Does Karkar oil help to grow your hair

Indeed it may. But remember, retaining length is affected by many factors and products used is definitely one of them.  Karkar oil is packed with a lot of vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to the hair and scalp such that, even without referring to clinical data, it is understandable that it helps in growing healthier, stronger hair that retains length easily. With the Chebe powder hype, karkar oil also became popular since it is used together with the powder by the women from Chad and Sudan to grow their hair so long it is almost unbelievable. Many questions have been asked as to what it is, how it works, how to use it to grow hair and what else it can be mixed with. As something pretty new, such questions are understandable. So, let’s try to answer some of these questions, shall we?

What is Karkar oil?

Karkar oil is a combination of sesame seed oil, honey and animal fat that is heated to blend well to make the oil and a perfume is then added so that it smells nice, well decent because if you know karkar oil, it does not smell anything close to nice. It is used by women in Chad and also Sudan to grow hair healthy and retain length as seen in the picture below.

Karkar oil benefits on hair

Karkar oil is actually a hair oil. So far, I have not seen it being used anywhere else except on the hair. The benefits of using karkar oil the hair are a lot and some are below.

• Packed with healthy fatty acids like palmatic acid, linoleic acid, oleic acid and stearic acid which moisturises the scalp and the hair, karkar oil is a good moisturising oil that easily penetrates the skin and hair shaft.
• Karkar oi has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties therefore it helps with managing a flaky scalp due to dandruff and other fungal or bacterial infections on the scalp.
• Sesame seed oil which is the main ingredient in karkar oil, has Vitamin E which is a natural antioxidant. It also has nutrients like zinc, copper, magnesium, calcium, iron and Vitamin B6 which detoxify, nourish and protect the hair and scalp for stronger hair that does not break easily.
• Karkar oil also helps to slow down premature greying of the hair to keep it looking darker for longer.
• Promotes hair growth as it improves blood circulation when massaged on the scalp.
• Protects the hair against UV rays as it has sun blocking properties to act as a natural sun block.
• Improves the health of the hair to give it a healthy sheen.
• Seals the hair very well to prevent split ends and strengthen the hair against breakage.
• On the other hand, honey which is an ingredient in making karkar oil, is a natural humectant, which means, it attracts moisture from the air to your hair to keep it well moisturised and conditioned.
• Honey also has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory  properties that help with scalp psoriasis and eczema for healthier hair growth.

Now you understand why karkar oil is such a powerhouse when it comes to healthier hair? But how can one use Karkar oil in a hair care routine to harness all these benefits and grow healthy hair that is strong and retains length? Let’s grow some healthy hair people. And here is how you can use Karkar oil to do that.

How to use Karkar oil for hair growth

They are many ways to use Karkar oil for hair growth. The most common is with Chebe powder.

Karkar oil and Chebe powder Routine

Chebe and Karkar oil mixture

It can also be used concurrently with chebe powder like the women in Chad do it, applying water, then the karkar oil and lastly chebe powder and that is repeated until the section is saturated with the oil and chebe powder before putting it into a tight braid. This process is quite messy and may leave the chebe powder showing so much on the hair. You can either wear a wig or a wrap/doek to cover the hair. The process can then be repeated after every 5 days without washing the hair. This I failed to do though because I always wash my hair weekly. However, it turns out there are some other women in Chad who do wash their hair monthly and that at least I could manage.

Karkar and Chebe Powder mix

Karkar oil can be mixed with chebe powder in equal parts and then applied on the hair. When mixed with chebe powder, karkar oil cannot be put on the scalp because that can cause it to itch big time. This however reduces the process of the chebe routine application time because both the karkar oil and the chebe powder are mixed together. After applying water or a water based leave in conditioner, the mixture of karkar oil and chebe powder is then applied to the hair, concentrating on the hair shaft and avoiding the roots or close to the scalp.

Karkar and Chebe Butter

Chebe Karkar butter

Karkar oil can also be added to a butter together with chebe powder. I did a post some time back where I gave you the ingredients that I use in my chebe powder routine and I always use it as a butter. You can check it out here if you want the recipe on making your own chebe and karkar butter. You can also buy an already made chebe and karkar butter here if you are not too keen on DIY stuff. It is much cheaper because you will not need to buy the chebe powder, karkar oil, Shea butter and the leave in conditioner to make the butter. However, if you already have the other ingredients you can try the DIY route and it is not too difficult as well. Using Karkar and Chebe butter is better for the hair as it does not show too much after the hair has the butter in it. You can wear the hair in braids, amaphondo or twists thereafter which is more practical for most people.

Karkar oil for massage

Karkar oil can also be massaged on the hairline to grow hair since it is packed with nutrients that improve the health of the scalp and improves blood circulation on the scalp.

Karkar oil for hot oil treatment

Karkar oil can be used as a hot oil conditioning treatment to deeply condition the hair for maximum moisture retention and making it stronger. The oil can be slightly heated, making sure it does not get to boil and then applied on the hair when it’s slighlty above body temperature and also massaged onto the scalp. Leave it on the hair for 30 minutes to an hour before rinsing off and washing the hair as usual.

Karkar oil for hair growth

Karkar oil to seal moisture

Karkar oil can be used as the final step in the LCO method when sealing moisture in your hair. The LCO method is basically applying a water based leave in conditioner, which is the liquid part, a cream of choice and then an oil. Karkar oil, with its sun blocking properties, will protect the hair while it seals in moisture for maximum moisture retention.

Can Karkar oil be mixed with other oils?

Yes it can be mixed with other oils. Since it has a thicker consistency, mixing karkar oil with a lighter oil like sweet almond oil or grape seed oil if you desire a lighter consistency to apply on the hair or scalp is beneficial. Karkar oil can also be added to your conditioner or deep conditioner to upgrade it a bit for an extra nourishing deep treatment that will benefit both the hair and the scalp.

Healthy hair retains length

Karkar oil, because it combines sesame seed oil which is great for the hair and scalp and honey which is a super food for growing healthy hair, is a great oil to include in your hair care routine. Healthy strong hair that actually retains length does not happen by chance for most of us. Methods, routines and products aid us in reaching that goal. Without the other, healthier hair goals may not be realised.

I am sure I have not exhausted all the ways in which one can include karkar oil to their hair regimen for hair growth. If you know any that I have not included here, please comment below and share with us. Have you ever used karkar oil? Let me know in the comments below.

Edit: Karkar oil does not have honey in it but the beeswax.