Almond oil is for skin and hair care

Pure almond oil or badaam rogan has been used in India since the ancient times, both for skin and hair care. Almond oil contains linoleic acid which helps to nourish and moisturise both hair and skin. Almond oil is very nourishing for extremely dry and damaged hair. Almond oil is rich in vitamin E, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids and more. That is why it helps to nourish and strengthen the hair, improve hair texture and add lustre to the hair. Hair that has suffered damage due to repeated use of chemical dyes and lotions can be nursed back to health with the use of almond oil. Today, it is a common ingredient in formulations like hair oils, hair conditioners, nourishing creams and under-eye creams.

For dry hair and damaged hair, apply warmed almond oil. Then do the hot towel wrap. Dip a towel in hot water, squeeze out water and wrap hot towel around the head like a turban. Keep it on for five minutes. Repeat hot towel wrap three-four times. This helps the hair and scalp absorb oil better. Applying almond oil regularly, not only improves hair texture but promotes hair growth. It softens the hair too.

If hair look rough, you can have a quick fix with almond oil to improve the look of the hair. First disentangle the hair with a wide-toothed comb, starting from the ends and going upwards. Take only half-teaspoon almond oil in your palm and rub them lightly together so that the oil is smeared on both the palms. Then, starting at the ends, run the fingers through the hair. This is a good way of quickly taming the hair and preventing that “fly-away” look. Avoid applying it near the roots or the hair will have an oily look.

Applying a little oil on the ends of the hair helps to repair and prevent split ends. In fact, this can help frizzy hair. Take two drops of almond oil, put it on your palms and rub them lightly together so that the oil spreads over both palms. Smooth the palms over the hair. Or take the ends of the hair in your palms and scrunch them. Leave the oil on.

Pure almond oil also contains linoleic acid which helps to nourish and moisturise the skin. A dry skin can be massaged daily with pure almond oil for a few minutes and then wiped off with moist cotton wool. Due to its vitamin E content, it helps minimise the visible signs of ageing on the skin. It is ideal for the care of delicate skin around eyes and a useful home remedy for dark circles under the eyes. It is said to have a mild bleaching effect.

Daily apply pure almond oil sparingly (little quantity) around eyes and massage it lightly on the skin, using only the ring finger, for a minute under each eye. Massage in one direction only. Leave on for 15 minutes and wipe off gently with moist cotton wool. The area around eyes is vulnerable to the early formation of tiny lines and wrinkles. Daily massage with pure almond oil would help to delay such ageing signs. In fact, our herbal kaajal contains almond oil and benefits the eyelashes.

Pure almond oil can be applied on the lips daily at night and left on overnight. It not only nourishes the skin and eliminates dryness, but helps to lighten the colour of the lips.