Coconut oil or mustard oil for hair? Pick by hair type, not by habit

People use whichever oil their mother used. That is a fine reason for a lot of things, but hair oil is a case where a two-minute comparison saves months of the wrong routine.

Coconut oil: light, for lengths and daily use

Coconut oil is thin, absorbs fast and leaves no greasy feel. It sinks into the hair shaft rather than sitting on it, which is why it is the better oil for frizz, split ends and hair that breaks when combed. It is also the one to use on damp hair after washing, a few drops on the ends.

• Best for: dry lengths, frizz, daily use, children, anyone who oils before work.
• Season: all year. In winter it sets solid in the bottle; warm it in your hands.
• Smell: faint coconut, gone in minutes.

Mustard oil: heavy, for the scalp and winter

Mustard oil is thick and warming. It stays on the scalp and softens it, which is what a dry, flaky, itchy scalp needs, and its warmth is why it is the winter massage oil. It is too heavy for daily use on the lengths and it takes two washes to remove.

• Best for: dry or flaky scalp, hair fall at the root, weekly deep oiling, winter.
• Season: best in winter; once a week in summer is plenty.
• Smell: strong and honest. It washes out.

By problem

• Hair fall: mustard oil weekly on the scalp, or onion oil two or three times a week if the fall is more than a few weeks old.
• Frizz and breakage: coconut on damp ends every wash.
• Dandruff and itch: mustard oil massage weekly, left an hour.
• Dull hair: coconut through the lengths the night before washing.

Use both

The routine that covers everything: mustard oil on the scalp once a week, left an hour, then shampoo; coconut on the ends after every wash. That is two bottles, Rs 200 and Rs 250, and it is the whole of hair care for most people.