Remember my post on the benefits of using almond oil on hair? If not, let me summarise its essence in 6 words- Almond oil is food for hair. While devouring almonds on a daily basis works wonders in transforming your hair into your ‘crowning glory’ rightfully, the luxury of slathering this elixir down your cascading locks as your hair follicles heave a sigh of relief the moment it comes in contact it, is indescribable. If it’s hot, better. I seized a bottle of one of the most popular almond oil brands in India and it goes without saying that today, I will review (or perhaps, rip apart) the same. It is none other than BAJAJ ALMOND DROPS
If you’ve got someone to massage your tresses with almond oil as you roll back to let loose, then awesome. For lazy couch potatoes like me who would argue over an hour with siblings on whose turn it is to switch off the light (yes, we have totally weird rules when it comes to sharing household ‘chores’), nothing can be better than the above at-home makeshift low-budget spa experience!
It’s been over three months of my gorging almonds every morning that I finally decided to try a renowned brand of almond oil (bajaj almond hair oil) which lures me towards it the way Popeye (yes, the 90s cartoon character who used to transform into a beefcake within seconds of thawing a tin of spinach) used to be enticed by spinach. On an unrelated note, I tried to the raw spinach multiple times back in childhood all thanks to Popeye and every time I did it, the floor used to be coloured in green within seconds. How? I used to spit it out in the twinkling of an eye and spend the next 15 minutes in brushing my teeth to get rid of the slightest tinge of those horrible green raw spinach leaves! Popeye, you truly shaked my belief in the messages cartoon characters used to give.
My Review of Bajaj Almond Drops Hair Oil:
Packed in a glass bottle with a flimsy, or wait I should say ‘the flimsiest possible’ cap, I can’t help but award this hair oil with a facepalm. Why? An oil packed in a glass bottle really doesn’t make sense to me. Oils are bound to spill and packing them in glass bottles means that the user/consumer is expected to be “Khatron ke Khiladi” contestant who’d use it in such a way that it’ll neither spill nor fall ever during/after usage.
It is same as packaging Jalebis (no, do not picture them now foodies! Let’s mean business right now) in a cloth. Because of this, the hair oil bottle needs to handled very carefully else it might slip off your hand and earn you a good dose of scolding from your mother. The packaging, hence is highly disappointing.
Hair Oil Test: Bajaj Oil vs Cold Pressed Almond Oil
The bajaj hair oil is lightweight and non-sticky as it claims to be. Heating the almond oil is easy but if you intend to fry some herbs/leaves in it to enhance its nutritive value, then it is of no use. I tried heating methi seeds and curry leaves separately in it and sadly, I wasn’t able to carry on the process for the time it is supposed to because the bajaj almond oil started emitting flames of smoke. This wasn’t the case when I had fried methi seeds and curry leaves separately earlier in cold-pressed almond oil. This made me suspicious of its composition.
Shocking Ingredients list of Bajaj Almond Drops Oil:
I had a look at the ingredients’ list of Bajaj oil and was shell shocked when I saw that 77% of this oil is simply mineral oil which is nothing more than a cheap filler. To top it all, it had perfume (under the garb of which a number of toxic chemicals are added) and coal tar dyes (Cl 47,000 and Cl 26,100). Even if the share of mineral oil had been less, I wouldn’t have written it off but 77% is enough to compel me to discard it. Naturally, when it comes to performance on parameters like- shine imparted, softness, hydration, frizz control and so on and so forth, this almond oil is miles behind cold-pressed almond oil. In fact, there is no competition. It doesn’t do anything noteworthy which oddly is fine for me. Why? Because with 77% mineral oil and other hazardous chemicals infused into it, all I expect is a mane that is on the verge of bidding me adieu forever.
Price in India: Rs.60 for 100 ml
VNA Rating: 0/5 (My ruthless spree continues)
Where to Buy Online in India: amazon.in
Availability: Supermarkets and general cosmetic shop.
Conclusion: Ladies, I do not even need to tell those three magical words to you now (not those three words that you would want to hear from someone capable making your heart skip a beat…Ahem Ahem) Mine are different. Slightly. “TOSS INTO TRASH” With 77% mineral oil, artificial perfumes and coal tar dyes pumped into it, there is no nutritive value to this bajaj oil. It might be readily available but that doesn’t mean it would work wonders.
Alternatives to Bajaj Almond Drops Oil: Mineral oil does nothing beneficial to our mane, by any stretch of imagination. A better alternative would be to fry fenugreek seeds in VCO (Virgin coconut oil), strain the oil and then massage it when warm in case you wish to treat your tresses to the bounties of oiling. And oh! Massage your scalp with the virgin coconut oil and Fenugreek concoction when it is warm not hot else you won’t be left with any hair on your scalp in the first place! I know the last line sends chills down one’s spine but it’s better to be safe than sorry, isn’t it?
Read More:
Review, Price and Buy Online Moha Foot And Nail Cream At this point I might… Read More
Earlier this year I had this crazy idea to colour my hair bright pink. We… Read More
Review, Price, Buy Online Charmis Deep Radiance Face Serum with Vitamin C Vitamin C is… Read More
Review, Price, Buy Online Head & Shoulders Neem Anti Dandruff Shampoo I have this habit… Read More
Head & Shoulders Active Protect 2 in 1 Anti Dandruff Shampoo + Conditioner Review, Price,… Read More
Livogen Adult Tonic #RahoStrongIronStrong The past few months have been crazy, we can all agree… Read More
View Comments
This oil never gave any long term benefits. Of course the fact that it has so much mineral oil is a big turn off!
Absolutely right, Aastha. Sadly, people do not have the habit of reading the labels here in India especially when it comes to hair or skin care products. Just because it screams non sticky or is advertised by a renowned Bollywood actress, doesn't mean that it is the epitome of performance.
Also, almond oil (the pure, unprocessed one)is actually thick in texture while coconut oil is lightweight (VCO corroborates this finding) so, when they're marketing thimaoil as a non sticky oil, it's actually telling people overtly that hey what you're being sold is useless 😕
Anyway, enough of my rant now. Thanks for reading!
Thanks for sharing. Very well written post :)
Thanks a lot, Swathi 😁 Good to know that my ruthless streak finds takers on VNA 😄
Oh God my mom jus got a bottle of this... Used this before but 77% mineral oil dont feel like using this
Read the ingredients' list once at the backside, Amrutaa. It has 77% mineral oil. In fact, a common fact that most people do not know is that coconut oil is lightweight (Virgin coconut oil is the purest with least processing, that is why, it is "virgin") while almond oil is thick. I'd suggest you to look up a few virgin coconut oil brands online, preferably on Amazon. I have used KLF Nirmals virgin coconut oil. Try it once. It is pocket-friendly, roughly 250-300 INR for half a litre. You will yourself note the difference after one month of use :)
Thanks for sharing such great post. I have never liked this oil.
Hi -five, Megha 😄 This is so easily available in markets yet appallingly the ingredients' list is ignored.
When I was younger, I had tried this oil and it did nothing but cause a lot of hairfall. I had to stop within two or three uses. Sometime ago, I have been looking for pure almond oils when I took a look at this one. I had to immediately put it down because of the mineral oil content. For that matter, most of the 'lightweight' hairoils are full of mineral oils.
While mineral oils might not cause any problem for some, it did not agree with me.
Nice post.
Bang on, Nivedita. Mineral oil laden oils may not harm some but they wreak havoc for a great many. I'd recommend Almendrop Almond oil. It's a Spanish brand and has been introduced recently in the Indian market. I'm not aware of how easily it is available but if you're willing to switch over to any other oil, I'd recommed either Extra Virgin olive oil (any brand would do as long as it is vold pressed, extra virgin and comes in glass bottles) or virgin coconut oil 😊
I don't go for 'brands'. I look for which variant should be opted for.
Thanks Nidhal for sharing such an honest review.
I tried bajaj almond drops about 5 years back, for a while year and it simply did nothing..
My hair was very dry at that time and it failed miserably.
Can you please share your reviews on Patanjali badam roghan.. I really like this one though.. :)
Thanks,
Aditi
Eyeopener... And I watched Popoye too back then...: )
I have always loved it...love the glass bottle packaging, its perfumed fragrance...and the lightweight texture...I use it like a treat for my hair and mind really:D...has never damaged my hair...keeps them gently perfumed & moisturised...then again we are all different so can't blame someone for not liking it:)
Very nice blog and the articles you have compiled here are also very helpful and on point. Keep up the great work :)
I am not clear if it containns any almond oil at all.
77% MINERAL OIL-POSSIBLY CRUDE OIL DERICVATIVE IS A BIG NO NO.
I WILL RATHER SETTLE FOR SIMPLE COCONUT OIL.