Benefits of karanja oil for skin and hair

Do you know karanja oil? It is a vegetable oil that we find in particular in natural sunscreens. Find in the article all the benefits of karanja oil for skin and hair.

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Don't you know karanja  oil? Unless you are a fan of Ayurvedic medicine, this is hardly surprising. It is not a vegetable oil that we hear a lot about in France. And yet, with the rise of natural sunscreens, it is an oil that is highly recognized for protecting the skin from the sun's rays. It is thus involved in the preparation of many recipes for homemade sunscreens. But karanja  oil has many other benefits that I will present to you following this article. But before that, small presentation of karanja oil.

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Presentation of karanja oil

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Karanja oil comes from the karanja, which is a very hardy shrub that grows in tropical or subtropical regions. It is thus found mainly in India, but also in certain regions of Africa such as Cameroon or Uganda. It has the particularity of being very resistant to drought, so it grows in full sun. The karanja produces a fruit that contains stones with a very high oil content, around 30 to 35 %. It is for this reason that it is enormously produced in India, to extract its vegetable oil. A vegetable oil that has many benefits, thanks to its very high composition in Karanjin and Pongamol, but also in Omega-9.

​The benefits of karanja oil

Karanja oil has many benefits that I will present to you below :

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Can karanja oil be used as sunscreen?

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This is what I told you at the beginning of this article and this is what makes it its main use in the West. Karanja indeed contains karanjin and pongamol which are two molecules known to protect the skin from UV rays, these harmful effects of the sun. But beware, these two molecules are not present in karanja oil.

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Thus, applying karanja oil on the skin alone to block the harmful effects of the sun is not a good thing at all ! Do not go out in direct sunlight with only karanja oil on your skin (and even less on your child's skin !).

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Moreover, the ANSM (the national agency for the safety of medicines and health products) released a note in February 2017 stating that sunscreen products containing karanja oil alone as a UV blocking effect do not comply with the regulations in force and must not be made available on the market. On the other hand, it is possible to offer sun creams with karanja oil and authorized ultraviolet filter(s), on the condition of not saying that it is thanks to the oil of Karaja that UV is blocked.

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For your information, in organic cosmetics only two natural filters are accepted, Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide. These are the two filters that are found in natural sunscreens. Thus, karanja oil must systematically be accompanied by one of these two filters to be considered as effective sun protection.

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The benefits of karanja oil for acne-prone skin

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Karanja oil is very beneficial for acne prone skin as it has cleansing, antibacterial and antiseptic properties. Thus, not only will it purify the skin but also help heal pimples. If you have acne or if you are prone to ingrown hairs (after shaving for example), apply karanja oil (with another vegetable oil, such as jojoba oil yes sweet almond oil ) can be very good for your skin.

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The benefits of karanja oil to prevent skin aging

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Karanja oil is an oil that will be perfect for mature skin, or skin that has some signs of aging, such as fine lines, wrinkles or even brown spots. Karanja oil is indeed recognized for its oxidizing properties which will restore elasticity to the skin.

Benefits of karanja oil for hair

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Karanja oil  is recognized for its many benefits for the hair. It will thus allow to deeply nourish dry, brittle or damaged hair. So if you feel that you have dry ends, do not hesitate to apply this karanja oil. It will therefore be particularly suitable for all those who have frizzy hair.

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It also helps to give shine to the hair. This is particularly due to its moisturizing power : hydrated hair (or beard hair) is hair in better shape which will be stronger but also shinier.

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How to use karanja oil?

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Karanja oil cannot be used alone on the skin, it must be systematically mixed with other vegetable oils (jojoba oil, organic sweet almond oil, castor oil...).

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In hair care, you can mix Karanja  oil with a hair mask.

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