Since ancient times, onion oil has been used to provide hair with nourishment and care. This nutrient-rich oil can transform lifeless and weak hair by improving its texture and restoring scalps health. Onion oil is suitable for all kinds of hair types and provides deep nourishment to the scalp.
It also enhances your hair locks and makes them strong and lustrous. Now, the question arises, how can you make onion hair oil and use it from the confines of your home. The following article will answer all your doubts and give you a breakdown of how you can make and use this nourishing hair oil.
How to Extract Onion Oil at Home
A lot of people nowadays prefer using organic products or making their oils or shampoos at home. This ensures that you see what is going into the product you will be using on your hair. If you do not wish to use store-bought onion oil but don't know how to make the oil, we are here to guide you through the process. DIY onion oil is easy to make and use.
Pick up a couple of fresh onions depending on the amount of oil you wish to make in the first batch. You can choose a smaller number in the beginning to see how the oil turns out to be and how it affects your hair. Now, finely slice the onions and put them in a grinder or juicer. Grind the onions until it reaches a paste consistency, and keep them aside for use later.
Add some coconut oil into a non-stick pan and heat it on a low flame until the oil starts to flow. Now, add your onion paste to the pan and mix it well for two to three minutes. Take the pan off the flame and wait for it to cool down. Use a strainer to extract the oil and store it in a non-metal container. You can use this oil safely for up to six months.
How to Make Onion Oil
Onion oil promotes hair growth and is relatively easy to make at home. Here are some ways through which you can make this traditional and magic hair oil right at your home.
To make onion oil at home, you will need some essential ingredients.
Ingredients
- 500 grams of coconut oil
- Two onions
- 15-20 curry leaves or kadi patta
- 10-15 fenugreek seeds or methi
- 10 cloves of garlic
How to Make Onion Oil
- Slice the onions in thin slices and put all your ingredients into a pan.
- Let the ingredients sweat into the pot till the onions turn to a shade of golden brown. Let the mixture come to a boil.
- Now, wait for the concoction to cool down and strain the mixture. Your onion hair oil is ready for use.
- Store the oil in an airtight container and use it whenever needed. Ingredients like coconut oil are some of the best hair care products available.
Benefits of the Ingredients of Onion Oil
- Coconut oil strengthens the hair and replenishes your scalp, adding lustre and shine to it. Curry leaves and fenugreek seeds are filled with antioxidants and protein.
- They also cleanse and hydrate your scalp from within. It also removes dead hair follicles, preventing hair fall.
- Garlic is another household item that kills germs and any bacteria that might be stunting your hair growth.
- Garlic is also rich in vitamin C that helps in boosting the production of collagen while stimulating quick hair growth.
- These ingredients, along with onions, will provide your hair with potent nutrients that will effectively nourish your scalp and improve hair growth.
PRO Tips While Using Onion Oil
- While making the onion hair oil at home, remember not to use too much onion as that can irritate your scalp.
- After your oil is made, set the mixture aside overnight to ensure that all the ingredients mix well.
- When you put the mixture through a sieve, be patient as the mixture will be thick. It would take time for the mix to pass through.
- You can also mix some aloe vera gel or honey for added benefits. Some people opt to add two to three drops of essential oils such as lavender or tea tree oil with the onion juice.
- This helps in masking the pungent odour of the onion oil and also enriches it with the benefits of the essential oils.
How to Use Onion Oil for the Hair
There are a couple of ways to use onion oil for your hair. Here are some ways through which you can enjoy the maximum benefits of the oil.
1. Onion Oil for Hair Growth
- You can use onion oil as a form of hot oil treatment or as a standard oil treatment.
- Take some drops of pure onion oil into your palms without heating them.
- Massage your scalp with the oil for about 20 minutes using your fingertips.
- Make sure that you massage your scalp thoroughly using a sure and gentle circular pressure.
Do not use your fingernails to massage the oil; use your fingertips to ensure that the oil gets into your hair follicles. Leave the oil in your hair for about three to four hours, and later wash it with a mild paraben-free and sulphate-free shampoo. Repeat this twice a week to get maximum results.
To use onion oil as hot oil treatment:
- Mix the oil with another carrier oil, such as almond or olive oil.
- Heat it up a little to a lukewarm temperature and massage the oil into your scalp and through your hair length.
- Keep the oil overnight and wash it with a mild cleansing shampoo.
- After the wash, you can also use a conditioner to enjoy luscious and strong hair.
2. Onion Oil Hair Mask
Making an onion oil hair mask is also an excellent way of using onion oil for your hair.
- To do so, mix onion oil with a carrier oil like castor oil.
- This will result in a deep conditioning mask that will protect your hair and provide them with volume.
- You can also mix onion oil with some egg yolk to make a protein-rich hair mask that will smooth out frizzy or rough hair and provide them with a dose of lustre.
- Mixing onion oil with some ginger juice will boost your scalp protection and ward off bacterial or fungal infections.
- It will also provide relief against inflammation. If your hair feels excessively dry, you can mix onion oil with some honey to make an enriching and hydrating mask that will leave your hair soft and shiny.
Things to Remember While Using Onion Oil for Hair
Onion oil is a great way to protect your hair and boost hair growth. You can incorporate onion oil in your daily hair care routine while keeping these points in mind.
- Onion oil has a highly pungent smell. You can add some drops of essential oils if you are sensitive to the smell.
- While using onion oil for hair is an excellent way to boost hair growth, it is important not to overdo it.
- Do not use the oil more than twice a week since overdoing the oil can lead to some inflammation, especially if you tend to scratch your head a lot.
- Onions are infamous for making people tear up. You can expect the same while using the onion oil. Do not be alarmed if you experience some eye tearing moments. It is important to remember that onion oil can cause allergic reactions rarely.
- Always do a patch test before you try onion oil for the first time. Put the onion oil in your inner elbow nearly 24 hours before using the oil on your scalp and hair.
- It is unnecessary to leave the oil in your scalp for long durations of time. If you have sensitive skin, leave the oil in your hair for three to four hours before washing it off.
- Do not subject your scalp to more than three to four hours of masking with onion oil.
Benefits of Using Onion Oil for Hair
Here are some benefits of incorporating onion oil for your hair care routine:
1. Boosts the Hair Growth Cycle
Onion oil has the potential of activating particular enzymes present in your scalp that further boost the hair growth cycle. This results in increased hair growth while also preventing hair fall. Using onion oil for hair will provide you with healthier and thicker hair.
2. Helps With Hair Loss
Onion juice contains sulphur compounds and potent phenolic compounds that help repair alopecia areata, a condition that results in hair fall and bald patches.
A study showed that when crude onion oil was used twice daily, it led to the development of new terminal hair in people with alopecia areata. Nearly 73.9% of patients experienced hair growth at the end of two weeks which increased to 86.9% at the end of six weeks. Hence we can consider that onion oil, when applied topically, works as an effective treatment for alopecia areata.
3. Stops Hair Breakage and Thinning
Onions are rich sources of sulphur. This can do wonders for your hair, prevent hair breakage, and reduce split ends. It also prevents the thinning of hair and makes your hair look fuller. Onion oil can do so because the sulphur present can form bonds with your tresses that allow them to strengthen. This reduces hair fall significantly.
4. Reduces Premature Greying
Spotting grey hairs at an earlier age has become very common nowadays. This is due to a lack of a compound called melanin that is produced by melanocytes. The production of melanin reduces as we grow older, resulting in greying of hair.
The powerful enzymes present in the onion oil reduce damage to your hair that is done by free radicals. Onion oil also increases the level of catalase activity in the body. This delays the onset of premature greying of hair.
5. Maintains a Healthy PH Level for the Scalp
It is important to have a healthy scalp if you wish to have healthy hair. Your scalp needs nourishment and a well-balanced pH; this is where onion oil comes into play. Onion oil maintains the pH of your scalp and nourishes it to provide good hair growth by revitalising your hair follicles. Onion oil is also acidic in nature, preventing the development of infections that tend to thrive in alkaline environments.
6. Prevents Infections
When used regularly on the scalp, onion oil prevents the buildup of bacterial infections. This, in turn, reduces dandruff and prevents itchiness that further prevents hair damage and breakage.
This kind of fungicidal effect can be traced back to the presence of particular compounds present in the white onion, such as ceposide A, B, and C. These compounds effectively prevent bacterial buildup that results in dandruff.
7. Onion Oil as a Natural Conditioner
Using conditioners after a hair wash helps in retaining moisture through your hair. Shampoos can strip your hair of its natural oils and turn your scalp dry.
Oiling your hair with onion oil allows it to work as a natural conditioner that prevents hair damage. Onion oil will lubricate your hair strands and make them smooth and shiny. It protects your hair shaft from damage and retains moisture.
8. Boosts Hair Texture
If you experience frizzy hair, then using onion oil for your hair can improve your hair texture. Regular usage of onion oil for hair leads to frizz-free, moisturised hair that also looks shinier and smoother.
What Kind of Onion Is Best to Make Oil for Hair?
You will be able to find two types of onion in the market. Red onions and white onions are packed with nutrients and provide different benefits to the scalp. They also have important healing properties that can benefit your hair health. Using either of the onions for your onion oil will improve hair growth and boost a healthy scalp in different ways.
Red onions have more content of antioxidants and flavonoids, compounds that play a role in improving hair health. The nutritional value of red onions is higher than that of white onions. However, on the other side, white onions are richer in sulphur reserves that can act as a boon for your hair. It reduces hair breakage and improves hair growth.
Summing Up
Onion oil for hair is a cheap and effective method of upgrading your hair care routine. Onions are household items that are safe to use and easy to acquire. It works by strengthening your hair and conditioning it from within. Onion oil can also repair your hair and protect it from hair damage resulting in increased hair texture, volume, and appearance.
As a downside, onion oil can have a very strong and slightly off-putting smell that can cause allergies for some people. A patch test will help you identify if you are allergic to onion oil or not. Apart from that, the pros of using onion oil for hair considerably outweigh the cons of using it. You can use a fragrant shampoo that is mild on the scalp to remove the odour of onion oil.
It is important to remember that onion oil needs to be used regularly if you want to see its full benefits and noticeable results. Using onion oil, you can also add some foods into your diet that improve hair growth. Foods such as berries, spinach, and eggs will work in combination with onion hair oil to improve hair growth.
FAQs
Can I Leave Onion Oil on My Hair Overnight?
Yes, you can easily leave onion oil on your hair overnight. You can wear a shower cap at night to avoid staining your pillows. There is a chance that the smell of onion oil can linger on your pillows despite washing it. To prevent that, you can add some drops of lemon juice to your washing load that had onion oil on it.
How Often Can I Use Onion Oil on My Hair?
You can use onion oil for hair once or twice a week but not more than that. Using onion oil more than that can render your scalp sensitive towards other hair products. It can also cause itchiness and irritation due to the high sulphur content present in the onion.
Can Onion Oil Cause Hair Fall?
It Depends. Onion oil contains several nutrients that help in boosting the blood circulation of your scalp. This improves hair growth and prevents hair loss. However, in some people, onion oil can cause hair fall. This can happen if you overdo onion oil or use the wrong techniques of massaging your scalp; it can lead to scalp irritation or scalp infections.
References
- Khalifa E Sharquie, Hala K Al-Obaidi, June 2002; Onion juice (Allium cepa L.), a new topical treatment for alopecia areata - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12126069/
- Margit Juhasz, and Natasha Atanaskova Mesinkovska, February 2019; Complementary and Alternative Treatments for Alopecia: A Comprehensive Review - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6388561/
