Archive · 18 Sep 2026
Neelam Kothari Shares Her Mother's DIY Hair Oil Recipe
Neelam Kothari shared a hair-oil recipe that her mother used on her.
The recipe starts with a little virgin coconut oil.
Fenugreek seeds are cooked in the oil until they turn brown.
Washed curry leaves are added after the heat is turned off.
The mixture is cooled until it is lukewarm before being massaged onto the scalp.
Kothari said it may help with dry scalp and dandruff and condition the hair.
She also described a face mask made with curd, turmeric, alum, glycerine, aloe vera, coffee and rose water.
A dermatologist warned that alum can be harsh and may irritate sensitive or acne-prone skin.
Neelam Kothari shared her mother's traditional hair-oil recipe in a recent video.
The recipe uses virgin coconut oil, browned fenugreek seeds and washed curry leaves.
She said the oil can be massaged onto the scalp when lukewarm and stored after straining.
Kothari said the mixture helps with dry scalp and dandruff, conditions hair and promotes growth.
She also shared a curd-based face mask, while dermatologist Rupika Singh cautioned that alum may irritate skin.
- Who
- Actor Neelam Kothari shared her mother's hair-oil recipe; dermatologist Dr Rupika Singh provided a caution about alum in face masks.
- What
- Kothari revealed a DIY hair oil made with coconut oil, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves, along with a separate face-mask recipe.
- When
- The hair-oil recipe was shared in a recent video; the article does not specify a date.
- Where
- In Neelam Kothari's vlog and videos.
- Why
- Kothari said the hair oil was used for her shiny hair and could help with dry scalp, dandruff, conditioning and hair growth; she described the face mask as useful for glow and other skin effects.
Traditional DIY Beauty Claims
Dermatological Caution
Hair-oil benefits
Traditional DIY Beauty Claims
Neelam Kothari credited her mother's coconut-oil mixture with helping maintain shiny hair and said it helps combat dry scalp and dandruff, conditions hair and promotes growth.
Dermatological Caution
The article does not provide an independent dermatological assessment of the hair-oil recipe's effectiveness.
Use of alum in face masks
Traditional DIY Beauty Claims
Kothari said a curd-based mask containing a small amount of alum gives her glow, helps with pigmentation and provides a cooling effect.
Dermatological Caution
Dr Rupika Singh said alum may temporarily tighten skin but lacks strong scientific support for that use. She warned that its drying, harsh nature can disrupt the skin barrier and irritate sensitive or acne-prone skin.
Safety measures
Traditional DIY Beauty Claims
Kothari advised using only a pinch of alum in her face-mask recipe.
Dermatological Caution
Singh recommended using a tiny amount and patch-testing the mask 24 to 48 hours before applying it to the face.
- Hair-oil base
- Virgin coconut oil
- Hair-oil ingredients
- Fenugreek seeds and washed curry leaves
- Preparation
- Heat the coconut oil, brown the fenugreek seeds, turn off the heat, add curry leaves and cool the mixture
- Storage
- Extra oil can be strained through a sieve and stored in a glass bottle
- Kothari's claimed benefits
- Help with dry scalp and dandruff, condition the hair and promote hair growth
- Face-mask ingredients
- Curd, turmeric, a pinch of alum, glycerine, aloe vera gel, coffee and rose water
- Dermatologist's caution
- Dr Rupika Singh said alum has limited scientific support for the claimed effects and may disrupt the skin barrier or cause irritation