Indians have ritualised the practice of indulging in a champi every now and then—a tradition wherein you massage a cocktail of hair-loving oils into your scalp a couple of hours before washing your tresses with shampoos and conditioners. Most of these oils include coconut, olive, and neem; but we’re presenting to you a new variant that boasts a slew of benefits for the hair. Enter: walnut oil.
What Makes Walnut Oil So Special?
What Is Walnut Oil?
It’s time to introduce a new type of oil into your hair-care regimen—one that is laced with anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and antiseptic properties. Walnut oil is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, and is known to promote the growth of hair, and lend a sheen to the tresses while strengthening them.
Which Walnut Oil Must You Buy?
Always buy a pure and cold-pressed variant. Look out for such labels on the packaging—or even ‘extra-virgin’. These terms imply that the oil hasn’t been refined or altered in processing, and is largely unfiltered. You must keep this in mind as you don’t want to risk damaging your hair at all. All you have to do is massage the oil into your scalp once a week.
How Does It Benefit The Hair?
Keeps Scalp Infections At Bay
Thanks to walnut oil’s antiseptic properties, it fights off any infections in the scalp, and eliminates dirt and impurities in the process. This includes clearing the scalp of flaking as well as dandruff.
Promotes Hair Growth
Since walnut oil contains high concentrations of potassium, it promotes the regeneration of cells, and this accelerates the growth of your strands.
Prevents Hair Loss
Walnut oil is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids which prevents cell damage, and reduces hair fall in the process.
It Reduces Premature Greying
According to @hairmegood, “One of the best ways to prevent premature greying is by using walnut tonics/oil along with active lifestyle & healthy eating. You can also make a DIY hair mask by mixing a few drops of walnut oil to curd, honey or avocados, and apply the mixture on your hair for 20 minutes before hair rinse with shampoo. Of all nuts, walnuts are the biggest source of vitamin B7 or Biotin. They contain 9.5 micrograms of biotin per serving!”
How To DIY Walnut Oil
If you don’t want to buy walnut oil, and would rather DIY it, here’s what you have to do. Boil a little water, and add about a cup of walnuts to it. Once the walnuts have boiled for 10 minutes, transfer them to a bowl or plate, and allow them to cool. Now, it’s time to crush them all into a powder. You can do so in a blender. Go on to transfer the powder to half a cup of vegetable oil, and mix it together. Once the colour of oil has changed, it’s ready to be used. You can use this oil once or twice a week. Remember to wash it off with a mild shampoo.
And that’s all you need to know to add walnut oil to your hair-care routine.
Featured Image: Unsplash
