In brief: Asanavilwadi Thailam (also written Asana Vilwadi oil, Asanabilwadi Thailam, Asana Bilwadi Thailam or Asanavilwadi Keram) is a classical Ayurvedic oil for the head, named after its two lead plants: Asana, the heartwood of the Indian kino tree, Pterocarpus marsupium, and Vilwa, the bael tree, Aegle marmelos, called Bilva in Sanskrit. It is cited from the Sahasrayogam and belongs to the oils that the tradition uses for Shiroabhyanga, the oil massage of the scalp. This guide explains what Asanavilwadi Thailam is, how the classical texts describe it, how it is applied and how often, and which oils in the Art of Vedas range come closest.
What Asanavilwadi Thailam is and what the name means
The name joins two plants. Asana is the dense red heartwood of Pterocarpus marsupium, the Indian kino tree, also called Bijaka or Vijayasara in the classical texts. Vilwa is the Malayalam and Tamil form of Bilva, the bael tree, Aegle marmelos. The ending "adi" means "and the others": the oil is named after the two plants at the head of the recipe.
The v and the b of Asanavilwadi and Asanabilwadi are two ways of writing one Sanskrit letter; the preparation is the same. Asanavilwadi Keram names the version cooked into coconut oil, the usual form for the head, as against the sesame-based Thailam.
The classical description
Asanavilwadi Thailam is cited from the Sahasrayogam. The classical recipe names, among others, Asana heartwood and Bilva, which give the decoction, with a paste of further plants cooked into the oil by the Sneha Paka method: decoction, paste and oil are simmered slowly together until the water has gone. No herb count is given here, because the recipe differs slightly from text to text. Our complete guide to traditional Thailams describes the method and the base oils.
The same heartwood leads Asana Eladi Thailam, another head oil of the Sahasrayogam, cooked with the Eladi aromatics; Asanavilwadi Thailam is the one with Bilva.
Character in Ayurvedic terms
The classical texts describe Asana as astringent, bitter and light, and they describe coconut oil, the usual base, as cooling. The finished oil is described as a light head oil rather than a heavy or hot one, which is why the tradition names it among the oils for the regular care of the scalp.
How Asanavilwadi Thailam is used in practice
Asanavilwadi Thailam is used externally, on the head, as the oil for Shiroabhyanga. Warm a teaspoon or two by standing the closed bottle in a bowl of warm water; never use a microwave. Part the hair and apply the oil to the crown, then work it into the scalp with the fingertips in slow circles for five to ten minutes. Leave the oil on for at least half an hour, or overnight with a towel on the pillow, and wash the hair as usual. Once or twice a week is the usual rhythm. The full sequence is in our Abhyanga guide.
What Asanavilwadi Thailam is not
It is an oil for the scalp, not an Abhyanga oil for the limbs and joints. It is also not a product that promises hair growth. The classical texts describe it as part of the regular care of the scalp and hair, and that is how this guide describes it. Anyone concerned about their hair should speak to a doctor or a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner.
Who should ask first
Asanavilwadi Thailam is for external use only. Do a small skin test behind the ear or on the inner forearm before the first full application, keep the oil away from the eyes and do not apply it to broken skin. Anyone who reacts to coconut or sesame should check the declared list of any oil first. If you are pregnant, or wish to use any oil on a child, ask your doctor or a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner first.
Asanavilwadi Thailam and the Art of Vedas range
Art of Vedas does not currently offer Asanavilwadi Thailam or Asanavilwadi Keram. The closest oils in our range are the two classical head oils we carry: Neelibhringadi Thailam, with the leaf juices of indigo and Bhringaraj, Amla and liquorice cooked into sesame oil with coconut milk, and Brahmi Thailam, a cooling head oil of Brahmi leaf with liquorice root in sesame oil. Our oil comparison sets the head oils side by side.
