Used for centuries in various healing traditions, sesame oil has long been incorporated into hygiene rituals as well as skin care, hair care and massage.
Naturally rich in sesamolin, lecithin and vitamin E, it provides antioxidant compounds that help protect cells from oxidative stress. Its high linoleic acid (omega-6) content helps maintain the skin barrier and protect the skin from dryness, while oleic acid (omega-9) provides nourishing properties.
Here are three traditional sesame oil recipes worth rediscovering.
1. Gandoush: Sesame Oil Mouth Rinse
This traditional Indian practice consists of complementing oral hygiene with an oil mouth rinse.
In the morning, before eating, take 1 dessert spoon of sesame oil and gently swish it around the mouth, between the teeth, over the gums and across the palate for a few minutes. Traditionally, the duration is gradually increased to up to 20 minutes.
Spit out the oil, then rinse your mouth with warm water.
Keep in mind: this ritual can complement tooth brushing, but should not replace it.
2. Hananotsuyu, “Dew of the Flower”
This preparation, created in the 17th century, was traditionally used to care for the skin and hair.
Fill a bottle three-quarters full with virgin sesame oil, then add:
- 1 small piece of sandalwood;
- 3 organic cloves.
Leave to infuse for about ten days, shaking the bottle regularly. Strain, then repeat the infusion process with the same quantities of sandalwood and cloves before straining again.
The preparation can be applied in the evening to freshly cleansed skin.
For the hair, after shampooing and rinsing thoroughly, the traditional recipe suggests running through the hair a comb dipped in a little warm water mixed with 5 drops of sesame oil.
3. Egyptian Massage Oil
A particularly simple recipe traditionally used for massage and to help ease tension.
Finely grate 40 g of fresh organic ginger root over a very fine cloth. Squeeze the cloth to extract the juice.
Then combine the ginger juice with:
- 3 tablespoons of sesame oil;
- ½ teaspoon of organic lemon juice.
Store the preparation in a bottle and shake well before each use, then use it as a massage oil.
From mouth rinsing and skin and hair care to massage, these three recipes illustrate the many ways sesame oil has traditionally been incorporated into personal care practices. A simple plant oil that, far beyond its culinary uses, invites us to rediscover age-old practices that can easily be incorporated into a natural approach to well-being.
