When the mind drifts down memory lane, it often lingers at the sight of grandmothers, their gentle hands massaging oils into hair with patience and love. Popularly known as champi, the practice carries a wisdom older than time itself, offering roots its strengths to withstand the tests of the environment and strands the shine to reflect and cherish. Today, amidst the rush of modern life, this ancient practice stands unmatched. Herb's hair oil offers something deeper nourishment, restoration, and a calm that lingers far beyond the scalp.
Old School Rituals invites you to understand how to use hair oil correctly with this blog, so that you can indulge in the beneficial haircare routine as well.
Why Oiling Matters: Understanding Grandmas’s Beloved Haircare Ritual

For those from an Indian household, weekly hair oiling needs no introduction. It is as common as evening tea. This is a ritual passed down through generations like heirlooms. At its essence, hair oiling is the practice of anointing the scalp and strands with natural oils to:
- Strengthen the roots
- Boost circulation
- Moisturise and prevent dryness
- Enhance shine & natural lustre
But more than results, it is the ritual of self-love and healing. It is the act that urges you to slow down and rejuvenate yourself with these reminders of beauty that begin with stillness. Thus, knowing how to apply hair oil becomes vital.
How To Use Hair Oil In Your Day-to-Day Routine

The act of oiling follows a rhythm unchanged for centuries. Pour warm oil into the palms, spread across fingertips and massage deeply into the scalp with gentle pressure. Continue to coat the strands from root to tip, allowing the oil to seal each layer. Let the scalp absorb for an hour, or leave overnight if time allows, before rinsing with a gentle hair wash powder.
Does this ritual need additions? Yes, it thrives when surrounded by a framework of indulgence. Begin with hair oiling, follow with cleansing and extend the care outward with body rituals such as skincare, fragrant baths and evenings lit with fragrance candles.
Together, these acts become a complete beauty symphony, one where hair and skin sing in harmony.
How To Apply Hair Oil For Curly & Wavy Hair?
Curls and waves are stories written in spirals and bends, each strand with its own temperament. They flourish when cared for with patience, definition and deep hydration.
- Preparation: Section hair carefully and detangle with a finger or a wide-tooth comb. This ensures oil touches every curl and wave.
- Application: Warm a few drops of the herbs hair oil in the palms. Start at the scalp, massaging with slow, circular movements to stimulate roots. Glide oil along the curls,
- Absorption: Wrap hair in a soft cloth, letting the oil soak deeply. The warmth enhances absorption, ensuring hydration threads through every twist and wave.
A weekly ritual of this kind transforms curls from unruly to radiant, making them the crown they were always meant to be.
How To Apply Hair Oil As A Man?
In ancestral cultures, hair oiling never belonged solely to women. Men practice weekly oiling often before village gatherings, travel or festivals. For men today, this remains a foundation of scalp health. Here’s how to use hair oil as a man:
- Follow a consistent routine. You can do so by massaging oil into the scalp with firm strokes, focusing on the crown and temples where tension gathers.
- When following a routine, your frequency is important as well. Apply the hair oil 2-3 times a week to ensure your hair grows strong without excess buildup.
Finally, treat your hair oiling ritual as an indulgence of relaxation and rejuvenation. You can easily pair it with your evening routine right after work as a sacred ritual of skin care and warm baths alongside oiling, a grounding ritual.
When To Apply Hair Oil?

Time transforms the ritual of oiling into something sacred. At dawn, when the world is still humming in half silence, a few drops of warm oil awaken the scalp as gently as sunlight spilling across the earth. It prepares the hair to endure the day’s weight, shielding each strand with quiet strength.
At dusk, when the body seeks calm, the same ritual softens into an invitation for rest. Oil glides into roots like a lullaby, soothing the mind into slumber while the hair drinks deeply through the night.
On days of pause, a weekly indulgence woven into one's rhythm, a longer, more elaborate massage becomes an offering, restoring balance not just to the scalp but to the spirit itself.
In truth, hair oiling knows no rigid hour. It listens instead to your body’s whispers. Morning or evening, brief or unhurried, each application becomes a thread in a timeless practice, binding strength, beauty and serenity together.
Final Thoughts
Hair oiling is not just heritage; it is relevant. Amid the modern rush, it calls for slowing down. Whether curls, waves, straight strands or tender baby hair, this ritual unites all in one truth: your hair thrives when nourished with intention.
Infuse the tradition into your day with natural hair oils that restore, wash powder that purifies, the best baby hair oil that protects your little one's skin, and skincare gift sets that complete the ritual.
Explore Old School Rituals, a carefully curated selection of haircare and skincare products inspired by ancient rituals. With us return to oiling rituals that rekindle the soul, hair and scalp.
FAQs
What is the proper way to use hair oil?
After warming the oil between your palms, gently massage it into your scalp in gentle circles before using long strokes to work it down your hair. Before washing with a nutritious hair wash powder, let it sit for a while.
Do you put hair oil on wet or dry hair?
Hair oil works best on dry hair before washing, drawing out impurities and deeply nourishing roots. For post-wash care, apply lightly on damp strands to seal moisture and leave a radiant, natural sheen.
How to apply hair oil to ends?
Apply a few drops of heated oil to your hair with a gentle stroke. To remove dryness and leave strands glowing, safe, and well nourished, gently massage into the ends.