Amla oil for hair: what it is, what it does, how we blend it
Amla oil is the traditional Indian hair oil in the library: sesame oil infused with amla (Indian gooseberry) fruit, a medium-rich active with a herbal, slightly sour scent.
| Role | Active oil |
|---|---|
| Weight | 3 of 4, medium-rich |
| Chosen for | Strength |
| On the label | Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract |
| In our blends | Not in a signature blend yet |
| Builder limit | Up to 10% of a hair blend |
What it is
Its label reads Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract: the oil itself is sesame, about 40% oleic and 40% linoleic acid, and the amla is infused into it. Amla has been used in Indian hair oiling for a very long time; ours is an infusion, not an essential oil or a dye. It is a warm yellow-green.
How it feels on hair
Weight 3 of 4, medium-rich. It spreads like sesame oil, with a little drag, and leaves a soft, warm finish. The scent is herbal and a touch sour, and shows at 10% under a quiet essential oil.
Who reaches for it
People who grew up with amla oil and want it in a blend they control, and anyone building a scalp-and-lengths oil with some tradition behind it. It is not in a signature blend yet.
Where it sits in our blends
No signature blend uses amla yet, which makes it one for the builder: start from a blend that is close and swap it in, or build from scratch. Every blend is weighed to the gram and the recipe is printed on the label.
How to compose with it
The builder allows amla up to 10% of a hair blend. Pair it with black seed or pumpkin seed over jojoba or sweet almond, and give it a fresh herbal essential oil (rosemary, clary sage) that sits well with its scent.
Good to know: Sesame base. If you avoid sesame, pick another active.
Compose with amla Find your formula
Weighed to the gram and blended to order in New Jersey, with the recipe printed on the label. For external use only; patch test before first use. Every oil, with its INCI name, is in the oil library.