Ayurvedic Hair Oiling with Ayumi
Hair oiling is one of the oldest habits in Ayurvedic hair care. A weekly oil massage softens the hair, comforts a dry scalp and gives you a few quiet minutes to yourself. The right oil depends on your hair, though, so our range covers growth, a dry or flaky scalp, frizz and damaged lengths, alongside pure single oils such as castor oil for hair, almond oil for hair and sesame oil.
Every plant oil we use is cold pressed, on its own or in a blend, and none of our oils contain mineral oil. Each one is PETA certified, vegan and cruelty-free.
Hair Oiling Benefits
Regular ayurvedic hair oiling leaves hair feeling softer and looking shinier, helps reduce breakage and keeps the scalp comfortable. Those are the hair oiling benefits most people notice first, usually within a few weeks of oiling once or twice a week. An ayurvedic oil also gives the herbs in it time to sit on the scalp before you wash, which is why you oil your hair before you shampoo.
Match Your Hair to the Right Oil
| Your Hair | Our Oil | Key Ingredients and How to Use |
|---|---|---|
| You want longer, stronger hair and less hair fall | Rosemary Hair Growth Oil (100ml) | Our best hair oil for hair growth. Rosemary, coconut, castor, sweet almond, carrot seed, amla and argan. Clinically proven: in a 12-week trial with 94 users, 71% noticed new hair growth and 70% reported less hair fall. Use once or twice a week before washing. |
| You want a traditional Ayurvedic scalp and root treatment | Bio Active Growth Hair Oil (150ml) | 19 Ayurvedic botanicals, including amla, bhringraj, gotu kola, rosemary, sandalwood and fenugreek. Lab tested and dermatologically tested. Use once or twice a week before washing. |
| Your scalp feels dry, tight or itchy | Bio Active Scalp Oil for a Dry, Itchy Scalp (150ml) | Cold-pressed sesame, sweet almond and avocado oils with neem, tulsi and centella. Lab tested. Leave for at least 30 minutes, or overnight. Use once or twice a week. |
| You have dandruff or flakes | Anti-Dandruff Scalp Oil (100ml) | Neem, rosemary and tulsi. Clinically proven, and in an independent lab test it reduced Malassezia furfur, a yeast linked to dandruff, by 99.73% in vitro. Use two to three times a week. |
| Your hair is thick, curly or coily and frizzes | Coconut Hair Oil for Frizzy & Curly Hair (150ml) | Cold-pressed coconut and sesame oils with rosemary, amla and henna. Dermatologically tested. Leave for at least 1–2 hours, or overnight. Use once or twice a week. |
| Your hair is dry, damaged, heat-styled or coloured | Ayurvedic Repair Hair Oil for Dry & Damaged Hair (150ml) | Our hair oil for damaged hair, and a good hair oil for dry hair too. Cold-pressed olive, coconut, sweet almond and castor oils with gotu kola, amla and vitamin E. Dermatologically tested. Leave for 1–2 hours, or overnight. Use once or twice a week. |
| You want thicker-looking ends | Pure Cold Pressed Castor Oil for Hair, Lashes & Skin (150ml) | 100% castor oil: cold pressed, hexane-free and BP grade. Use twice a week, leaving it on for at least an hour or overnight. Patch test first, and keep it away from your eyes. |
| You want a classic Ayurvedic base oil | Pure Sesame Seed Oil (150ml) | 100% cold-pressed sesame seed oil, the traditional base of Ayurvedic hair oiling, and the go-to sesame oil for hair. Lab tested. Massage into the scalp and roots for 5–10 minutes and leave for an hour, or overnight, before shampooing. |
| You want softer, shinier hair | Sweet Almond Oil for Hair & Skin (150ml) | 100% cold-pressed sweet almond oil. Dermatologically tested. Warm a little, massage into the scalp for 5–10 minutes and leave for at least an hour, or overnight. |
| You want a traditional oil for your scalp and lengths | Hesh Pure Egyptian Black Seed Oil, 2.5%+ Thymoquinone (100ml) | Our black seed oil for hair: cold-pressed Egyptian Nigella sativa oil. Massage a little into the scalp, work it through the hair, leave for 30–60 minutes and shampoo. Use once or twice a week. A drop or two on the ends helps soften roughness. Patch test first. |
| You want a single traditional herb oil | Neem Oil, Cold Pressed or Organic (100ml) | Pure cold-pressed neem seed oil. Always mix it with a carrier oil, such as our almond oil, before use, and patch test first. |
How to Oil Hair
If you're new to it, here's how to oil hair in five simple steps. It takes about ten minutes, plus waiting time.
| Step | What to Do |
|---|---|
| 1. Warm the oil | Rub a little oil between your palms. If you warm the bottle, keep it warm, never hot. |
| 2. Massage the scalp | Part your hair and work the oil into your scalp with your fingertips for about five minutes. |
| 3. Work it through | Smooth what's left on your hands down the lengths and onto the ends. |
| 4. Leave it on | Leave it for as long as your oil's label says, usually 30 minutes to a couple of hours. For an overnight hair oil, protect your pillow with an old towel. |
| 5. Wash it out | Put shampoo on your oiled hair before you add water. It lifts the oil more easily. You may need to shampoo twice. |
Hair Oil Massage Benefits
The massage matters as much as the oil. A few minutes spreads the oil evenly over the scalp, loosens any build-up before you wash, and most people find it relaxing. Those simple hair oil massage benefits are why scalp massage has always been part of ayurvedic hair oiling.
Hair Oil for Men and Women
Our oils aren't made for one gender. As a hair oil for men, the Rosemary Hair Growth Oil and Bio Active Growth Hair Oil are popular choices, and on short hair you simply focus the oil on your scalp. Any of our oils works just as well as a hair oil for women, whatever your hair length or texture.
What to Look for in an Ayurvedic Oil
- Cold-pressed oils. Cold pressing extracts oil without heat or chemical solvents. Every plant oil we use is cold pressed.
- Herbs that suit your hair. Rosemary and bhringraj for growth, neem and tulsi for the scalp, coconut for frizz, and castor, olive and almond in a hair oil for damaged hair.
- Testing you can check. Our Rosemary Hair Growth Oil and Anti-Dandruff Scalp Oil are clinically proven, and our other oils are lab or dermatologically tested.
- No mineral oil. Mineral oil sits on the surface of the hair. We don't use it.
- Realistic claims. A good ayurvedic oil can help your hair feel and look healthier, but it can't change your genes. See your GP if you notice sudden hair loss.
Hair Oiling in UK Conditions
- Hard water. Much of England has hard water, which can leave hair feeling rough. A weekly pre-wash hair oil for dry hair helps it feel softer after washing.
- Central heating. From October to March, dry indoor air dries hair out. Oil twice a week through the winter, using a hair oil for dry hair such as our Ayurvedic Repair Hair Oil.
- Busy weeks. If you're short of time, an overnight hair oil does the work while you sleep. Wash it out in the morning.
Shopping for one concern? See our hair growth products, dry scalp products, frizzy hair products and anti dandruff products.
FAQ
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