Coconut, sesame or both: choosing an oil base

Most of the herbs in our oils, bhringraj, hibiscus, curry leaf, amla, are the same ones grandmothers used across South India. What changes from home to home is the oil they are cooked in. In Kerala and coastal Karnataka it is coconut; in the drier interior it is often sesame. Here is how the two differ, so you can choose.

Coconut oil is light in smell and feels cool on the scalp. It is thin when warm and sets solid below 24°C, which surprises people in Mysuru in December. It washes out easily with a mild shampoo or a wash powder. Many people with fine or straight hair prefer it, because it does not weigh the hair down.

Sesame oil, cold-pressed from untoasted seeds, is heavier and slightly nutty. It stays liquid in all weather, spreads further, so you need less of it, and is traditionally thought of as warming, which is why many families prefer it in winter. People with thick, curly or very dry hair often like how it coats the lengths. It takes a little more effort to wash out.

Our bhringraj and hibiscus oil uses both, roughly 60% sesame and 40% coconut, because that is how Shalini’s grandmother made it. The curry leaf oil is pure coconut, for people who want something lighter. If you cannot decide, try the smaller bottle of each for a month, two oilings a week, and notice how your hair feels on the day after washing. That is the best test we know.