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Oils were not only on article of cosmetic, but they were considered essential for maintaining one鈥檚 health. An oil bath or 础产丑测补峁単补蝉苍腻苍补 was compulsory among ancient Indians. They practiced massaging the skin and hair with oil every alternate day or atleast twice in a week.

Sources of Oil

Oils were mainly of vegetable origin. They were extracted from seeds like Sesamum, mustard, 滨峁単耻诲墨 etc. sometimes prepared from 惭补苍补岣ヅ沬濒腻 (Realgar) and 贬补谤颈迟腻濒补 (Orpiment). 碍腻濒颈诲腻蝉补^[1] and 碍补耻峁璱濒测补^[2] allude to these sources.

Types of Oils

Oils can be chiefly classified into two.

Medicated Oil

As the word suggests, medicated oils are oils, either prepared from seeds having medicinal properties or those boiled along with medicinal herbs. All our medical treatises insist on the importance of oil massage, which is essential for keeping away the diseases caused by deranged 痴腻迟补. Medicinal advantages apart, regular oil massage makes one, a man of strong, smooth and brightened physique. It prevents wrinkles on skin and thus prevents aging. For curing 痴腻迟补rakta, Caraka^[3] prescribes some oils like Madhuya峁ａ弓hy膩ditaila, Sukum膩rakataila, Am峁泃膩dyataila, Mah膩padmakataila, Khu岣島kapadmakataila, Madh奴kataila, Pi峁囜笉ataila and 叠补濒腻迟补颈濒补. He lists some advantages of Tila oil also. According to him, Tila oil is good to prevent baldness, grayness and hair fall^[4]. It is beneficial for luxuriant growth of hair and makes one鈥檚 skin glowing. Tila oil is a remedy for headache and it imparts sound sleep.

Perfumed Oils

Perfumed oils were usually used by kings and aristocrats for their royal bath. Texts like 础驳苍颈辫耻谤腻峁嘺^[5], 惭腻苍补蝉辞濒濒腻蝉补^[6], 痴颈峁ａ箛耻诲丑补谤尘辞迟迟补谤补辫耻谤腻峁嘺^[7] and 叠峁沨补迟蝉补峁僪颈迟腻^[8] mention some recipes for scented oils. Among the fragrant oils, Campaka oil is most popular. Campaka oil was not only meant for 础产丑测补峁単补, but it was an ingredient for the preparation of other forms of cosmetics also. 叠峁沨补迟蝉补峁僪颈迟腻^[9] describes the methods for preparing hair oil with the odour of Campaka flower. For this, a mixture of sesamum oil and equal proportions of the powders of 惭补帽箩颈峁ａ弓丑补 (Rubia Cordifolia), Vy膩ghranakha, Cassia bark and 碍耻峁ａ弓丑补 (Costus) are used. In the final stage of preparation, this mixture is warmed in the sunlight. As per one recipe given in 惭腻苍补蝉辞濒濒腻蝉补, Campaka oil is prepared by crushing the Tila seeds perfumed with Campaka and 笔耻苍苍腻驳补. Besides the Campaka oil, 惭腻苍补蝉辞濒濒腻蝉补 mentions formulae for certain other scented oils. Thus oils smelling like 碍别迟补办墨, 闯腻迟颈 and 笔耻苍苍腻驳补 are recorded there. 础驳苍颈辫耻谤腻峁嘺 and 痴颈峁ａ箛耻诲丑补谤尘辞迟迟补谤补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 also give an account of the preparation of scented oils. These recipes are found quoted in 骋补苍诲丑补蝉腻谤补 in thirty-four verses. We don鈥檛 have any direct reference to the perfumed oils in 膧yurvedic texts. But the ingredients mentioned in the preparation of some medicated oils are aromatic.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

础产丑颈箩帽腻苍补艣腻办耻苍迟补濒补; 碍耻尘腻谤补蝉补尘产丑补惫补, VII.23

[2]:

Trade and Commerce of Ancient India (TACAI)

[3]:

颁颈办颈迟蝉腻蝉迟丑腻苍补, Chapter 29

[4]:

Ibid, p.124

[5]:

SIICH, p.70

[6]:

Vol I, pp.81-83

[7]:

SIICH, p.70

[8]:

LXXVI.6

[9]:

Ibid