Winter and dry skin go hand in hand. The cold weather and dehydration (as you tend to have less amount of water in the season) make it tough for your skin to remain properly nourished. Hence, the most important part of your winter care routine remains the use of oil—be it a hot oil head massage, which is good for hair, applying oil on skin to keep it moisturised or including healthy oils in your diet to keep your body fit.

Experts recommend the use of oils like olive oil, mustard oil, coconut oil, lavender oil, shea butter oil for skin during winters and flaxseed oil, groundnut oil, palm oil, rice bran oil, canola oil, walnut oil, grapeseed oil, avocado oil, almond oil, and soybean oil, mustard, olive or coconut oils in diets for the season.

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Some of the most frequently consumed oils in Indian kitchens include olive oil, mustard oil, rice bran oil, groundnut oil, soybean oil, coconut oil and palm oil.

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), which is a part of the US National Library of Medicine, and approved and funded by the US government, “Virgin olive oils reduce blood pressure and thus, the global cardiovascular burden of disease and its associated pharmaceutical costs. They also have anti-atherosclerotic potential, favouring endothelial function and preserving blood pressure, maintaining lipoprotein functionality, exerting anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, and modulating gene expression in several tissues to maintain proper homeostasis. They have the potential to reduce the risk of some types of cancer (primary prevention) and experimental studies have confirmed significant anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of dietary virgin olive oils and its bioactive components supplementation in preclinical models of autoimmune diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and sclerosis.”

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The findings are a part of the III International Conference on Virgin Olive Oil and Health Consensus Report that came out in 2018.

Similarly, according to the medical journal Medical News Today, mustard oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids and that can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar suggests intake of ghee as a part of a regular diet for good health. She suggests deep frying rather than air frying and using ghee or regionally available cold pressed oil rather than vegetable oils to be used while cooking. Castor oil is another popularly used oil during winters due to its thick consistency. Made from seeds of the castor plant, the oil has been found to have anti-inflammatory properties and it is used in a range of hair and skin care products. It is also known to be a good source of vitamin E, Omega 9 fatty acids, and Omega 6 fatty acids and may reduce joint pains and menstrual cramps.

As for the scalp, hot oil massages can lead to better hair growth, de-stressing and can relax the mind. It also helps in moisturising hair in winters. Dermatologists suggest jojoba and almond oils for scalp massage in winters for boosting hair health.

While there are numerous healthy oils floating around in the market and being promoted by brands, you must be aware of staying away from refined oils. High heat exposure may destroy oil’s nutrients while it is being processed. Thus, experts suggest depending on ‘unrefined’ or cold-pressed’ oils pressed at no more than 120 degrees Celsius. You must also opt for ‘organic’ oils so as to refrain from using chemically processed oils.