Karanja Oil for Skin and Hair: The Complete Guide

Some ingredients—like hyaluronic acid, tea tree oil, and rose water—are widely known for their benefits. Others, like karanja oil, manage to slip under the radar. And that’s what we’re here to unveil today: the benefits of adding karanja oil to your beauty routine. If you’ve never heard of the ingredient, you’re not alone.

Luckily, dermatologists and haircare experts are very familiar with the beneficial oil. Ahead, discover why you might just want to make room for it in your routine.

What Is Karanja Oil?

Karanja oil is a cold-pressed oil from the seeds of the pongam tree, which grows in India and other places in South Asia.

“It’s an extremely resilient and weather-resistant shrub that’s able to grow in both highly wet and dry conditions, and under the blaze of extreme heat and wind, so it’s often used to protect tea fields and is utilized in many reforestation programs,” Prose VP of research and development Marie Mignon says, sharing that Prose sustainably sources this beneficial oil for some of its products.

Beyond the tree that it comes from, Fairchild says that the oil itself is incredibly nourishing and protective. “It’s very rich in flavonoids, which are known for their antioxidant and UV-blocking abilities,” she says, noting that, as a result, this oil offers protection for both the skin and hair.

Let’s start from the beginning.

We’ve mentioned before that our haircare products have been inspired by Ayurvedic medicine. This ancient Indian medicinal practice has many components: learning to keep a proper frame of mind, getting to know your body and habits and learning healthier ones, and utilizing nature’s rich medicinal plants to correct ailments.

Benefits of Karanja Oil for Skin and Hair

• Anti-inflammatory
• Antibacterial
• Antifungal
• Soothes irritation
• Shields skin against UV damage
• Protects the scalp
• Prevents hair color fade

When it comes to the skin, board-certified dermatologist Michele Green, MD, says that karanja oil, which is also rich in fatty acids, acts as a healing ingredient. “This oil is typically used in the treatment of inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis or eczema,” she says, explaining that from a scalp perspective, it can help with irritation and dandruff. Karanja oil is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antifungal, making it a soothing ingredient in skincare and haircare.

The reason karanja oil is beneficial for scalp care is thanks to its antibacterial and antifungal nature. “Most people will experience scalp issues in their lifetime, so karanja is beneficial, as it protects the hydrolipid film or scalp barrier, acting as an astringent,” Fairchild says.

Additionally, thanks to its weather-resistant roots and antioxidant-rich nature, Fairchild says that karanja oil can help decrease fading for natural hair colors as well as processed ones.

What’s more, board-certified dermatologist Geeta Yadav, MD, says that karanja oil also helps to promote softness and smoothness, which benefits both the skin and the hair. “For hair, karanja oil can help prevent color stripping and dryness caused by sun exposure, as well as provide nourishing hydration that helps soften and smooth the hair while adding beautiful shine,” she adds.

Side Effects of Karanja Oil

While no safety side effects exist with karanja oil, Yadav says that because it’s an oil, the pure ingredient can sometimes be too heavy for fine hair and/or oily skin. Instead, she recommends looking for products formulated with the ingredient, rather than pure karanja oil on its own.

Additionally, Yadav points out that while no known side effects are widely reported, irritation is possible. “Virtually all herbal remedies can also provoke an allergic reaction, so if you find that the oil makes your scalp more itchy or irritated, I recommend not using it going forward,” she says.

How to Use It

Speaking of using it, it’s simple. “Karanja oil has been used since ancient times in Ayurvedic medicine,” Mignon says. “A cousin to the more heard-of neem oil, it often takes its place in soap, lotions, and moisturizers.” (Not to mention appearing in haircare, according to the folks at Prose and Phyto.)

Karanja Seed Oil for Hair Health

Karanja Seed Oil is one of these medicinal plants used by the people of India for thousands of years. Each part of the Karanja tree is used for various illnesses and physical conditions, but the oil is well-known as being used to treat skin diseases such as dandruff, eczema, and psoriasis. Now, think of how healthy this is for your scalp! Even if you don’t suffer from any of these types of skin diseases, almost all of us suffer from irritated scalp due to inflammation caused by damaging chemicals in the air (pollution, yuck!) and hair products that don’t have your skin’s best interest at heart.

The Karanja Tree is also known as Indian Beech or Pongamia Pinnata (if you want to get really technical). The tree grows primarily in tropical climates like what is found in India and surrounding Asian countries and grows to up to 40 feet. The seeds grow in little green pods with one light brown seed in each. Once the seeds are compressed into an oil, they give off a comforting nutty smell, vastly different than its more pungent cousin seeds that are also used in haircare and skincare products.

Hair Benefits of Karanja Oil

Karanja seed oil is rich in antioxidants and fatty acids which can help treat inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis or eczema. From a scalp perspective, it can help with irritation and dandruff. Karanja oil is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antifungal, making it a soothing ingredient in scalp care and haircare.

UVB Protection

Ever wondered if there was a hair sunscreen out there? Well, our products will protect your hair and scalp from sun damage due to this amazing ingredient! Karanja Oil is very rich in flavonoids, which are known for their antioxidant and UV-blocking abilities of up to SPF 30, which is enough to make a difference in keeping your locks’ look and health throughout the summer.

Softer Hair

Karanja Oil also contains 18 carbon chain fatty acids (oleic acid) which helps with controlling your hair’s water loss, making it softer and more manageable!

Frizzy Hair…Do Care!

Now, this isn’t just what we love about it. It also protects and smooths your hair’s cell membrane complex. Your cell membrane cortex sits between your hair’s core and cuticle where binding and moisture reside. When the cell membrane complex is damaged, you experience hair breakage due to reduced elasticity, and frizzy hair due to improper hair swelling (you know that frizzy hair you get when it’s humid out? Yep, that’s your hair swelling up!)

Sourced With a Clean Conscience

Our Karanja Oil is organic and chosen carefully with a clean conscience. We believe that once we can see what is damaging your hair, we can learn from those who have the strongest hair in the world. Indian women have been using hair masks and other remedies for centuries as part of their Ayurvedic treatments. As a result, their hair has much fewer split ends, less frizziness, and more strength and length. We wanted to learn from these hair gurus and create a product that actually works to correct your hair’s worst damage!

If you’re like us, you really want something that is hair moisturizing, hair strengthening, and hair nourishing. Don’t forget a soothed scalp! Well, it doesn’t stop with Karanja Oil. We have so many other ingredients, some which are in each product and some which are in only a few, that will offer your hair protection and fix your hair damage!

The SAVE ME FROM hair care products are multi-use and offer more than hair nourishment. They will protect, and SAVE YOUR HAIR FROM DAMAGE! Don’t wait to sign up for our newsletter or follow our social media sites in order to be one of the first to start fixing your damaged hair with our reparative products!

Benefits of Karanja oil

The benefits of Karanja oil are varied. From skin to hair, you get benefits in many ways from this product. Here are some benefits you must consider to find the best product suitable for your skin and hair:

#1 Anti-inflammatory

You can get rid of inflammations, and soothe and prevent them with the help of the Karanja oil. It is rich in fatty acids which act as a healing agent for your inflammations. As a result, it is a popular treatment for eczema and psoriasis.

#2 Anti-bacterial

The oil is antibacterial and hence can help to fight off dandruff and other similar scalp problems. It also helps to heal minor wounds on the skin and the scalp. It is also anti-fungal thus many fungal infections of the scalp can be combated by using the oil daily. It acts as an astringent and protects the scalp barrier and the hydrolipid film.

#3 UV protection

The oil is particularly helpful regarding UV protection for hair and scalp. The oil prevents the fading of natural hair color which often happens due to harsh weather and sunlight. Your hair does not get dry and brittle either. The nourishment from Karanja oil also adds shine to your hair.

What can you pair with Karanja oil?

The best thing about Karanja oil is it pairs well with almost every other ingredient in your skincare. It is a herbal product that complements actives as well as other botanical ingredients. It particularly works well when combined with hibiscus extract, reparative yacon extract, and coconut oil. If you are following a dedicated routine using Foxtale products, you can still safely include Karanja oil or Karanja oil-based products for an added boost in your skincare or haircare.

In short, there is no limit to the combinations you can experiment with when using Karanja oil, making it a versatile skincare and haircare product for everyone.

A side effect of Karanja oil

There is no known side effect of Karanja oil unless you are specifically allergic to it. However, it is pure oil and a heavy ingredient. Hence it can be too sticky for fine hair and oily skin. But if you are using a product formulated with oil, it entirely depends on the blend of the product and its purpose.

Moreover, it is a herbal ingredient and such ingredients tend to provoke allergic reactions and irritation till your skin and hair get used to them. However, if the trouble gets consistent, it is best to avoid the oil.

Karanja oil has never been much under the limelight. However, it has every quality to be the holy grail skincare ingredient for all skin types. So, next time you come across the ingredient on any product label, you would know what to expect and make an informed decision regarding the investment.

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