Triphaladi Thailam
Triphaladi Thailam is a classical Ayurvedic taila, a medicated oil. Listed in Ayurvedic Formulary of India (AFI). Sahasrayogam (Taila Prakarana). Available as both Triphaladi Thailam (sesame oil base) and Triphaladi Kera Thailam (coconut oil base). The Ayurvedic Formulary of India (Part I, entry 8:21) lists 38 ingredients, beginning with Haritaki, Bibhitaka, Amalaki and Amrtavalli.
| Also known as | Triphaladi Thailam, TriphaladiThailam |
|---|---|
| Pharmacopoeia status | Listed in Ayurvedic Formulary of India (AFI). Primary reference in Sahasrayogam. Both sesame oil and coconut oil variants are recognized. Manufactured by licensed Ayurvedic pharmacies (Kottakkal, AVP, Nagarjuna) under GMP standards. |
Composition
As given in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, entry 8:21 (TRIPHALADI TAILA), which cites Sahasrayoga, Tailaprakarana; 44.. Names, parts and quantities are transcribed as printed and checked row by row against the book. Manufacturers' versions of a classical formulation can differ from the formulary.
| # | Ingredient | Part | Quantity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Haritaki | pericarp | 341.33 g. |
| 2 | Bibhitaka | pericarp | 341.33 g. |
| 3 | Amalaki * | 341.33 g. | |
| 4 | Amrtavalli (guduci) * | stem | 341.33 g. |
| 5 | Ketaki | root | 341.33 g. |
| 6 | Asanaka (asana) | heart wood | 341.33 g. |
| 7 | Bala * | 341.33 g. | |
| 8 | Eranda * | 341.33 g. | |
| 9 | Indravalli | root | 341.33 g. |
| 10 | Water for decoction, reduced to * | 12.288 l., reduced to [illegible] | |
| 11 | Tekaraja Svarasa (bhrngaraja) * | 786 ml. | |
| 12 | Hatha svarasa (amalaki) * | pericarp | 768 ml. |
| 13 | Taila (tila) | oil | 768 g. |
| 14 | Ksira (go dugdha) * | 1.536 l. | |
| 15 | Kustha | root | 8 g. |
| 16 | Yastyahva (yasti) | root | 8 g. |
| 17 | Padmaka | heart wood | 8 g. |
| 18 | Usira | root | 8 g. |
| 19 | Candana (rakta candana) * | heart wood | 8 g. |
| 20 | Musta | rhizome | 8 g. |
| 21 | Ela (suksmaila) * | seed | 8 g. |
| 22 | Patra (tejapatra) | leaf | 8 g. |
| 23 | Mamsi (jatamamsi) * | illegible | |
| 24 | Hayagandha (asvagandha) | root | 8 g. |
| 25 | Bala * | root | 8 g. |
| 26 | Amrta (guduci) * | stem | 8 g. |
| 27 | Sariva (sveta sariva) | root | 8 g. |
| 28 | Amara kastha (devadaru) | heart wood | 8 g. |
| 29 | Lavanga | flower bud | 8 g. |
| 30 | Nata (tagara) * | Rt./Rz. | 8 g. |
| 31 | Coraka * | rhizome | 8 g. |
| 32 | Sveta kamala (kamala) * | 8 g. | |
| 33 | Rakta kamala (kamala) * | flower | 8 g. |
| 34 | Kumuda * | flower | 8 g. |
| 35 | Kalhara (kumuda) * | 8 g. | |
| 36 | Padma * | flower | 8 g. |
| 37 | Anjana (daruharidra) | St. Ext. | 8 g. |
| 38 | Nili * | leaf | 8 g. |
Cells marked illegible are damaged in the source scan. The ingredient name is shown where it was readable, and nothing is inferred to fill a gap.
* The scanned text was damaged at this row and the name was read from the entry's own Sanskrit verse.
Names and identification
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| English | Triphaladi Thailam |
Where is it described in the classical texts?
Sahasrayogam (Taila Prakarana). Available as both Triphaladi Thailam (sesame oil base) and Triphaladi Kera Thailam (coconut oil base). Referenced for head-related disorders (Shiro Roga) in Kerala Ayurvedic tradition.
How does it work?
- Gallic acid and chebulagic acid from Triphala have reported antioxidant activity
- Guduchi’s (Tinospora) berberine and tinosporine are reported to have anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activity
- Pterostilbene from Asanaka (Pterocarpus marsupium) has been reported in pharmacological studies to show retinal neuroprotective activity, relevant to eye disorders (Netra Roga)
- Volatile compounds from Ketaki (Pandanus) provide cooling and calming effects on the scalp and head region through transdermal absorption during Shiro Abhyanga (head massage)
Which traditional uses are supported by research?
These summaries come from the source notes, which do not name the studies behind them.
- Chronic headache and migraine (Shirahshula): traditionally used for chronic headache, given as Nasya. Clinical observations have reported patient improvement with Nasya administration.
- Eye disorders and visual fatigue (Netra Roga): traditionally used for eye disorders and visual fatigue. Pharmacological studies have reported retinal neuroprotective activity for pterostilbene from Asanaka, and antioxidant action of Triphala on optic tissue.
- Premature hair greying and hair fall: traditionally used for premature greying and hair fall. Triphala has been reported to have antioxidant activity. Amla is traditionally used to strengthen hair by nourishing the follicles.
What do recent studies show?
No study for this section could be traced to a published paper. Classical formulations are researched largely in journals that PubMed does not index, so an absence here reflects the reach of the index rather than the state of the evidence.
Recent safety updates
- Generally safe for external application on scalp and head. Avoid direct contact with eyes. For Nasya use, administer under practitioner guidance. Mild temporary heaviness in the head may occur after application - this typically resolves within 30 minutes.
- Not well-studied in large-scale clinical trials. Citrullus colocynthis (Indravalli) is a potent herb - should not be used internally without practitioner supervision. Avoid during acute fever or headache with vomiting. Patch test recommended for scalp application in sensitive individuals.
What is it made of?
The Ayurvedic Formulary of India recipe, every ingredient with its part and quantity, is in the composition table near the top of this page.
Dosage forms and preparation
Dosage Forms: Thailam (medicated sesame oil, or coconut oil base as Triphaladi Kera Thailam), External application
Standard Dosage: External application (Shiro Abhyanga) or Nasya, as directed by a practitioner
Optimal Timing: External: before bath or at bedtime
Storage: Airtight amber glass/HDPE container, room temperature, protected from light
Marker Compounds: Gallic acid, Glycyrrhizin
Vehicle (Anupana): External: massage into affected area
Synergistic Combinations
- Key herbs: Triphala, Yashtimadhu for eye health; oil base acts as lipid carrier for enhanced tissue penetration
What manufacturers publish about this preparation
Disclosure first. This site is published by Age Ayurveda, which sells Ayurvedic products, though not this preparation. Every cell states what that company's own product page carried when it was read, not our judgement of it. There is no score, no rank and no winner here, and the table is in alphabetical order for that reason.
The formulary entry above fixes the ingredients and the quantity of each. Whether you can check a particular product against it depends on what its manufacturer publishes. Of the 3 companies surveyed that sell a product under this name, this is what their pages carried when they were read on 8 October 2026.
| Company | What its product page publishes |
|---|---|
| Kerala Ayurveda | Neither an ingredient list nor quantities |
| Patanjali Ayurved | Ingredients and the quantity of each |
| Sitaram Ayurveda | Neither an ingredient list nor quantities |
This measures what each company publishes, not the quality of anything it makes. A company that publishes nothing here may make an excellent preparation, and the label in the box is a separate, regulated surface that is not what was read. What disclosure changes is whether a reader, a pharmacist or an answer engine can check a product against the formulary entry it claims.
Method, the full counts across every company surveyed, and what this measurement got wrong the first time: which manufacturers publish what is in the bottle. The URL of every page read is recorded in brand-disclosure.json. If a row here is wrong, including where the correction favours a company other than ours, tell us and we will fix it and say that we did. How the same companies' stated doses compare with the formulary dose, preparation by preparation: Ayurvedic company doses against the Ayurvedic Formulary of India.
Reviewed by Dr. Awadesh Pratap Singh, BAMS, on 11 October 2026. What that review covered.
Consult a qualified vaidya before acting on anything here. Ayurvedic practice is prescribed to a person, not to a condition: the same dravya is given, withheld or substituted depending on your constitution, your agni, the season and what else you are already taking. A page cannot know any of that. Self-prescribing from a reference is how the wrong preparation, the wrong dose or the wrong anupana gets used.
Educational reference only. Nothing on this page is medical advice, a diagnosis, or a recommendation to take anything. Traditional uses and research findings are reported as published, not as claims about what any product does. If you take prescribed medication, raise any interaction with the prescriber rather than acting on a page. See our editorial standards.