Why hair oiling is having a major global moment

The present is often a reflection of the past. And in today’s age of beauty trends birthed on social media, Ayurveda is a buzzword that commands people’s attention across the globe. The 5,000-year-old, Indian-born science of life is slowly making headway into mainstream beauty, with efficacious ingredients and rituals. One such trend is ‘Shiro Abhyanga’. The Sanskrit term comprises two words: shiro, which means head, and abhyanga translates to massage. It is the practice of massaging one’s head, neck, and shoulders using Ayurvedic herbal oils.

As Indians, we are all familiar with this practice. For most of us, it was a common ritual, seen as a beauty-cum-bonding exercise with our mothers and grandmothers, which also resulted in healthy hair and scalp. And it is this very thought that led to the birth of the Champi Hair Oil by indē wild, founded by Diipa Büller-Khosla and formulated by her mother Sangitha Khosla. “Hair oiling was always a part of my upbringing. Growing up, we only used the hair oil that my mother made for us. I remember, my mother used to sit on the stool and put a bedsheet on the floor for us, and my siblings and I would all get a relaxing champi. This was our Sunday ritual for many, many years. And when we decided to launch a hair product, it had to be my mother’s Ayurvedic recipe—an all-in-one potion with amazing benefits,” Diipa shares, adding, “I wish to create similar memories with my family now. In fact, seeing my mother give Dua (her daughter) a champi is so heartwarming.”

Sangitha, too, has similar childhood memories. “My father used to give me a champi every Sunday...that’s where it all began. When I was 18-years-old, we had this luscious garden filled with hibiscus flowers in our home in Chennai. My father was a devotee of Lord Ganesha, and he would ask me to bring the flowers from the garden as divine offerings. The next day, he would ask for fresh flowers, and the leftover flowers became prasad. I used to put these flowers in Horlicks bottles. My father strongly believed that castor oil was needed for hair growth. So the hair oil began with a load of hibiscus flowers and castor and sesame oils. Decades later, my Champi Hair Oil has the same foundation, but it has evolved over time,” Sangitha divulges.

The evolution of Sangitha’s homemade champi oil is a fascinating tale. “The current formulation has come to life through the ingredients I came across as I travelled far and wide. When I moved to Bangalore (Bengaluru), there were many neem trees, and amla and tulsi in abundance...and all of these ingredients became a part of the formula. The formulation grew with every city I moved to. When we went to Pondicherry, I added jasmine essential oil, lavender, and champa to the oil. When I was in Delhi, I added four more ingredients—mulethi, methi seeds, coconut oil, and marigold flowers. When we came to the Netherlands, I added rosemary. In many ways, the journey of Champi Hair Oil is symbolic of my life journey as well.” The main heroes of the oil are castor, hibiscus, bhringraj, and amla. But Sangitha insists that all 16 ingredients are significant in their own right. “The potency of the oil comes from all of them working together. We also display the exact percentages of the active ingredients so that people know each ingredient isn’t just ‘0.01 percent of an ingredient’,” she tells Bazaar India.

Sangitha is happy that this ritual has gained worldwide recognition. “Champi is a proven tradition that continually improves one’s hair quality. And for it to be recognised...it makes us very proud to have a product called Champi Hair Oil. We’ve given the world practices like meditation and yoga, and for hair oiling to finally gain respect is an act of honouring the ancient practices that have always guided us through life.” For the uninitiated, hair oiling or champi is a holistic hair practice. It is known to improve blood circulation, strengthen hair follicles, condition the scalp, and create an overall feeling of relaxation. And the lifelong memories are a bonus! “From my father giving me a champi every Sunday, to me being able to pass that onto my children as a valued tradition of my own childhood, it feels extremely special. It may seem like a small part of our lives, but the Sunday champi ritual really grounded us together as a family. To watch my children grow and carry forward this tradition, especially through indē wild’s Champi Hair Oil, will help keep those memories alive.”