. This oil is effective for dandruff, itching of scalp etc.

–> Take 10 gm each of cumin seeds and shallots, and make a fine paste. Crush some hibiscus leaves and flowers and extract 400 milli juice adding water. Boil all these ingredients in sesame oil. Keep boiling till oil reduces to 100 milli.

–> Take 150 milli oil and add ground paste of 300 gm leucus plant and 15 gm cumin seeds. Keep boiling till oil reduces to 100 milli. Dandruff won’t show up if you use this oil.

Hair oil for kids

You can use herbal hair oils for kids from the age of 3. If kids suffer from cold related diseases or edema frequently, you need to be careful.

–> Take 10 gm shallots, 10 gm cumin seeds and 5 gm dry ginger and make a fine paste (approximate 2 big spoons). Boil it adding 100 milli coconut oil and 400 milli water. Keep boiling till oil reduces to 100 milli. This oil enhances hair growth and blocks edema, connecting to cold.

–> Take equal quantities of gooseberry, thaannikka (Terminalia bellirica) and kadukka (Terminalia chebula), crush together and extract the juice equivalent to 400 milli adding water. Add 15 gm gooseberry paste and boil in 100 milli coconut oil. It enhances hair growth.

–> Add Rasanadi Choornam to coconut oil and heat it. If you use this oil for kids, it’s a quick remedy to cold related diseases.

–> There is a treatment of lice for school going children too. Take 150 milli sesame oil, 15gm crushed neem seeds, 5 gm crushed mustard, 500 milli neem leaf kashayam, and boil all the contents together till it reduces to 150 milli. Use this oil alternative days. Once lice is gone, you can discontinue this oil.

Hair oil for teenagers

Hair fall, fungal infections, dandruff, end split hair etc are common problems seen in teenagers. When you tie moist hair, at hair tips certain seed like structures can form, which can damage your hair. After you wash your hair, make sure it dries well before you go to sleep. If you give less attention to hair, it also affects hair health. If you massage your hair with oil which suits you, it can give quick remedy to many of the problems listed above. Healthy diet, which includes all essential nutrients is equally important.

–> To avoid hair fall, here is a herbal oil. Make a fine paste of curry leaves, shallots and Liquorice (iratti madhuram). Take 25 gm (approximate 2 big spoons) and boil it in 100 milli coconut oil adding 400 milli rice starch. Keep boiling till oil reduces to 100 milli. This oil is effective in dandruff treatment.

–> Make a fine paste of aloe vera, Liquorice (iratti madhuram) and triphala. Take 25 gm (approximate 2 big spoons) and add 600 milli coconut milk and 200 milli oil, and boil the contents. Reduce it to 200 milli. It’s effective for hair loss and improves hair growth.

Quick remedy for hair loss

As age passes by, hair problems become quite common, resulting in hair loss. Stress, busy job, hormonal imbalance, bad life style etc can uproot your hair. Here are two herbal oils for senior people.

–> Make a paste of Chittamrithu (Tinospora cordifolia), karuka (Pandanus julianettii), shallots and curry leaves and take 50 gm. Add 600 milli water and 200 milli coconut oil/sesame oil, and keep boiling till the oil reduces to 200 milli.

–> Take 25 gm each of triphala and sesame seeds and make a fine paste. Add 400 milli water and 100 milli sesame oil, and keep boiling till the oil reduces to 100 milli.

Hair oil for premature hair graying

To avoid premature hair graying, and if it happens, to reduce the speed by which it’s occurring, you need to bring changes to your food. Reduce salt, spices, chilli, sour and also fast food and sweets. Don’t forget, it’s hereditary too.

–> Take equal quantities of Liquorice (iratti madhuram), gooseberry, curry leaves and sesame. Make a fine paste and take 50 gms. Add 600 milli water and 200 milli coconut oil, and keep boiling till the oil reduces to 200 milli. The residue (kalkkam) of oils can be used as hair pack once a week. Dry it and make a powder.

–> Make a fine paste of henna, curry leaves and shallots and add 25 gm of it to 100 milli coconut oil. Also add 400 milli water, boil the contents and make it 100 milli.

–> Crush brahmi and extract juice. Along with water it should have 400 milli. Boil it adding 25 gm curry leaves paste, 100 milli coconut oil/sesame oil, and boil the contents. Make it 100 milli.

Hair oils to get rid of stress and insomnia

Work pressure, stress and insomnia are common nowadays. To get rid of hair fall and improve hair growth, you need a balanced diet and sound sleep. After the pandemic, many people who got covid are suffering from sleeping disorders. To get good sleep, you can try these oils.

–> Take equal amount of sandalwood, Liquorice (iratti madhuram) and sesame seeds. Make a paste and take 25 gm. Mix it with 100 milli oil and 400 milli water and boil the contents till it reduces to 100 milli.

–> Make Kalkkam (residue) of 25 gm Liquorice (iratti madhuram). Add 100 milli coconut oil and 400 milli crushed karuka (Pandanus julianettii), and boil the contents till it reduces to 100 milli.

A few tips for boiling oil

Iron Kadai is best for boiling oil. It provides iron to the oil too, which is good for hair. Mix all ingredients together and put in the kadai. Gently heat it and keep stirring the contents. When water content is almost absorbed, take a little residue (Kalkkam – the ingredients added to oil) and rub with your fingers. When Kalkkam becomes unbreakable and thick thread like, you can switch off the flame.

Dip a paper in the oil and show in flame. If cracking sound appears, it means oil has still moisture content. Keep boiling till moisture content is fully evaporated. Then only the hair oil won’t get damaged easily.

For hair wash

It’s equally important to wash off the oil once it’s applied on hair. If oil is retained in hair, it invites dust leading to dandruff. Herbal shampoos are always the best, when you are using herbal oils.

–> To remove hair oil from hair, you can use hibiscus leaves or water boiled adding soap nuts.

–> Green gram powder, gram flour and shikakai (cheevakka) powder can also be used to wash hair.

–> Take 50 gm powdered fenugreek, 100 gm dried and powdered hibiscus leaves and flowers, and mix together. Store this powder in a jar. Boil water adding 2 soap nuts and then add 1 small of this powder and use it as hair shampoo.

–> Soak fenugreek adding rice starch overnight. Make a fine paste and apply on hair. It’s a natural hair conditioner, which can be used twice a week.

–> Take half glass rice starch, 2 small spoons triphala choornam, 2 big spoons of aloe vera gel and smash it well in a mixer. You can use it as a hair shampoo. It removes dirt and stimulates hair growth.

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