Coconut oil for hair: all the uses for a top hair!
Coconut oil, obtained by squeezing the dried pulp of coconut, has extraordinary properties that make it an ideal product not only for use in the kitchen, but also for our personal beauty.
In addition to being a fundamental ingredient in treatments for face and body skin, Cocos nucifera oil - this is its scientific name - also acts as an excellent natural remedy for hair care: rich in saturated fats - such as acid lauric and caprylic acid - antioxidants and vitamins, in particular Vitamin E, are particularly useful for strengthening hair, nourishing and moisturizing it, helping to make it softer and shinier.
Before proceeding further, here are some useful tips to adopt in our beauty routine to always show off a strong and healthy hair.
The various types of coconut oil: which one to choose?
Coconut oil is commercially available in several forms: cold pressed, pure, organic, virgin and extra virgin, refined and unrefined.
In addition, it can be found in blends, oils and hair products, such as shampoos, conditioners, masks, straightening sprays and other preparations for styling and brushing. There is no doubt, however, that its best use is guaranteed by oil. pure organic unrefined coconut, because being untreated, it keeps all its virtues intact.
It is also useful to know that solidifying around 15 ° -20 ° C, in the winter or particularly cold period, it must be heated so that it can be used simply and effectively as a hair pack or mask.
The main benefits of coconut oil on hair
As previously mentioned, coconut oil lends itself to a rich and varied use in the beauty field, thanks above all to its nourishing and emollient properties that make it a highly appreciated and indispensable ingredient in many formulas and solutions of proven effectiveness. , is a natural remedy particularly useful in the care of the skin of the face and body, because it can guarantee hydration, nourishment and a velvety and luminous appearance. It is in fact often present in skincare products or for the body: from various types of creams from masks, scrubs and exfoliants to beauty oils, all ideal products to soothe, moisturize and nourish the skin in a proper way.
But now let's see specifically what are the main benefits that this product with a thousand virtues is able to bring to our hair:
- hydrates and nourishes
- detangles the hair and gives it softness
- makes them bright
- prevents the appearance of split ends
- it soothes sensitive, irritated or peeling scalp, helping to restore the correct hydrolipidic film.
How to use it? All the most effective beauty uses
After having seen the extraordinary virtues it enjoys and the main advantages it is able to give to our hair, here are specifically all the uses of beauty in which it can be used easily and with great effectiveness.
1. Pre-shampoo pack ideal for dry hair
One of its most common uses in the field of haircare is as a pre-shampoo pack, especially for those who have fine, fragile and dry hair. Often it is also offered in combination with linseed oil, another natural and valuable ingredient. widely used. For this specific use, it would be best to opt for pure organic coconut oil.
Just apply it all over the hair, from the scalp to the lengths, and let it act for about half an hour.
If your hair is particularly dry or damaged, you can also keep it on for 2 hours or overnight. However, avoid exceeding eight hours, otherwise your skin will become excessively greasy and it will be difficult to remove the product completely. At this point, you can proceed with the shampoo: choose a delicate but effective product and make sure to wash the skin well to remove any residual oil.
2. The best use for oily hair
However, the treatment just described is not recommended for those with oily hair, because it would weigh down an already particularly impure skin: in these cases, in fact, it should be used as a simple conditioner and applied only on the tips and lengths after shampooing, leaving it to act for 3-5 minutes.
It will therefore act as an emollient oil with a restructuring and moisturizing power especially indicated to reignify and soften the lengths, making them silky and bright.
3. Restructuring masks for hair
This ingredient is also suitable as a base for restructuring and moisturizing masks suitable for all hair types, especially for those that are brittle, weakened and damaged.
Here are two particularly effective and easy to make.
Mask with coconut oil, honey and yogurt
Combined with honey and yogurt, both ingredients with soothing and emollient virtues, it creates a highly effective restructuring mask.
Take care to choose it in the purest version, virgin or extra virgin, so as to be sure that it keeps all its main properties intact.
The recipe includes 3 tablespoons of coconut oil, 2 of honey and one of yogurt, to make the mixture softer and facilitate its application on the hair.
In case of greasy hair, also add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, with astringent and detoxifying power, so as not to weigh everything down and reduce the oily effect.
Mask with coconut oil, honey, egg and lemon
Another recommended recipe is the one that sees the mix of coconut oil, honey, an egg yolk and a few drops of lemon juice: the combination of these virtuous ingredients, in addition to softening the hair and moisturizing it adequately, they also emphasize the natural brightness.
For both beauty treatments, apply with care and wait 15-20 minutes at least.
4. Anti-frizz treatment
This oil also has the great benefit of reducing frizz, thanks to its ability to significantly reduce the porosity of the hair. This is in fact the main cause of frizzy hair.
To make it effective, just apply 4-5 drops to damp hair; do it just before you have completely finished drying with the hair dryer: start from the middle of the neck and go down to the tips, without going up to the root, then, untangle the affected area with a wide-toothed comb and finish drying.
In this way, the oil will create a natural barrier against moisture, preventing the hair from becoming frizzy.
5. Straightening product for the hair
It can also be used as a straightener: at the end of the crease, then with completely dry hair, apply a small amount over the entire length, avoiding reaching the root.
By doing so, you will obtain a more defined styling and you will easily keep at bay the unpleasant puffy effect that is often created due to excessive humidity.
6. Polishing treatment
In this case, act before proceeding with the fold: then apply it only on the slightly damp ends and lengths and then start with the drying with a hairdryer, taking care not to keep it too attached to the hair or to use it at too strong an intensity. . This will give your hair a healthier and shinier look.
7. Hair loss treatment
Being rich in essential amino acids, vitamin E - particularly useful for promoting hair regrowth, lauric and caprylic acid, coconut oil is also an excellent natural remedy against hair loss.
You can make a compress, combining it with sage leaves.
Boil the latter in a little coconut oil, let everything cool slightly and apply it on the scalp, waiting about 15 minutes. You can also store the mixture in a jar and use it as a mask once or twice a month.
Another effective natural anti-hair loss method is represented by a mask based on coconut oil and lemon juice, a mix rich in benefits that favors the microcirculation of the scalp, facilitating the flow of blood to the hair bulb and counteracting it. effectively the fall. This compound is also particularly suitable for those with oily skin, thanks to the extraordinary detox and astringent properties of lemon.
