Hey Sareca, Oil Rinsing is an Indian thing!!

[Jazzy413]

Youre welcome. I want to go home NOW and try this oil rinsing!!!

 

[MoMo]

Youre welcome. I want to go home NOW and try this oil rinsing!!!

It's funny because I would oil rinse my body to keep from having to put on lotion because I was too lazy to lotion up.

 

[Candy_C]

What products do you order from the indian website? They seem to have tons of stuff!!

I too am going to try oil rinsing and see what results I get. Sounds like the way to go, or at least one way anyhow...

hey jazzy, i'm working ny way thru all the oils and powders!!

 

[Jaxhair]

This is very interesting and reminds me that the same happens in the coast of Kenya too - the natives clean, moisturise and do everything they do to their hair and scalp with coconut oil. I don't know exactly how, but I sure will ask next time I visit. They have the best looking hair of all Kenyan women too. Definitely something to look into.....

Okay, so I was talking to my BFF about LHCF and told her how some of the women do oil rinses. She's like, "Really?? That's an Indian thing! It's called "enna" (she doesn't know how to spell it, but that's how it sounds.) So I listened in awe while she spoke to me about many customs in India. She was born in South India and so were both of her parents. She said in India, hair is a symbol of beauty. Long, black, thick hair is seen as a symbol of beauty, and it is custom to have very long hair.

In India, families wait until a newborn baby has a head full of hair (maybe 3-6 month old baby) and then they shave it all off. Then they apply oil to the baby's head everyday. This makes the hair grow back fuller thicker, and FAST. She said that she will be doing this to her kids, as it was also done to her. Mind you, she has the thickest hair EVER. I'm like, "Shiya, you know how hair obsessed I am and never told me this?!" She said she didn't want me to think she was weird.

In India (at least the part of India she is from) they don't even use shampoo. Since many families there do not have that much money, shampoo and conditioner are items of luxury. Many women did not start using it (shampoos and conditioners) until modern times or until they came to America.

Indian women wash their hair, on average, once a week with coconut oil. Oil washing in India is called "enna". The night before washing their hair, they liberally apply coconut oil into their hair and massage it in. The next day, they just wash it out, and put the hair in a braid and leave it like that until the next wash. Every other day, they unbraid it, moisturize with coconut oil, and braid it back. The only "con" is that your hair smells very oily. She stopped "oil rinsing" when she got to middle school, and friends used to comment on her hair smelling like oil. Oil washing is socially unacceptable in Western countries since it does give off an oil smell.

She said that her mother still only uses coconut oil to wash her hair, and has not used shampoo until she came to America. Her mother does not have one gray hair and her hair is full, long, black, and very thick. They also use many other "herb tea rinses" with neem and other herbs that help to condition and strengthen the hair. For the most part, Indians use only natural things in their hair.

I will be talking to my BFF's mom to get a little more info for you all. They also own a store, and she will tell me which oils help for different things. For the most part, coconut oil is used for normal hair. But their are other oils for hair that sheds, damaged hair, etc. There are also other herbs they use (boil the powder in water, strain, and rinse the hair with it).

Sorry so long, but I figured you all will be interested. I actually tried the oil rinsing with WGHO, and my hair looks sooooo shiny, and my texture actually looks different. Thank you soooo much Sareca!!!!

I will keep you all updated on any info that my friend's mom tells me.

*DISCLAIMER* In response to what Sareca said, I guess I should've titled this post differently. It seems that oil washing is a custom done in many other countries, not just India. I titled it "Oil washing is an Indian thing" cuz that's what my BFF said verbatum (she's Indian). Just wanted to say that....ok carry on!

 

[chebaby]

i love coconut oil. i used it last night and my hair is soooooooo silky and soft.
ETA: im going to moisturize with it tonight. lately i have been using vatika oil and vatika frosting but i think im going to use my coconut oil tonight. i love that coconuty smell.

 

[titan]

Yep!! I was chatting with my supervisor (who is Indian) and I was asking him the whereabouts Indian stores local to our area . I then explained why I wanted to know and he proceded to tell me about his little girl (she's gaw-gus) and how they shave their hair and how it somehow makes the texture of their hair better. He's very detailed with anything (Principal Research Scientist), so he gave the history of Indian hair traditions and the such.

When I inquired about Henna, he phoned his wife who was quick to inform me there were different types of Henna (I knew that from LHCF). Anyways, they have so much natural and different stuff they do with their hair. his wife's hair is down her back, thick, lush, and absolutely beautiful.

BTW- They are going to shave their daughter's hair a SECOND time when they go back home this Xmas. They also shave hair as some sort of gratitude to one of their many Gods. I forgot the story behind that because I was just tuned into the hair related stuff

Is this a hindu ritual?

 

[kaykaybobay]

Shaving heads is also a middle eastern thing as well also for Muslims, usually done after a certain number of days. I had 3 hairs shaved from my head lol I was born bald and stayed bald till 3 though all my brothers and sisters were born with a ton of hair. I think I'm gonna try this coconut oil washing deal.

 

[MissRissa]

yeah my cousin who is muslim did this to his daughter's hair when she was a few months old. now it doesnt make sense that shaving the hair causes it to grown in a different texture but i swear it did. if the texture changed over a period of time, ok that's different but from 0-6 mos hair hair was bone straight, immediately when it grew in after the shaving it was curly. i should have done that with my daughter. i was just scared since their scalps aren't fully developed (soft spots).

oh yeah oil washing makes my wash and go's feel/appear smoother. i mean to do it once a week but forget and usually only do it once a month. i usually do it as a hot oil treatment with heat.

 

[BostonMaria]

Great post! Even though its two years old.

Its funny how coming to this website brings me back to the stuff that I saw people doing to their hair 25-30 years ago. When I lived in the Dominican Republic back in the early 80's I remember people putting all these different oils in their hair, never gave it much thought and I thought they were crazy LOL

BTW I always wondered HOW coconut oil is made. I love me some coconuts boy! I could eat 30 of them if I could LOL

 

[LisaLisa1908]

This is really interesting. I am going to buy some coconut oil this weekend and try it out.

 

[Ivy Santolina]

I'm going to try oil rinsing this weekend - Saturday. That way I'll have Sunday to see if I like it or not.

 

[Lady Kay 21]

How do you ladies prevent the oil from running down on your face and neck... I want to try this but im scared I'll be an oily mess after wards. Is your hair oily after you rinse it? what about your clothes and sheets?

 

[Junebug D]

Interesting post... I will have to try this eventually.

 

[Essensual]

How do you ladies prevent the oil from running down on your face and neck... I want to try this but im scared I'll be an oily mess after wards. Is your hair oily after you rinse it? what about your clothes and sheets?

Oil + shower cap + satin bonnet = No drips or oil on bedding. HTH.

 

[Jaxhair]

ur welcome!!

i get mine from either ebay or http://www.spicesofindia.co.uk

I don't know why, but I just got really excited as I realised you are in the UK, then I felt weird about the excitement. I think it's the fact you are into ayurveda and I'm soooooo leaning towards ayurveda for most of my hair needs, plus you call yourself 'doc' and you know where to find all the products (I assume, lol). Hope you don't mind, but I shall emulate you and ask some questions as the pop into my head. Been sitting here thinking I need to get all these products but how do I find a trusted vendor?

Anyway, glad you're in the UK and thanks for posting this link! I hope they are still trading as this thread started years ago......

 

[ladytee2]

How do you ladies prevent the oil from running down on your face and neck... I want to try this but im scared I'll be an oily mess after wards. Is your hair oily after you rinse it? what about your clothes and sheets?

I squeezed out as much water as I could. I divided hair in 2 sections. I used about 2 tbsp per side. I put the oil in shower continued with regular shower routine then rinsed. This was my interpretation from reading Sareca's first post.

 

[Lady Kay 21]

I tried this today and my hair is a greasy mess

 

[Jaxhair]

I made my oil! Different herbs (just picked and added, but there was at least amla, shikakai, aritha, fenugreek...), coconut oil and some castor oil in a slow cooker on low at first realised it was boiling when I checked and hour later , reduced to warm for an hour and turned off. Bottled once it was cool enough to handle (made too much - enough for 10 rinses at least). Applied too much to hair, decided there was enough for the whole body as it was unning down my face and neck so applied from head to toe, lol. Rinsed hair as per Sareca's instructions but with rhassoul clay added to my conditioner. I love it! I'm so glad my hair and body love oil - my hair is so soft, I love it! This sure is a routine I'll stick to for life. I pray it makes my hair strong too in the process!

Now, as I made too much oil - filled 2 jars and still had more, I'll make a lovely sugar scrub with some and treat my skin to sugar scrubs for the next few weeks. Especially as I might have overheated the mix whilst the cooker was on low. That way, I can make a fresh mix for my hair soon and start reaping the benefits soon with a more potent mix.

 

[Platinum]

Interesting thread. I'll have to try this after I remove my braids in March.

 

[Sharpened]

One of my favorite threads...

 

[intellectualuva]

Mine too. I need to get back to basics.