I’m Converted to At-Home Hair Oiling and Indian Head Massage – Here’s How to Do It

Is there anything better than going to the hair salon and having a head massage at the basin? No, I didn’t think so. It is one of my highlights when getting my hair done and I will be honest the quality of the massage is a deal breaker for me. But, it’s not just the skilled hands that make this part of visiting the salon so enticing, there’s a long tradition of head massage called Champi, which in Ayurvedic culture promotes hair growth, improves circulation and can help reduce your stress levels.

Thanks to TikTok we have seen a massive increase in the discussion of hair oiling, with many attributing increased growth and overall hair health improvement to this ancient technique. But this isn’t just a social media trend, there’s thousands of years of practice to back it up. One of the key brands bringing its south Asian traditions to the mass market is Inde Wilde. Founded by Diipa Buller-Khosia, she wanted to bring the beauty practices and ingredients passed down from her family to as many people as she could, this month the brand has become available in all Sephora UK stores and online. One of its key products is the Inde Wilde Champi Hair Oil (£29)

Buller-Khosia’s mother, Sangitha Khosla is the creator of the brand’s original hair oil formula and one of Buller-Khosia’s biggest inspirations. Her Rapunzel length hair is attributed to regular hair oiling. Before I was introduced to Buller-Khosia I thought hair oiling was just adding oil to your hair and letting it marinate, but after finding out how to use this product to improve my self-care routine I have fallen in love with it. Now when I use hair oil it is almost like a form of meditation, I feel relaxed and the swishiness (is that a word?) of my locks, let alone the scent, after using Inde Wilde Champi Hair Oil has me a bit addicted.

Read on to find out how to hair oil correctly, and I bet you will become addicted to this ancient practice too.

Step-by-Step Guide to Hair Oiling At-Home

1. Brush Your Hair

This will help to detangle the strands and allow the oil to naturally spread throughout your hair. Plus it will help you to easily reach your scalp when you massage. Buller-Khosia recommends using a neem comb – wide toothed comb – to brush through your hair. This acts as an anti-inflammatory tool for your scalp, preventing scalp infections and increasing the blood circulation of the scalp.

2. Warm up your Champi Hair Oil

Place the bottle in a warm bowl of water. Heating up the oil will allow for easy absorption into the scalp, so it can penetrate deeply.

3. Identify your Marma Points

These are acupressure points used in ayurvedic medicine – Adhipati (at the top of the head), Simanta (at the back of the head), and Kritika (toward the bottom where the head meets the neck).

4. Apply Acupressure

This is a light pressure onto these points in a circular movement, starting from the top of the head, and working your way down to the neck.

5. Close Your Eyes

According to Buller-Khosia this is when you should close your eyes and focus on your breathing, she also suggests repeating positive meditation affirmations to yourself to set the intention of good, happy, and healthy hair.

6. Massage with your Champi Hair Oil

Separate your hair section by section and apply one pipette of champi oil along your scalp, from the top of the head down. Repeat to cover all sections of the hair. Use circular motions with your fingertips, as you would when showering, to deeply yet gently massage the oil into the scalp.

7. Ensure Your Scalp is Covered

Massage your full scalp all the way down to the sides of your ears and the back of your neck.

8. Avoid Vigorous Rubbing

Always be gentle. Imagine you are slowly massaging your hair follicles to wake up and grow.

9. Repeat…

Practice the Champi head massage and oil technique at least once a week to see results.

Lauren Ezekiel is an associate editor at PS UK, where she writes about all things beauty and wellness. With a degree in journalism and 12 years’ experience as a beauty editor at a leading Sunday supplement, she is obsessed with skincare, hair and makeup, and is often found offering advice to innocent bystanders. Her work has been published in Grazia, OK, Health and Beauty, The Sun, ASDA, Dare and Metro.