Coconut oil is a natural product that is used to care for hair and overly sensitive skin. The product has moisturizing and nourishing qualities. The correct and systematic use of coconut oil helps restore hair structure, restores softness and natural shine.
Kinds of Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is a processed product in nature. Oil itself does not grow on a tree; it is extracted from coconut. Consequently, the only natural coconut oil is inside the fresh coconut just taken from the tree.
Depending on the technical processing of the product, coconut oil can be of different types.
Refined (refined coconut oil). It is obtained by squeezing the pulp of a nut. Further, by means of hot pressing, oil is extracted from it. To obtain pure raw materials use special bleaching clay. Sodium hydroxide is added to increase shelf life.
Unrefined (unrefined coconut oil). It is obtained by drying fresh coconut pulp and subsequent cold pressing. After that, coconut oil is squeezed from the pulp of the nut and boiled with the addition of enzymes. This helps preserve the beneficial properties of the product without adding chemical additives.
Coconut butter paste. This species is a high fat coconut pulp puree. However, most often it is used for cooking culinary delights, and not as a cosmetic product.
As a rule, the processed product can be purchased in specialized stores of organic or home cosmetics, pharmacies, online stores or hypermarkets.
It is more profitable to buy the product in countries where coconuts grow, in tropical and subtropical areas. Some of the most popular coconut oil producers are Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, India and Sri Lanka. Buying coconut oil in these countries is much more profitable than in domestic stores.
It is recommended that you buy unrefined coconut oil that is labeled with “virgin” or “virgin oil”. It is in such cases that you can achieve maximum benefits for hair.
The average cost of coconut oil in a pharmacy is from 200 to 1500 rubles. The price category depends on the manufacturer, quality and volume. You should not buy cheap goods, as, most likely, it does not include a natural oily product from coconut. When choosing a product, carefully study the label, country of manufacture and other important information.
Benefit
Coconut oil is half composed of lauric acid, which is considered a natural antiseptic. Hyaluronic acid, which is part of the chemical composition of the product, gives it moisturizing properties. Also includes vitamins of groups A and E, caproic, palmitic, linolenic, stearic, arachidonic acids.Saturated fatty acid triglycerides help coconut oil safely penetrate deep into the scalp and hair structure.
The benefits of coconut oil for hair:
- Effectively nourishes. The tool is considered a natural mask for all types of hair, which eliminates excessive dryness of curls and restores split ends;
- Moisturizes. Coconut oil helps to cope with various injuries, for example, after staining, perming, regular use of a hair dryer, ploes, etc. It also accelerates hair growth, combats baldness, makes hair smooth and silky;
- Disinfects. Coconut has always been considered a natural antiseptic. It helps get rid of dandruff, seborrhea and itching;
- It protects well. Ultraviolet sunlight, sudden changes in temperature and other external factors negatively affect the structure and general condition of the hair. Even cosmetologists recommend taking a jar of coconut oil with you on vacation. With it, you will not only protect your hair, face and body from burns, but also do not let the skin and hairline dry out.
Regular use of coconut oil creates a protective layer on the scalp that prevents swelling of the fibers.
Ways to use Coconut Hair Oil
To achieve the desired result, it is very important to know how to use coconut oil. The tool can be used both in pure form or in combination with other ethers or natural components. Coconut oil is applied evenly along the entire length of the hair, retreating from the roots about 3-5 centimeters.
You can distribute the product by hand or with the help of a comb-comb, but with rare teeth. As a rule, a hair mask with coconut oil is held for 30 minutes. However, some girls, for greater assimilation of nutrients, leave oil on their hair all night.
General recommendations for the use of coconut oil:
- Owners of oily hair should reduce the duration of exposure to the mask - no more than 20 minutes;
- When applying the product, the head must be wrapped with cling film or heated with a hairdryer. This is necessary so that the oil penetrates the hair structure as deep as possible;
- First, the mask is washed off with warm water, only after that shampoo is used.
The beneficial properties of coconut oil are best manifested in combination with burdock, olive, peach and almond oil.
In pure form
Pure coconut oil in its pure form is easy. The product can be added to your shampoo or balm. To strengthen weakened or damaged hair follicles, only refined oil is used. Regular use of the product in its pure form will strengthen the hair, make it more elastic.
How to use pure coconut oil for hair:
- Heat the product in a water bath to 55-60 degrees (use of a microwave oven is contraindicated);
- Use your fingertips to type the product;
- Rub in circular motions into the hair roots for 15-20 minutes;
- Evenly distribute coconut oil through the hair, without missing dry areas;
- Pay special attention to split and brittle tips;
- Wrap your head in cling film, and then wrap it in something warm;
- The first treatment procedure can last for 2-3 hours. Each time, the duration of the procedure can be reduced;
- Rinse your hair thoroughly with warm water and then wash in the usual way.
The strands should be unwashed, but not too greasy. Ideal to apply a similar hair mask for 2-3 days after shampooing.
As part of the masks
Coconut oil beneficially interacts with all components, especially with other natural oils. Unrefined is best suited for making hair masks. You can enhance the effect of the mask if you add a few drops of coconut essential oil to the mixture.
Basically, the formulation of masks is carried out based on medium-length hair - the number of components, not their proportion, varies depending on the length of the hair. Coconut oil masks for hair are usually made no more than a month with intervals between procedures of 2-3 days. Then, for one month, the hair should be allowed to rest, after which, if desired and necessary, repeat the course.
Hair Growth Mask
The greatest benefit of coconut oil for hair growth is amplified by Bay essential oil. In combination with coconut oil, both components begin to stimulate the follicles, due to which the braid noticeably lengthens already 2 weeks after application. For each tablespoon of coconut oil, one drop of Bey essential extract is required.
The recipe for a mask of banana and kefir, you will need:
- one ripe banana;
- 2 tablespoons of coconut oil;
- one tablespoon with a slide of fat sour cream.
Heat oil in a water bath. Grind the banana in a blender, then mix all the components to obtain a homogeneous mass. Distribute the mixture evenly over the entire length, gently rubbing the mask into the skin of the head. Wrap your head in cling film or plastic bag and then a terry towel. After 45-50 minutes rinse off the mask with shampoo. Such a procedure is required once every five days. With regular use, in one month the hair will grow at least 5 cm.
Mask for oily hair
Curls, prone to fat, need special care. To get rid of this ailment, you need to mix coconut oil with sea salt. It is not recommended to use iodized, as it aggressively affects the strands.
Heat the oil in a water bath to 60 degrees. Add the same amount of salt while stirring the mixture until completely dissolved. Apply to hair and wrap hair with film and towel. After an hour, wash the curls with shampoo. To enhance the effect, after the procedure, the hair can be rinsed with a decoction of herbs.
Mask for restoring dry and damaged hair
To regain its former strength and silkiness, mix:
- 2 tablespoons of coconut oil;
- 2 drops of lavender ether;
- 1 teaspoon of liquid honey;
- 1 beaten egg yolk.
Thoroughly mix all the components, warm the oil. After applying the mask, wrap your head in a towel and hold for half an hour, then rinse with warm water. The duration of treatment is 1 month. The mask is applied once every 5 days.
Mask for sensitive scalp
To prepare the mixture, you will need 30 ml of coconut oil, 1 teaspoon of honey, ether of rose, lavender and rosemary. Heat the coconut oil, add 2 drops of each of the esters, at the end add liquid honey. Apply to hair and wrap a towel around your head. After an hour, rinse the mask off the hair and wash with regular shampoo. The procedure will need to be carried out 2 times in 7 days.
Mask for all hair types
To strengthen and moisturize the curls, you need to mix coconut oil with fatty kefir, sour cream or cream in a ratio of 1 to 2. Lubricate the curls with the resulting mixture, rub it into the epidermis with massage movements. Wrap your head with cling film, then a warm towel. Rinse your hair after 2 hours. If you make a mask for preventive purposes, one mask per week will be enough to make your hair shine and be healthy.
Mask for split ends and dandruff
To get rid of the cut ends, regularly apply unrefined coconut oil melted in a water bath to the ends of the hair. Hold the mask for no more than 20 minutes, then wash with regular shampoo.
Applying coconut oil to the hair in its pure form will eliminate dandruff. Apply the preheated product to the hair roots and wrap the head with a film and a towel. Hold the mask for an hour. Duration of the course is 3 weeks.
Contraindications to the use of coconut oil
To prevent any side effects of the product, you need to buy coconut oil only from trusted manufacturers. Due to the fact that coconut is a strong allergen, a poor-quality product can cause an appropriate reaction. Also, when purchasing a product from an unreliable seller, you risk buying fake coconut oil.
Before use, make sure that the product does not expire. In particular, shelf life is important when using unrefined oil. As a rule, the product of industrial production is well preserved, but it is still recommended to keep an open jar in the refrigerator.
The only contraindication to the use of coconut oil is individual intolerance. With caution, it is worth using the product for people prone to allergies.
Before using coconut hair oil, it is recommended to apply a few drops of the product on the inside of the elbow in the evening. If by the morning no redness, rashes and irritations follow, you can safely use the product. However, if you change your customer, you will also need to retest.
When using coconut oil for hair in combination with honey, pepper or garlic, they can cause side effects. To do medical masks in combination with other components is allowed if there is no individual intolerance to these ingredients. Do not forget that excessive use of coconut oil will not bring benefits, but harm - the hair will become oily faster, comb badly and become naughty.
