Taila
Taila (Sanskrit, "oil", from tila, sesame) is an Ayurvedic medicated oil: a base oil, usually sesame, slowly cooked with herbal pastes and decoctions, mostly for massage.
Taila means "oil" in Sanskrit, and in Ayurveda it usually means a medicated oil: a base oil, most often sesame, cooked for hours with a herbal paste and a herbal decoction until the water has evaporated and the oil has taken up the herbs. The plural is tailas; in Kerala the same word appears as thailam (as in Dhanwantharam thailam), and in Hindi everyday oil is tel.
Where the word comes from
Taila is derived from tila, sesame: literally "what comes from sesame". The word later came to mean any pressed oil, but sesame kept its status. The Charaka Samhita, in its chapter on oleation, names four main fatty substances (sneha): ghee, oil, animal fat and bone marrow, and ranks sesame oil first among oils. Its counterpart made with clarified butter is ghrita (medicated ghee).
How a taila is made
The classical method, sneha paka, is set out in texts such as the Sharngadhara Samhita. The usual proportions are one part herbal paste (kalka) to four parts oil and sixteen parts liquid (a decoction, milk or juice). The mixture is simmered until the liquid has gone and the paste can be rolled between the fingers. The texts distinguish degrees of cooking: a softer oil for nasal use (nasya) and a more thoroughly cooked one for massage.
Common tailas and their traditional uses
| Taila | Traditional use | Route |
|---|---|---|
| Plain sesame oil (tila taila) | Daily self-massage, feet, oil pulling | External, mouth |
| Mahanarayan taila | Stiff joints and tired muscles | External |
| Ksheerabala taila (with milk and bala) | Vata-soothing massage | External; some preparations for other routes under supervision |
| Anu taila | Nasal oiling in the morning | Nasal drops |
| Bhringaraj taila | Scalp and hair care | External |
These are traditional indications; very few tailas have been tested in controlled trials, and none should be presented as a treatment. The applied practices are covered in our guides to abhyanga self-massage, nasya and massage oils by dosha.
Related terms
Snehana (oleation as a therapy), abhyanga (oil massage), ghrita (medicated ghee), kalka (herbal paste), kashaya (decoction).
Practical cautions
Patch-test any new oil on the inside of the elbow for 24 hours; do not apply to broken or infected skin; avoid sesame-based oils if you have a sesame allergy. Do not put oil in the ear if the eardrum may be perforated, and do not take a taila by mouth without a qualified practitioner. In the US, massage oils are sold as cosmetics or supplements, not approved medicines, so check the ingredient list, base oil and manufacturer. Keep opened oils away from heat and light and discard them if they smell rancid. See our safety guide.