When I was a little girl, my mother used to massage my scalp with coconut oil and braid my hair before bed every night. At the time, I thought that coconut oil only make my hair smell funny and excessively greasy.
Fast forward twenty years later and I am the one massaging coconut oil in my scalp and braiding my hair before bed (not every night, but at least once a week) AND I'm recommending it to all my clients!
Coconut oil is high in saturated fat, with some polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fat. All these fats contain a variety of amino acids and vitamins that are great for your skin and hair. You can use it to combat hair loss, to treat dandruff or dry scalp, to moisturize dry hair, and it may even help your hair grow faster. There is no other product out there that can do so much. The best part is that it is only $10, available at your local health food store, and you can do it yourself. Here is how you do it:
1) Coconut oil is solid at room temperature, so scoop some out into your hands and rub them together to liquify the product.
2) Starting at the nape of your neck, massage the oil into your scalp. Use more product as necessary to continue massaging your entire scalp, paying extra attention to places you may have excessive dryness or hair loss. USE YOUR FINGERTIPS to massage, not your fingernails!
3) Once your scalp is completely covered with the oil, you can use a fine toothed comb to work it through. If you have longer hair or are using the product as a conditioning treatment, apply some product to the ends of your hair and work it through.
4) The oil will solidify once again at room temperature. You may pull your hair into a braid if it is long enough.
5) The following morning, use a cleansing shampoo to get the product out. I like Aveda's Shampure shampoo because the aroma overtakes the coconut smell. You will have to shampoo twice and make sure you really build a lather to get out all the oil.
6) You can skip using a conditioner or if you prefer, you can use a light detangler on your hair. Dry and style as usual and notice the shine and fullness in your hair :)
