Good Looks
Best frizz fixer: This easy coconut oil hair treatment
Hot summer rays can wreak havoc on hair (as can a lot of shampoos and dyes). A simple solution? Coconut oil, the hardest working $12 condiment in your kitchen, makes an amazing leave-in hair-conditioning treatment, says natural makeup artist, Kat Feldhouse.
Coconut oil hydrates really parched beach hair—and is great for women with really fried ombre-dyed ends, says the beauty savant. (She likes Whole Foods 356 brand, but any organic coconut oil will do.) “Water-based conditioners just can’t compare. Pure coconut oil gives your hair great shine, moisture, and texture thanks to its rich fatty acids and proteins,” explains Feldhouse.
And great news: No blow-dryer, shower cap, or sleeping with a towel under your head is needed to help it penetrate. This is a hair treatment you can wear out—around the city, to the beach, or to brunch.
Here’s how to use coconut oil as a leave-in hair treatment:
1. Scoop half a teaspoon of coconut oil, and really heat it up in your palms. Then grab sections of your hair, and drag the coconut oil through evenly. “A little goes a long way,” says Feldhouse. (You don’t need to apply it to your scalp unless you’re dealing with dandruff or a sunburn or your hair really needs the added nourishment.)
2. Then go over your hair with a wide-toothed comb.
3. Wrap it a top knot, a cute bun, or a tight fish-tail braid, and let the heat of the summer city streets or the beach just bake it in. The longer you leave it in, the better.
Natural makeup artist Kat Feldhouse protects her coconut-oil-treated hair at the beach with a big sun hat.
Feldhouse leaves her coconut-oil-coated locks in a pretty ballerina bun all day, and changes it up at night.
“Just before going out, I’ll undo the knot, and give my hair shake. I love that I smell like the beach, and my hair has that naturally touseled beach-wave look,” says Feldhouse. Only with none of the sun-and-salt-water damage.
It shampoos out pretty easily with a good cleansing shampoo—something astringent with tea tree should do the trick, she says. “Don’t reach for one with stripping sodium lauryl sulfate. That defeats the whole purpose!” —Melisse Gelula
Have you used coconut oil for beauty purposes? Would you use it for this one? Tell us in the Comments, below!
From Our Partners
MOST POPULAR STORIES
- Get "Yoga on the Fly"—a poster by Wanderlust and Well+Good
- Flywheel's new Facebook feature tells you who's in your spin class
- Why are there so many women wellness entrepreneurs? Claudia Chan explains
- The new hot (and sweaty) place to meet a mate
- Pulse Points: News that got our hearts racing
- Why Angelina's choice matters
I make a superfood raw organic chocolate with coconut oil. When I first started, i would get the oil all over my hands and have to wash alot. Then I discovered it’s great on my cuticles!!! So now every morning and night I put a little coconut oil with my fave Essence of Vali or Zents scent and I am set to go!Really hydrates cuticles, heals and works great as a swipe across my lips pre-gloss! Enjoy, Holli
Coconut oil is a great make up remover. I take half a teaspoon, rub it on my face, and remove with a dry cloth. The best thing is that I don’t need to moisturise afterwards.
it made my hair greasy .. too bad. i was excited to use it . my hair is super fine .. maybe that’s why .
For me, coconut oil is the only oil I need.
From acne to hair. It has taken place of other products. For my dog too!
Ingrid, try to use it as an oil treatment. My hair is also fine. If I use it as a leave in, at times it seems oily. Guess it depends on the humidity levels.
Great article,
Kate
I use it as a body moisturizer, your body will glisten and keep you hydrated and smell like a fresh coconut!
Enjoy
I’ve taken to doing this 2-3 times a week, my hair is super dry because it’s curly and colored and this is great. I definitely put too much in the first time and it made my hair greasy, but I braided it and no one new the wiser. My hair feels so much better afterward too and it’s definitely cheaper than going for a keratin treatment.
Wow, love all these uses.
And Jessica, you make a really good point. It’s so much cheaper AND safer than keratin!
Totally going to try this out. I already use it as a body moisturizer sometimes, and was wondering what would happen when I applied to hair. Thanks for the post!
I’ve been using Organic Coconut Oil as a leave in conditioner and hair gel for about 2 months now and love it. I’ve also started making a hair shampoo that uses coconut milk. It is working better than anything else I’ve tried and it’s cheap and healthy. For leave-in conditioner, I just put some on my fingers and run my fingers through my hair at night before I go to bed. I tend to have a flaky scalp, so I also rub it on my scalp. While it is a bit oily when I first put it on, it is usually dry by morning. I shower in the morning and then first thing, while my hair is still wet, I put a VERY small amount on my fingers and run it through my hair. I have medium curls and this has been the best thing for my curls. Of course, heat from the summer sun makes it even better.
I forgot to mention that my sister has very straight hair. She has been using coconut oil as a hair moisturizer for at least a couple of years. The key for those with straight hair is to use a very, very small amount and to put it in while your hair is still wet.
My last comment didn’t post. Here’s the gist of what I said: I have been using organic coconut oil as a leave-in conditioner and hair gel for a couple of months now and love it. I also have been making a shampoo out of coconut milk. It’s been the best thing for my hair. For leave-in conditioner, I put it on my scalp (since I tend to have dandruff problems) and put it on my fingers and run my fingers through my hair (I have medium curly hair, so don’t own a brush/comb) – at night before I go to bed. It’s usually rather oily when I first put it in, but by morning it’s pretty dry. I shower in the morning and immediately, while my hair is still wet, put a VERY small amount on my fingers and run it over my hair in the areas where I tend to have fly-aways. Of course, the summer sun makes it work even better. It’s been the best thing I’ve tried for my curls.
Hi Nina, how do make a shampoo out of coconut milk? I have. I have been looking for an all natural shampoo, but they are hard to find :(
Thanks!
Anyone heard of Memory Oil? This virgin coconut oil is fantastic and is only $10 a 14 oz. bottle! I put it in almost all my meals, and have also heard it is a lot healthier than virgin olive oil, and is cheaper. So overall, you’re saving money, and weight! Check out Memory Oils site if you’re interested, click this link! http://memoryoils.com/shop/D26C23E49C~Memory+Oil.htm
I use a natural shampoo rich in Argan oil by Geilly Green and then only use the shampoo once every 3 washes, on the other times i use conditioner instead of shampoo so my hair is never stripped, my hair is super long, thick and healthy and getting more so by the day. I use an argan oil serum as leave in conditioner but will certainly try coconut as can get frizzy hair especially if I am teaching yoga in a hot room :-)
Has anyone tried using coconut oil for hair loss?
The hair stylist gave my girl that Argan oil but it smells terrible to me (partly from effects of a past cancer treatment)but I suspect she has a sensitivity to fragrances due to throat problems. I used olive oil on her hair this morning, then I realized I just bought some coconut oil for shaving, so I looked this up for her hair too! BEAUTIFUL!! I am her new hair stylist. BAHAHAHAHA!!! Can’t stand that Argan oil. BLECH!!
Wow!! It really works I tried it one time and my hair is sooooo smooth. I can’t even see so many split ends:)!!
I use coconut oil as a leave-in conditioner, make-up remover and skin moisturizer. It’s absolutely wonderful!