I haven’t posted a single entry for over one month! You must be wondering what I’ve done during this prolonged period. Well, I’ve been quite stuck in different commitments. First, I joined an intensive course which made me unavailable for three hours (five if you count in the transport time) twice a week for an entire month. Then, I took on a temporary translation job to earn some extra bucks (that might help my next beauty haul!). That hasn’t count the time of catching up with friends, family, and my work. Writing? Didn’t think about it in the past months!
Well, it’s in this hectic style that I passed my birthday. I don’t know about you, but for me, my birthday makes me even keener on natural skincare. It’s no exaggeration. I live by it every single day, now that I find my skin is more vulnerable to the impact of aging. But apart from my skin, my hair is another important part of my body. For the past month, “how to better care my hair” has been one of my missions.
In my post regarding which oils can penetrate hair, I mentioned that coconut oil is one of the oils that can penetrate hair, and if used as a pre-wash conditioner, it can even protect damaged hair. But then, I’ve never tried it on my hair. How could I claim it to be true? You have to walk the walk to be convincing, right? So I decided to be the guinea pig myself and test how coconut oil can benefit my hair.
My Hair Profile
Okay, before I tell you how coconut oil works on my hair, let me give you a brief profile of my hair. I have a thick bunch of hair which is dry, coarse, and a bit rigid. The ends are badly damaged, because last time when I dyed my hair, I didn’t go through a treatment at the salon right after the dying. The ends of my hair are brittle with split-ends and white bulbs. The roots and the rest of my hair are about 40% better in look and feel.
My Experiment
I did my experiment at bedtime. Here are the steps I took:
1. Pour a small of coconut oil on your palm
2. Apply the oil evenly onto dry hair
3. Let the oil soak in for the night
4. Shampoo your hair the following morning as you normally do
5. Repeat this procedure every day for a week (I have dry hair, so that poses no problem for me)
This method is quick and convenient as it doesn’t require any tools, unless you count your fingers as one. And the trick in this experiment is that you need to keep a good control of the amount of oil you use. Apply too much, you will have to wash your hair twice in the morning to get rid of the oil. Apply too less, the oil may not work its way into your hair cuticles.
There might be one thing I do differently than others, which is I didn’t apply the oil on my scalp. I know that many said that for any oil to be effective on your hair, it should always be applied on your scalp, which is where your hair grows from. However, since I couldn’t figure out a way to apply the oil that isn’t time-consuming, I gave up the idea completely. But that’s only me. If you find a way to doing that quickly and effectively, let me know in the comment.
The Result
After using coconut oil on my hair for a week, I found my hair less rigid, not to mention it’s much softer in touch. In fact, after using it the first time, I already noticed the difference! That’s especially true for my crown. Apart from it, the curses of my hair is cascading in a softer way that is different from its previous clumpy look. I even find my hair more voluminous. However, disappointingly it didn’t work magic on my hair ends, where breakage, split ends, and white bulbs are common. In fact, it didn’t work at all until I made the effort to consciously apply more oil onto those parts that are most damaged. But it only made them softer in touch. The split-ends and white bulbs are still there.
In a Word
To answer the question “Can coconut oil help repair your damaged hair?,” I will give you a resounding “Yes.” However, it will depend on how damaged your hair is. If you are merely having rough texture like the top of my hair is, I think coconut oil can restore the softness you want when you use it on a regular basis. However, if you have split-ends and white bulbs, don’t expect coconut oil can help you get rid of them. The best way to saying goodbye to those unsightly strays is a haircut.
Last but not least, how coconut oil works for your hair also depends on your hair type, texture, the moisture it needs and how damaged it is.
Okay, now it’s your turn! Did you ever use coconut oil in your hair care routine? How does it work for you?
thank you for the info, I use another hair oil that works well too, it’s Pro Naturals Moroccan Argan Oil which protects the hair, makes it stronger and keeps it soft, shiny and healthy.
I love oil more than anything else on my hair! It really protects my hair from drying out in the day. I’m glad that you find the same to be true!!
oh, but, applying hair on the scalp doesn’t really take long either. just spread the oil on your palms by rubbing them together and apply it to the scalp!!!
it takes a bit of time.
if you do this regularly for like 6 months or so, you will definitely see an improvement in split ends also
Oh, really? I will try it when I do my over-night treatment!
I find that your blog has tons of things about hair care. It’s so inspiring!! Next, I’m going to try to incorporate essential oils into my regimen to see how it works.
thanks Amanda…yes, essential oils are awesome
you will love it for sure.
even I wanna try out argan oil!!!
Thanks for sharing! I actually prefer argan oil instead of coconut oil because it has more benefits and it’s super light on my hair, not greasy. I use Pro Naturals Moroccan Argan Oil hair treatment instead and my hair is shinier, healthier and stronger
Is it an coincidence or what? Two readers mention the same argan oil product! Maybe it tells something about the effectiveness of it?
Make that 3 readers!
I too use Argan oil. In fact, it has replaced regular conditioner totally in my haircare. It’s so much more effective than conditioner for making my hair super soft & smooth..so smooth that I can’t use it every day, as my hair is short and if it becomes too silky, the layered cut looks limp. I don’t even leave it in, I just apply a drop or two after rinsing off my shampoo, and rinse off after a few minutes. It still works. I don’t know whether it’ll help split ends though, as I never get any (hair cut monthly) Argan oil is versatile..can also be used for face & body. Used as facial oil, it imparts a luminous quality to the face 
Oh, really? Looks like it’s another magic oil other than coconut oil. Definitely need to try it some time later. Well, but too bad I just bought a new bottle of coconut oil
You’ve been gone for a long time! LOL!
Anyway, been experimenting with coconut oil recently, too. And I would have to agree with you — it does “repair” the hair. The only problem is that it takes at least 3 days after application to see the full result because you’d have to bear looking like a greaseball first. It takes ages to wash off, especially with naturally-formulated shampoos.
I applied way too much (out of greed) coconut oil the first time I tried it, and yes, my hair turned to a greaseball after that. It took me two days to solve the problem, because my shampoo wasn’t as foamy to wash the excess off my hair… Lesson learned: don’t overdo. Now, I’m taking Swati’s advice to apply oil on my scalp by using my fingers. I find it’s much better this way.
I love coconut oil for my hair too!! My mom used to put it in my hair as a kid but for some reason I stopped using it in my late teens … then a few weeks ago when my hair felt really dry and damaged, I remembered how nice it was on my hair and I started using it again! It really is an awesome deep conditioner! I wrote about it on my blog too … If you would like, you can check it out here:) http://www.flutterandpout.com/everything-hair/how-i-deep-condition-my-hair-naturally/
So I’ve used the oil last night, and I will be for around a week, maybe longer… Anyway I’m already loving how easy it is to apply. Before I was using EVOO and vitamin E oil, it was a MASSIVE pain to apply this liquid oil to my hair.. I made a horrible mess every time! But coconut oil, WOW! It’s solid when stored in the fridge so I easily scoop some out and apply it to my hair.. Then when I massage it in a lil, the heat of my hands melts it right up, so easy!! In love ^_^
Hi, Victoria
I’m glad that you come to love this oil! Vitamin E oil may be too thick to apply on our hair.
I love coconut oil! Why haven’t I used it sooner? My hair is dry and damaged (by Keratin treatments, and heat) and had been breaking off, some even 5 inches from my scalp. I was so sad because my hair is long and I used to have really nice hair, as people commented frequently. I am happy to report that the coconut oil has made my damaged dry ends soft and manageable again! I have used the Moroccan oil, and still like it, but for repair the coconut oil is a miracle!
Hi, Keeko
I’m glad you find coconut oil amazing!!! I love coconut oil myself as well!!!
When the ends of your hair are bushy, frizzy, and won’t be tamed by anything, that means they need to be trimmed. That’s all. Time for a haircut!
Hi, Sabrina
Yeah! You are absolutely right!! And I do think a haircut is what I need this weekend! But before I do, I will use my argan oil to keep my mane in order.