I love cooking with coconut oil for it’s healthful benefits, but I never thought of using it as a hair moisturizer until I read Dr. Mercola‘s suggestion to do so. He recommends applying the coconut oil on dry hair as a pre-wash treatment. When the hair gets wet, it expands and absorbs the saturated fat, retaining moisture for longer.
Dry, fly-away hair has plagued me for most of my life. In high school some called me “Frizzy Lizzie,” and it was for good reason. In an attempt to control the frizzies, I’ve long been a fan of oil treatments and have used almond oil, rosemary oil, avocado oil, and even hot olive oil on my hair, not to mention commercial products like Alberto VO5 Hot Oil Treatment. I decided to give the coconut oil a try. I used enough coconut oil — emulsified between my palms in small batches — to saturate my dry hair, and rubbed it into my scalp as well, then rinsed it out in the shower and finished with my regular conditioner.
I got a lot of compliments on my hair that day, even though I did not style it at all. It did feel like the hair held onto the coconut oil longer than it does with other oils, and I liked the silky effect on my curls. The hair did feel weightier, which is a desirable effect for me — maybe that was from the hair shaft absorbing the oil? My curls also stayed intact well throughout the day and my hair felt soft rather than stiff and crunchy, like with some hair products.
You can also use coconut oil as a styling lotion for setting hair.
