Other women I spoke to, like Devika, think the viral nature of hair oiling will be great for South Asian teens, who may feel less alone as a result. But others asked why it’s only cool when white people gentrify it. “If you buy the stupid expensive ‘virgin coconut oil’ from brands like Coco & Eve, that’s a nice treatment,” said Mignonne, adding that it isn’t deemed as luxe if you use a cooking oil, for instance. Priyanka has experienced similar ignorance. “When my white friends would ask what I’d do to help with my hair, I would tell them that I put Amla oil or coconut oil in it. Now people say that they saw it on TikTok.”
