DIY Hair Treatment W/Coconut Oil

Coconut Oil Moisture Treatment

 by Lara  

We are all dying to have beautiful, healthy hair right? Hair can feel brittle with the dry winter air. Plus, looking our best for the holiday parties can do some serious heat damage to our lovely locks!

I have a cure; a secret that I stumbled on this year!

I have been using coconut oil in my personal skin care since I was 16. I use it on my kids as a replacement for lotion!  I knew it was good for cooking and skin, but I had no idea how GREAT it was for my hair as well!

In a desperate search to find a cure for my brittle hair, I came across a few articles recommending coconut oil as a moisture treatment. As I dug deeper I found that coconut oil is the oil our hair can absorb better than any other.  If you would like to read some great articles on the benefits of using coconut oil here are some of my favorites:
essentious.com
miracle-of-coconut-oil.com
coconutoilhair.org
Coconut oil is meant to be used as a “Pre-Washing” Moisture Treatment. I will walk you through the simple steps for giving your hair that pure moisture it is thirsting for!
All you need is:
Organic Virgin Coconut Oil (don’t forget you can score this for free over on Vitacost)
A Clip or Elastic
A Shower Cap
Hair Dryer (optional)

Scoop out a handful of organic virgin coconut oil. My hair is very thick and long so my scoop has to be extra big. The oil will begin to melt at the touch of your skin, there is no need to heat the oil before application. It will melt as you massage it into your hair.

Flip your head upside down and slowly spread the oil through your hair. Saturate your hair completely, focusing on areas that are dry.

Once your hair is soaked with oil, twist your hair into a bun or ponytail. You can clip it in place by grabbing some hair from your scalp and part of the bun, or use a hair tie to keep it in place.

Cover your hair with a shower cap. You can choose to apply heat or not. Applying heat will open the cuticle of each strand so the coconut oil can penetrate the core faster. Leave the coconut oil on your hair for at least 30 minutes without heat, or 15 minutes with heat. You can use a hair dryer to apply heat over the shower cap. I like to rig a little system so I can sit on the floor and read or play with my kids! If I am busy and need to do other things I will leave the oil on my hair without heat.
Once your time is up wash and condition your hair as you normally would. You may need to wash your hair twice to rinse away all of the oil. I really focus on my roots and try to shampoo my ends as little as needed. Style your hair and be amazed at your soft, smooth hair!

This treatment can be done as often or little as you feel you need. When I started this moisture treatment I applied it every time before I washed my hair. Now that my hair is in much better shape I apply it once a week. It has made a HUGE difference in the health of my hair. I have been able to grow it longer and stronger, which is the goal!
For more on coconut oil, where to purchase it from and it’s many uses; read Missy’s Favorite Secret Ingredient!
A few other tips I have discovered in caring for my hair:
-Use a t-shirt when drying your hair. They are soft and much less abrasive than a towel. Stick your head in hole of a Tee and twist the body and arms around your hair to make a turban. It will give you frizz free silky hair!
-If you want your hair to grow faster stimulate your scalp! Massage your  scalp for 5 minutes every day. It will increase the blood flow and help your hair grow faster!
-Use shampoos and conditioners that DO NOT contain harmful ingredients! Become familiar with the bad ingredients and make sure to check the labels before you make a purchase! Here is a great link for Hair Care Product Ingredients. The two ingredients that are most confusing: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laurth Sulfate. They are both really common in hair products. Soduim LAURYL sulfate is bad, bad bad! It strips your hair and damages the cuticle, it is a very strong detergent that should not be used for hair! The sad thing is, It is in a lot of shampoos. Sodium LAURTH sulfate is ok, it is very common in shampoos (even expensive brands), it is also a detergent, but much more mild. It is much safer on hair and is nothing harmful compared to it’s cousin Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.
Happy Hair!