DIY Coconut Oil Deep Conditioning Treatment

Dry and damaged hair can happen due to a number of reasons ranging from chemical treatment to heat exposure. When the cuticle layer is damaged the protective shield around the hair is broken exposing the hair's natural protein (keratin) to risk of depletion from washing and general styling.  This can then cause the hair to feel dry and become unmanageable.

Coconut Oil has a molecule small enough to filter inside the hair fibres and fill any gaps in the hair. Using a pure Coconut Oil on the hair can assist in recovering hair health and reversing dryness. 

It's important to understand that very damaged hair has been destroyed and cannot be salvaged, however if the hair is simply feeling dry a weekly treatment with Coconut Oil can make all the difference.

Pros for Coconut Oil Hair Treatments

Coconut Oil is a rich fatty substance that adds extreme moisture to the hair and can filter inside the hairs fibres and contribute to genuine hydration of the cortex (the hair's centre).

Cons for Coconut Oil Hair Treatments

It's unbelievably greasy, this is not a cosmetic composition - it's purely natural.  You must only use a very tiny amount (less than a teaspoon for long hair).  If you overload the hair with Coconut Oil it will become incredibly greasy and you may find this grease difficult to remove.

How to Give your Hair a Coconut Oil Treatment

1.  Firstly wash the hair in baby shampoo, do not use your regular shampoo as it may contain conditioning polymers (silicones) that cause the Coconut Oil to sit on the surface of the hair rather than penatrate it.

2.  Towel dry the hair and take a teaspoon sized amount of the Coconut Oil and rub vigorously in your palms to heat up, apply throughout the hair and comb through to the midlengths and ends.

3.  Wrap the hair in some cling film and leave for up to 1 hour.

4.  Before rinsing, take a small amount of baby shampoo and work through the hair, this will begin lifting the excess Coconut Oil from the hair.

Remember: oil and water do not mix so you may find if you just proceed if you trying to rinse the Coconut Oil out you may find much remains within the hair and leaves it greasy.  Working some Baby shampoo into the hair before rinsing will begin lifting the excess grease out of the hair.

5.  After working some baby shampoo through the hair, apply a very small amount of water and lather.  Once lathered proceed to rinsing and then give the hair one to two full washes with the baby shampoo.

6.  Do not condition the hair as it is not necessary.

If you you have applied too much Coconut Oil to the hair and it feels greasy, simply wait for the hair to dry and comb baby shampoo through it, leave for 10 minutes and rinse out.

Coconut Oil is an excellent weekly conditioning treatment for dry or naturally coarse, curly hair types.  Due to the small amounts of the oil required for use in each application one tub could last you well over a year.

I recommend Coconoil or you can visit Holland and Barratt for a selection ranging from £4 to £17.

If you have any questions on hair please leave me a comment on Facebook and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.