After a fashion: Hair applications can only make it easier to groom

For ages hair has been a source of both pride and despair for mankind. And, in a tropical country like India, hair oil has been a product of regular, if not daily, use for health, hygiene and beauty care. India has a big market, a number of brands, a wide range of manufacturers? claims ? factual or otherwise. The choice of the brand makes the consumers rack their brains. If you too are among them, the Ahmedabad-based Consumer Education and Research Society (CERS) has tried to make your task easier.

This test report speaks about the myths and facts behind hair oils and hair creams, tested by CERS?s in-house laboratory to ascertain whether they deliver what they claim to.

Brands tested

CERS tested 13 brands of hair oil and three brands of hair cream. The hair oils were Clinic Plus Coconut Hair Oil, New Nihar Coconut Amla Oil, Hair & Care, Parachute Jasmine, Bajaj Almond Drops, Shanti Amla, Dey?s Keo Karpin Hair Oil, Dabur Amla Hair Oil, New Nihar Coconut Oil, Cantharidine Hair Oil, Jabakusum Taila, Swastik Perfumed Castor Hair Oil and Parachute Coconut. The three brands of hair creams tested comprised Brylcreem Dandruff Control Hair Cream, Brylcreem Protein Plus Styling Hair Cream and Clinic Active Hair Grooming Cream.

CERS also tested four brands of hair oil which made therapeutic claims. But Indian Standards do not cover hair oils which make such claims. They are Dabur Vaitka Premium Coconut Oil, Himani Navratna Oil, Himtaj Oil and Banphool Oil.

Types of oil

As per the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), hair oils shall be any one three types:

Type 1: Based on vegetable oil or oils

Type 2: Based on mineral oil, and

Type 3: Based on a mixture of vegetable oils (raw and/ or refined) and mineral oil.

All hair manufacturers are required to mark on their label the source of manufacture and the type of oil their product belongs to. New Nihar Coconut Oil, Swastik Perfumed Castor Hair Oil, Jabakusum Taila and Parachute Coconut Oil omitted the type of oil on their labels. Dabur Amla omitted the source of manufacture.

Key findings

The peroxide value is prescribed to check the rancidity of hair oil. The higher the oxidation, the greater the chances of emission of unpleasant rancid odour. Jabakusum Taila (11.50), Swastik Perfumed Castor Hair Oil (17.12) did not comply with the IS specification for the peroxide value limit of 0-10 milliequivalents (meq) per 1000 gram.

The Standards of Weights and Measures (Packaged Commodities) Rules 1977 specify the maximum permissible error on declared net quantity (volume) by 6.75 ml for 150 ml. Dabur Vatika Premium Coconut Hair Oil recorded an average weight of 141.7 ml. This was less than the permissible error.

While Shanti Amla gave more than the labelled weight and New Nihar Coconut gave the labelled weight, all the other 11 brands gave less than their labelled weight. Jabakusum Taila and Swastik Castor ? two of the three non-conforming brands ? gave you the least.

The IS specifications for microbial parameter permits not more than 1000 micro-organisms (bacterial growth) per gram of oil. The microbial limit is established for safety of the product. Parachute Coconut Oil (2300) did not conform.

Two brands of hair oil, namely, Parachute Coconut Oil and Jabakusum Taila, were found to have suspended particles.

The colour of the oil varied in different batches of Banphool Oil.

Clinic Plus Coconut Hair Oil and New Nihar Coconut Amla Hair Oil achieved the highest overall score with 91, followed by Hair & Care and Parachute Jasmine (90 each in the second position) and Bajaj Almond Drops (87) in the third position.

Hair creams

All the brands tested met with all the requirements as per the standards.

Brylcreem Dandruff Control tops the chart with an overall score of 72, followed by Brylcreem Protein Plus (70) and Clinic Active (61).

Best buy

With a good overall score and reasonable price, Shanti Amla is CERS?s ?Best Buy? among hair oils. Among hair creams, Brylcreem Dandruff Control is CERS?s ?Best Buy?.

myths & busters

• Hair oils cure headaches: Hair oil is applied externally and has very little penetration through the scalp. Headaches occur from nerve cells of the brain covered by the skull. Oil can hardly penetrate the skull.

• Prevent hair loss: Hair oil acts as a coating for the scalp. It protects it from external damage like dust and UV rays. The oil also prevents dehydration of the scalp. However, only medicated hair oil containing vasodilators like minoxidil which help to reduce the blood pressure, may prevent hair fall.

• Are nourishing: No. Hair oil can only make it easier to comb hair and prevent it from getting knotted. A healthy diet nourishes the hair.

• Should not be changed: Yes. Because hair oil may differ from brand to brand in composition and the additives may not be suitable to all users.