Hair Oiling Is Finally Having A Moment...And It's About Time

The credit goes to Bridgerton for helping us get back to our roots by reviving our grandmothers' hair secret-the Ayurvedic ritual of hair oiling.

- Hanna Ibraheem

It was the bane of my Sunday mornings as a child. My mum would come into the living room—where I’d usually be enthralled by Sabrina The Teenage Witch on the television—with a green bottle of Dabur Vatika Coconut Hair Oil bobbing around in a bowl of hot water. I’d diligently sit on the floor while my mum rubbed, massaged, and patted the melted oil onto my scalp and down the lengths of my hair until it was soaked. Each session was finished with me sporting a glistening, slicked-back plait, and I’d always ask the same question: “Do you promise I can wash it out before school tomorrow?”.

You see, I’d noticed my peers would get teased for their oiled hair on the school playground. Sure, the oil made my hair soft and strong. In fact, I know it’s the reason I have healthy hair today. But, at the time, I found the whole thing...well, embarrassing.

Fast-forward 24 years and now I practically beg my mum for a hair-oiling session. I don’t care about leaving the house with oil-drenched lengths and I actively hunt down hair-oiling recipes on social media. So, what’s changed since I was a child? Well, a lot.

BACK TO OUR ROOTS Hair oiling has been around for over 3,000 years, but only now is this practice starting to hit mainstream consciousness worldwide, alongside morning turmeric lattes and monthly threading appointments (or fortnightly, if you are me!). More and more Indian and South Asian-founded haircare brands are launching their own hair oils into major retailers, and the practice even took centre-stage this year in one of Netflix’s most popular shows of all time, Bridgerton.