It is referred to as "miracle oil" in Ayurveda and is used as a natural remedy for a variety of skin, hair, and health issues in order to enhance overall health and well-being. You can begin using coconut oil topically on your skin or hair, or you can eat it or swirl it around. Coconut oil is therefore a necessary component that every home needs.
Everyone wants to have manageable, healthy, and lustrous hair, and coconut oil makes that a reality.
In this post, we offer some helpful tips on using coconut oil to maintain a healthy scalp and hair. It is a powerful oil that deeply hydrates and nourishes your hair to promote faster hair development, avoid dandruff, detangle hair, and keep head lice away, among other benefits.
Reasons to Apply Coconut Oil for Gorgeous Hair:
Have a look at some of the best reasons to apply coconut oil on your hair for maintaining healthy hair. Let’s get started…
1. Deep Conditioner:
Coconut oil has rich content of medium chain fatty acids that helps this oil to penetrate deep into the hair and gets quickly absorbed by the scalp and hair shafts. So, this oil is an effective natural deep conditioner than other commercial chemical-based conditioners.
Coconut oil also helps to repair split ends by moisturizing the scalp and thereby make your tresses grow healthy. Here is the detailed process on how to use coconut oil as a leave-in treatment.
- Apply enough coconut oil (melted) on your hair and scalp thoroughly.
- Massage it gently on all over the hair and scalp.
- Wrap your hair in a shower cap or a small towel to make the oil well absorbed into the hair.
- Let it sit on your hair for as long as you can, remember the longer you leave coconut oil on the hair, the most effective will be the result.
- After that, wash your hair with mild shampoo and air dry your hair.
- Repeat the same process for 2 – 3 times a week on regular basis to get well moisturized and nourish hair.
Note: Or you can prepare deep conditioning hair mask by mixing coconut oil with honey and apple cider vinegar and apply it on the hair to clear residue, repair split ends and detangles on the scalp and hair.
2. Detangler:
Coconut oil can be used as a daily detangler, as people with curly or long hair will know how hard to deal with daily tangles and it is a daily battle. But the usage of coconut oil will help you to win this battle without losing your hair. This organic coconut oil will help to clear any residue or long-term damage to the tresses. Follow these simple steps to use coconut oil as your hair detangler.
- Take enough coconut oil and melt it.
- Apply this coconut oil on the scalp and hair and massage gently from roots of the hair to end.
- Let it sit for few minutes and then start combing your hair to gently work out tangles.
- Let the oil soak and then brush your hair to style it.
- Make sure that there is no need to rinse or shampoo your hair after using coconut oil as a detangler.
- Regular usage of coconut oil will help to nourish your hair and make it healthy.
3. Using Coconut Oil to Defeat Dandruff:
The longtime usage of chemical shampoos, styling products, conditioners, etc. may leave your hair itchy, flaky and dandruff. Dandruff is a common scalp disorder that caused due to yeast-like fungus, unhygienic hair care, dry or frizzy scalp, etc.
Don’t worry, you can easily clear these shedding of dead cells from the scalp with the help of coconut oil with its antifungal, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Simply apply coconut oil on the scalp and massage to leave it for overnight. In the next morning apply Epsom salt massage and rinse your hair.
4. As a Base of Hair Coloring:
We came to know that coconut oil penetrates deep and faster into the hair shafts rather than any other natural oils. This property of coconut oil will make it as an excellent base for mixing you all natural hair coloring. This oil makes your hair color to be more vibrant and thereby avoid it too quickly.
- Take enough coconut oil and melt it using a double boiler.
- Then mix coconut oil with your hair coloring herbs and apply it on the hair as you do regularly.
- Leave for few minutes till the color has set and rinse your hair with mild shampoo and lukewarm water.
- This process will remove excess oil and colorant on the hair.
- For best results, wrap your hair with a towel or shower cap to allow the color continue to set overnight.
- Continue doing the same process whenever you need to color your hair and want to stay for longer time.
5. Stimulate Healthy Hair Growth:
Using coconut oil is a natural and healthy way to enhance your hair grows in a longer, faster and thicker. The rich content of nutrients, vitamins, and essential fatty acids will help to nourish your scalp and also clear the sebum or scalp buildup from the hair follicles.
6. Protects Hair from Sun Damage:
We know that not only our skin but also the hair will be exposed to the environmental pollutants and other elements more than usual. Coconut oil works as an excellent natural sunscreen that helps to protect your hair from these harmful external pollutants.
For this, you have to apply coconut oil thoroughly on your hair and scalp and massage gently using your fingers and then brush your hair. Finally, style your hair, as usual, to prevent it from sun damage.
7. Styling Agent:
What you heard is right. Coconut oil acts as a great hair styling agent that makes your free from the dangerous conventional hair care products. The usage of hair dryers, hot rollers, flat irons or hair straighteners, curling irons, etc. will take out the moisture from the hair shafts and make it brittle and more prone to tangling.
Coconut oil helps to prevent this thermal damage and protect your hair from getting dried, frizz or tangles. All you need is to apply some coconut oil regularly to strengthen your hair and prevent from these damages.
8. Lice Prevention:
Women (especially children) will suffer more from these head lice. The tiny parasites will infect the scalp and hair and thereby leaves your scratching all the time until it cleared completely from the hair. The usage of coconut oil will loosen the grip of tiny parasites and thereby removes them while combing your hair.
You can use a combination of coconut oil and anise spray (or any other essential oils) to clear these lice and soothes your scalp from the itching and irritation.
Methods of Using Coconut Oil to Maintain Healthy Hair:
Here are few best methods that explain you on how to maintain a healthy hair by using coconut oil.
Method – 1: (For Dry or Damaged Hair)
- Pour few drops of sandalwood essential oil (or geranium oil) in coconut oil.
- Stir well and apply this oil mix as both leave – in and intensive hair conditioner treatment.
- Let it sit for few minutes to moisturize your hair and also increase the moisturizing and conditioning effects of coconut oil for healthy hair.
- Rinse your hair with mild shampoo and lukewarm water and dry your hair.
- Repeat the same process for once a week on regular basis to get rid of dry and damaged hair.
Method – 2: (Coconut Oil with Curry Leaves)
This combination is very effective in treating dry hair and dandruff.
- Melt some coconut oil and add few curry leaves in it.
- Stir well and boil it for few minutes until the curry leaves turn to brown in color and black residue starts to form.
- Then turn off the oil and apply lukewarm oil on your hair and scalp.
- Massage gently for few minutes and leave it for few hours to overnight.
- Rinse off in the morning with a mild shampoo and lukewarm water.
- Repeat the same process for twice a week regularly to maintain a healthy hair.
Method – 3: (Coconut Oil with Castor Oil)
This is an excellent combination that helps you to moisturize and nourish your hair to prevent dryness, itching, frizzy, head lice, dandruff and other scalp problems.
- Add few drops of castor oil in melted coconut oil and stir well.
- Apply this mix on the hair and scalp thoroughly.
- Massage gently for few minutes for the oil to get well absorbed into the hair.
- Then cover your hair with shower cap or warm towel and leave it for few hours to overnight.
- Finally, rinse your hair with shampoo and lukewarm water.
- Dry your hair and repeat the same oil application regularly to get rid of many hair and scalp related problems.
Note: Or simply boil 1 tablespoon of dried Indian gooseberry in 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and strain the oil. Let it cool for few minutes and apply it on the scalp. Massage and leave for overnight and rinse in the morning.
Suggestions:
- Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and prevent the hair from getting dried or brittle.
- Consume foods which are rich in healthy fats, vitamins, and mineral for not only to improve your health but also to maintain a healthy hair.
- Always use natural hair care products that include coconut oil hair care products instead of commercial chemical based hair products to protect your hair and make it shine naturally.
- Always use organic, virgin 100% pure coconut oil on your hair to grab the best benefits from it.
- You can also consume coconut oil to enhance healthy hair growth from inside the body and to have many more health benefits.
- Use hair care products which contain coconut oil as one of their main ingredients to get best results of maintaining healthy hair.
- Consult your hair care specialist if you’re still suffering from hair problems after using coconut oil for proper diagnose and treatment.
- Coconut oil is suitable for different types of hair but if you are first time user then make sure to do some patch test before using coconut oil for healthy hair.
- Never ever apply too much coconut oil on the scalp or hair, as it clogs the hair follicles and disturbs its growth. So, apply enough oil and massage well to get the oil well absorbed into the scalp for healthy hair growth.
Coconut oil is the best choice for those who want to maintain a healthy hair. Do you experience any benefits of using coconut oil on your hair? Then share your experience with us in the below comments box.
