How to Use an Ayurvedic Oil
Abhyanga
Warm it, work it in, and give it longer than you want to
The method behind a medicated oil is simple and almost everyone gets two things wrong: the temperature, and how long they stay with it before deciding it did nothing.
Check the route before you open the bottle
Nearly every oil on this site is external. A small number of classical formulations also exist as internal or nasal preparations under the same Sanskrit name — those are different products at different strengths, given under a physician's direction, and they are not what you have bought unless the pack says so. The route is stated on each product page. Read it once, and then you can stop thinking about it.
The method
- Warm the oil, do not heat it. Stand the bottle or a decanted amount in hot water for a few minutes. It should feel comfortably warm on the inside of your wrist and no more. Direct heat and microwaves overshoot and damage the preparation.
- Use less than you think. A tablespoon or two covers a limb. Enough to let your hand move, not enough to run.
- Work it in with the palm, not the fingertips. Long strokes along the limbs, circles at the joints. Firm enough to move the skin, gentle enough to keep up for ten minutes.
- Give it twenty to forty minutes. This is the step people skip. The oil needs contact time; applying and immediately washing is the same as not applying.
- Wash it off with warm water and a mild cleanser — a herbal soap or wash powder rather than a strong detergent, which strips more than the oil.
When and how often
- Before a bath, in the morning — the classical timing, and the practical one, since you are washing afterwards anyway.
- Two or three times a week to start. Daily is traditional in Kerala but is a real commitment; the routine you keep beats the routine you abandon.
- Not on a full stomach, and not when you are unwell with a fever or an acute infection. Classical practice is explicit about pausing then.
When not to. Do not apply oil to broken skin, open wounds or fresh burns unless the label specifically says you may. Avoid vigorous massage over a fresh fracture, sprain or injury — some oils are dressings for those sites rather than massage oils, and the pack will say so. Patch-test on the inner forearm and wait a day before using anything on a large area or on your face. If you are pregnant, ask a physician first; several classical oils are avoided in pregnancy.
How long before you judge it
Scalp and hair preparations need two to three months, because hair grows roughly a centimetre a month and there is simply nothing to observe before that. Skin preparations want six to eight weeks. Anyone who stops at three weeks has not run the experiment. This is the least satisfying thing about the format and the most important thing to know before buying, which is why it is on this page rather than buried.
Sesame or coconut
Sesame is the classical default: warming, heavier, slower to wash out. Coconut-based kera thailams sit lighter and cooler, which is why they dominate the face and scalp preparations and why they suit a hot climate. Neither is better. The one you will still be using in the sixth week is the right one.
Always read the label and directions on the pack you receive, and speak with your physician before starting anything new — particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, managing a health condition or taking prescription medicine. Nothing on this page is medical advice or a diagnosis.