Haircare Secrets from Indian Grandmothers: Timeless Traditions for Strong, Shiny Hair
When it comes to beautiful, healthy hair, no one understands it better than our Indian grandmothers. They relied on nature’s bounty—oils, herbs, and time—well before the introduction of synthetic shampoos and salon treatments. Their beauty methods were simple and effective, passed down as a family treasure, continuing to inspire Indian lifestyle trends and fashion updates even today.
The following list takes some of these time-tested haircare secrets we are now learning from the natural beauty world back to basics.
1. Hair Oils are Magic
Ask any Indian grandmother about haircare, and the first word you will hear is “oil.” Coconut, amla or castor oil, weekly oiling has been the backbone of traditional hair health.
Grandmothers applied warm oil onto the scalp and gently massaged it into the scalp each week, believing it nourished the roots, improved blood circulation, and strengthened each individual strand. Coconut oil was a household favourite for deep conditioning of hair, followed by amla, Indian gooseberry, as it was believed to protect hair from greying and add shine.
Today, dermatologists are in agreement, oil massages can nourish and moisturise dry scalp, promote scalp and hair health naturally, and, for longer hair, may help with promoting growth.
2. Natural Cleansers and Herbal Hair Masks
Prior to the widespread use of shampoos containing chemicals, Indian women cleansed their hair with reetha (soapnut), shikakai or a blend of salon-grade shampoo with hibiscus leaves. While natural cleansers were just as effective as chemical shampoos, they were much gentler and they enabled the scalp to stay clean, while also maintaining natural oils.
Grandma also included hair masks made of methi (fenugreek) seeds, curd, and henna for the best deep conditioning of the hair. In addition to deep conditioning, methi and henna also helped with dandruff and hair loss.
Interestingly, beauty companies seem to have rediscovered the same ingredients, which show that nature really knows best.
3. Diet and Lifestyle: Beauty from the Inside
Indian grandmothers believed that beautiful hair was not only about what you put on it, but also about what you ate. Nutrients from a balanced plate, which included lentils, leafy greens, nuts and ghee, were vital for thick, shiny hair. They drank water and de-stressed with either some form of yoga or meditation.
4. The Essential Component: Patience
Perhaps the biggest hidden secret of them all is consistency. Grandmothers never would have looked for a miracle in a day or experienced the change overnight. They created a simple, mindful, and intentional routine; deftly brushing with a wooden comb, air-drying in the sun or braiding before bed, every tiny act to care was done with care and attention.
While we have gotten addicted to figuring things out in the quickest way possible, these rituals approved by grandmother remind us that in real beauty, there is a process. If your next instinct is to grab another fancy hair serum, you stopped to think about what the best thing to do might be; it might just be in your kitchen and rise again in the wisdom of your great-grandmother.
