Deepika Padukone© GettyImages

This Is The Haircare Ritual Deepika Padukone Swears By

Long, tiring days on film sets with heavy make-up and copious amounts of hairspray, busy nights out at multiple events and tonnes of jet-setting across oceans—the typical lifestyle of a Bollywood celebrity can easily damage their skin and hair. But through years of experience, and the valuable bits of advice picked up from their mothers, colleagues, dermatologists, hair stylists, make-up artists and fitness experts on how best to take care of themselves, the stars seem to have nailed down their beauty routines.

Case in point, the ‘Besharam Rang’ girl, Deepika Padukone, and her haircare staple. A chameleon on screen, Padukone can ace everything from dramas to musicals and comedies while looking effortlessly beautiful on screen. The Pathaan star not only has exceptional screen presence and an eye-catching style quotient, but her skin and hair are features that really stand out. And today, we will be looking into the hair care routine of the diva.

Padukone has often been vocal about her humble hair care ritual. From using au naturel masks to traditional Indian hair treatments, the star’s most favourite regime is the time-tested hair oiling technique. The method that has every Indian mother (and their mothers) in a chokehold, is also Padukone’s go-to hair solution—coconut oil!

Here’s how you can use coconut oil for dry, frizzy and rough hair

You can make a simple coconut oil hair mask using just two tablespoons (tbsp.) of warm, melted coconut oil. For best results, try to use organic, unrefined coconut oil. You can also make variations of this hair mask, by adding a tablespoon of raw, organic honey or a whisked egg to the coconut oil to give your tresses a DIY salon makeover.

Method

  1. Wet your hair by spraying it with water.
  2. Apply the coconut oil evenly over the damp hair.
  3. Part your hair so that you can apply the oil in manageable sections. Use hair clips to keep the oiled strands away from your face and eyes.
  4. Apply more coconut oil to the driest areas of your scalp and hair, usually the ends, and less to the healthier areas. We don’t want the concoction to weigh down your hair and mess with its natural oils.
  5. Massage the scalp with your fingers to boost blood circulation and allow the oil to fully seep in.
  6. Cover your head with a shower cap once you’ve coated all your hair.
  7. Let the mask work its magic for one to two hours. If you want a deep conditioning treatment, you can leave it on overnight.
  8. Rinse out with lukewarm water, then shampoo and condition as per usual.

How can a coconut oil hair mask help your hair?

Between chemical treatments, heat styling, and environmental exposure, your hair, just like Padukone’s hair, can become fragile and damaged over time. And, research has shown that coconut oil contains properties that can help keep your hair healthy.

In the same way that a facial mask can improve the overall health and appearance of your skin, a coconut oil hair mask can help boost the condition of your hair.

What are the benefits?

  1. Reduces protein loss: Hair is basically protein, and consists of three layers. Colouring, blow-drying, styling, and other treatments can erode some of the protein that makes up your hair’s cortex, the thickest layer of your hair. Coconut oil reduces protein loss when used as a pre- and post-wash grooming product.
  2. Penetrates the hair shaft properly: This traditional home remedy has a low molecular weight. This makes it easier for the oil to be absorbed into the hair shaft, compared to other types of oils.
  3. Replenishes moisture. Because coconut oil does a better job at penetrating the hair shaft, it may also help protect your hair from dryness and nourish it from the inside out.

The Piku star’s haircare rituals reflect her love for tradition and the vernacular, and she indulges in a weekly, good old coconut oil champi to maintain a strong and healthy mane, and we’re off to do the same!