6 Benefits of Coconut Oil for Beautiful Hair
Coconut oil is an amazing natural treatment for beautiful hair! It’s rich in vitamins and fatty acids that nourish the hair, can promote growth, and more.
Coconut oil is widely known as a cure-all for everything these days! From topical treatments like moisturizing your skin to internal uses like oil pulling, cooking at high heat and in baked goods, and using coconut oil for strong beautiful hair, coconut oil can basically do anything.
As someone with Hashimoto’s disease who has suffered hair loss and damaged hair from the autoimmune thyroid disease, I’ve tried my fair share of natural hair masks, rinses, and treatments to regain strong hair. Though an overall healthy diet and lifestyle have helped tremendously with healing my health and hair, coconut oil is another amazing strategy for beautiful hair, with so many benefits and uses!
First, does coconut oil work for everyone?
There is a myriad of different hair types and not all of them will work well with coconut oil treatments. It’s always best to listen to your own body and go slow with any new treatment. Go slow, and use small amounts at a time to test how your hair tolerates it.
A great complimentary treatment to using coconut oil would be an apple cider vinegar hair rinse, as it will help remove excess build up if you find coconut oil to be too much for your hair!
And of course, if you have an allergy to coconut you’ll want to refrain from using any of these treatments.
What are the benefits of coconut oil?
It’s nourishing and moisturizing
Coconut oil is a healthy fat that is very moisturizing to the skin, and hair, and as well as a great cooking fat.
It’s antimicrobial
Coconut oil can fight harmful microorganisms which are particularly helpful for the skin, or hair and scalp, and even the balance of our gut bacteria when ingested.
It’s nutrient dense
Because it’s rich in fatty acids, coconut oil provides valuable nutrients when used topically or internally.
Coconut oil can reduce inflammation
A 2014 study where rats were fed different varieties of oils had shown coconut oil to be the most anti-inflammatory! It’s rich in antioxidants which reduces inflammation in the body when ingested and can calm inflammation on the skin and the hair.
It can be used for a myriad of different hair treatments…
Coconut oil can help hair growth, deep conditioning, sun protection, and can eliminate dandruff and lice!
Coconut Oil For Hair Benefits & How To Use Coconut oil for Beautiful Hair
Coconut oil for hair growth
As someone who has struggled with hair loss with my Hashimoto’s disease, I wish I would have known about using coconut oil for hair growth years ago. Changing my diet and lifestyle, and consuming more healthy fat like coconut oil did help me eventually regrow my hair. Though adding coconut oil to your diet may be an effective strategy, using it topically can potentially help as well! Here’s what you do…
- Scoop about 1 tbsp of coconut oil at a time into to your hands, and rub the oil together to melt if solid. Work the coconut oil into your roots to stimulate growth, and towards the base of your hair to nourish. Use about 4-5 tbsp of coconut total or as much as is needed to coat your hair well.
- Use a shower cap, towel, or a secure hairpin to put up your hair. Keep in mind a hair tie will absorb the oil.
- Leave the coconut oil overnight, or for 3-4 hours to allow to set.
- Shampoo and condition your hair well (potentially using an apple cider vinegar rinse to remove excess oil if necessary) and dry.
- Repeat 1-2x weekly to nourish the hair.
It’s important to remember that topical treatments like coconut oil can potentially help, but getting to the root cause of what is really causing the hair growth is always the most effective strategy for halting hair loss.
Coconut oil for deep conditioning and moisturizing
Coconut oil has been proven in this 2003 study to nourish damaged hair better than other oils. It leaves your hair beautiful, soft and shiny, and is great for nourishing and moisturizing hair that’s damaged, or just needs a little extra love.
Follow the instructions above or watch the video below to deep condition your hair about once a week, or more or less depending on how much your hair needs the conditioning.
Coconut oil for detangling
As someone with long and naturally wavy hair, I’ve struggled with my fair share of tough tangles! Brushing your hair through tough tangles don’t just hurt, but it really damages your hair. Coconut oil lubricates the hair to make it smooth, shiny and helps to easily detangle without any pulling. Here’s how you do it…
- Rub 1-2 tbsp of coconut oil in your hands until melted.
- Work the coconut oil into the ends of your hair, focusing on any tangles. Carefully use your fingers to run your hands through the tangles to loosen them.
- Brush your hair and enjoy tangle free hair! Use a dry shampoo to remove any excess oil to go about your day, or wash your hair well to remove excess oil.
Coconut oil for dandruff reduction
If you’ve ever had dandruff, you’ll know that it’s very inconvenient and very annoying! I started struggling with dandruff in my early teens and was desperate for relief. Dandruff can be triggered by hormonal imbalance, inclement weather, products that don’t work well for your hair, and more.
To use coconut oil for dandruff reduction, use a tablespoon of melted coconut oil on your hair once a week, focusing on your scalp to help reduce dandruff and nourish the scalp.
Coconut oil for sun protection
Though getting a good amount of Vitamin D is perfectly healthy, it can be too much a good thing. We’re used to using sunscreen on our skin and sometimes may use a hat to protect our scalp. However, our hair is also prone to sun damage.
If you plan to spend time in direct sunlight, use a very small amount of melted coconut oil as a leave-in condition to protect your hair from sun damage.
Coconut oil to eliminate lice
Lice are incredibly inconvenient, and coconut oil has been shown to help eliminate lice. Though other treatments may be more effective in killing lice in one blow, they’re also more toxic and pose more risk for inflammation and exposure to harmful chemicals.
Coconut oil may take more than one try to full eliminate lice, but it is far more natural and nourishing than the over the counter alternatives. Here’s how to do it…
- Wash your hair with warm water and allow it to dry to where it’s damp.
- Massage several tablespoons of melted coconut oil into your hair, focusing mostly on the scalp and the roots.
- Place a shower cap on your head and allow to set for 8 hours or overnight.
- Use a fine tooth comb to remove any dead lice from your hair.
- Repeat if necessary, using an apple cider vinegar rinse between treatments.
I hope you love and use these easy DIY treatments! What’s your favorite way to use coconut oil?
I add a tsp to my cup of coffee.
Yum! Love it! 🙂
I use coconut oil to remove my mascara!