India’s Marico company first became famous for its Parachute brand coconut oil for use on hair. Now the company has a wide range of consumer products, its chairman Harish Mariwala is a billionaire and and has authored a book called “Harsh
Hair oils have been used for centuries in India and southeast Asia. Hair oils fit predominantly into two categories: vegetable oils, derived from plant seeds by crushing, pressing and subsequent refining; and mineral oil, a blend of polyunsaturated hydrocarbons obtained from petrochemical refining. Marketed hair oils also are classified based on their composition.
- Type 1: 100% vegetable-based oils, are considered ‘heavy.’ They generally are viscous, feel sticky on the hands, and weigh hair down. However, they are also known to provide the most functional and restorative benefits.
- Type 2: hair oils based on 100% mineral oil, are generally ‘lighter,’ non-sticky oils that provide a pleasant feel both on the hands and hair, during and post-application.
- Type 3: hair oils, combining vegetable and mineral oils, fall between these two extremes and are designed to balance the contradiction of functionality and aesthetics.
Clinical studies at India’s Marico R&D Center claim to have validated the hypothesis that dry, damaged, and unhealthy hair distorts the observers’ perception of attractiveness, health and age. Applying oil to hair, is one of the earliest known hair care regimens. The Ayurvedic treatment of head massage using oil, or Shiroabhayanga, is claimed to reduce scalp dryness, increase blood circulation to the scalp, and provide hair with strength, shine, thickness, and softness.
According to the study, the penetration of molecular constituents of oils into hair fiber cross sections is governed by several factors. These include the affinity of the oil for the hair fiber surface and its ability to navigate through the intercellular diffusion pathway of the cell membrane complex:
— avocado oils were better absorbed into hair than sunflower, and jojoba oils.
Capillary adhesion between hair fibers treated with different types of oils was used to investigate the penetration abilities of various oils:
— with coconut, olive, and sunflower oils, the capillary adhesion decreased with time; but not with mineral oil.
Hair strength is often expressed by consumers as a desired attribute. Strong hair is synonymous with healthy, beautiful, and vibrant hair, while terms such as weak, fragile, and brittle are often linked to hair in poor condition:
— when water penetrates hair, it makes hair softer. However, water dissolves the hydrogen bonds and this reduces the hair’s tensile strength. When vegetable oils penetrate hair they do not alter the bonds, and hence make flexible and stronger. Data also suggests that the oiling process might mitigate the damage produced by frequent shampooing
