Make a Coconut Oil Hair Treatment

Have a couple of hours on your hand and want to make your tresses look fabulous? Make a coconut hair oil treatment. Coconut oil has been used for millennia in India and other parts of Asia as a hair treatment of choice. Used for grooming the hair and as a conditioner, it is known to add bounce and shine to dry and damaged hair. When combined with other essential oils, coconut oil can also make an excellent dandruff treatment. Studies have shown that coconut oil has the ability to penetrate the hair shaft and reduce protein loss as compared to other oils such as sunflower oil or mineral oil. In addition, it reduces breakage due to its strengthening effect on the tensile properties of hair. Remember to shampoo thoroughly, otherwise you will end up looking like you need a shower ASAP.

Here is what you’ll need.
• Virgin coconut oil
• 4 drops each of essential oils of lavender and geranium
• 4 drops of any two of these: essential oils of rosemary, cedarwood, tea tree, or neem
• Comb or brush
• A gentle shampoo

Here is what you should do:

1. Brush hair thoroughly and comb out all the tangles.
2. Scoop out some coconut oil into a cup. Put the cup in a pot with warm water to melt the oil gently. Even though coconut oil stays a liquid in tropical climates, it solidifies at room temperature in most of North America. It melts at around 76 degree Fahrenheit.
3. Add essential oils to enhance the treatment. A couple of drops of rosemary, neem, tea tree, or cedarwood essential oil added to the treatment help fight dandruff and encourage hair growth. A few drops of lavender and geranium essential oils will nourish dry hair and also have an added bonus of being a soothing and stress relieving treatment.
4. Pour some of the warm oil into hands and massage scalp for a few minutes. Coat hair thoroughly with the rest of the coconut oil in the cup.
5. Put on a shower cap, or just use some saran wrap to cover hair. Leave the hair treatment on overnight for very dry hair. For oily or normal hair, leave the treatment on for two hours.
6. Wash out hair with a gentle shampoo. You may have to shampoo your hair twice to get all the oil out. Skip using a post shampoo conditioner.

Tips:
• Buy a good quality coconut oil from a health food store. Use a virgin coconut oil that is made from fresh coconut meat rather than a refined coconut oil that has been stripped off its beneficial nutrients.
• When using the overnight treatment, sleep with a towel on the pillow to avoid staining the pillow case.

Sources:

• National Center for Biotechnology Information; Effect of mineral oil, sunflower oil, and coconut oil on prevention of hair damage. (Accessed, February 9, 2013)
• Hair Loss Revolution; Study Proves the Benefits of Coconut Oil for Hair Loss