You may use coconut oil as hair conditioner before washing your hair. It is sufficient to rub it into dry hair and leave it for about 1 hour, or longer; then wash it off with a gentle shampoo. Additionally, you may create your coconut-oil based cosmetics, which will be more nutrients than all “store-bought conditioners” taken together!
Why shall we use such conditioner before hair washing?
Coconut oil rubbed into hair before washing inhibits hair penetration by water, preventing scales of the cuticle against diverging. Just a second … what scales?
A few words about hair structure
Every hair consists basically of its outer and inner parts:
1. The outer part – the hair shaft consists of 3 constituent elements:
- The cuticles – constitute the outer layer protecting the hair cortex. This layer is most vulnerable to damage. It consists of about 6 layers of overlapping scales, covered with a natural lipid layer protecting them against opening. The cuticles make your hair smooth, shiny and healthy looking. All the chemical and mechanical hair treatments destroy the natural hair protective layer making it dull, brittle and coarse. Dying, styling, straightening, drying and even combing removes its lipid layer.
- The cortex – the inner layer. It is responsible for elasticity, mechanical strength as well as the shape of the hair shaft. Additionally, the cortex decides also about the colour and structure of the hair. Dried out cortex layer loses its ability of moisture retention and causes hair brittleness.
- The core – is soft and it is located in the very middle of the hair shaft. It contains glycogen and proteins rich in amino acids. An interesting trivia is that it is not a fixed component of the hair; it occurs more often in grey hair.
2. The inner part – the hair bulb – Generally, it is in epidermis recess – so called hair follicle that hair is created multiplying cells. Micro blood vessels reach the hair follicle delivering all the necessary building component, vitamins as well as oxygen.
Coconut oil applied before hair washing may penetrate deeply to the hair cortex delivering nourishing and nurturing elements. Additionally, it will nurture the cuticle, which being healthy and “tight” allows hair to regain its natural vitality, suppleness and shine. Moreover, coconut oil nurtures and cures the scalp. During the application, we make a gently massage, which is also beneficial for the hair.
The best coconut oil for your hair will be unrefined, cold-pressed, and free of additives. You can get it here.
In order to have beautiful hair you need to look after it in a number of areas:
1. Protection and nurturing of the hair shaft:
- Avoid an improper care – such as excessive use of hair dryers, straighteners and chemical treatments;
- Cut your hair every 6-8 weeks – which will make hair ends healthy;
- Once a week oil your hair;
- I recommend apple cider vinegar rinse (1 portion of apple vinegar + 1 portion of water). Rinsing with apple vinegar shall be applied after the application of the shampoo, in order to remove shampoo remains and nourish the hair giving it a beautiful shine.
2. Care of your hair bulbs located in the skin:
- Eliminate skin diseases such as psoriasis or dandruff;
- Massage the scalp gently. The above mentioned will increase the blood circulation delivering oxygen and essential nutrients to the hair follicle.
3. Diet:
- Eliminate poor eating habits – the consumption of highly processed food leads to deficiencies of appropriate nutrients;
- Provide omega-3, 6 and 9 acids, which apart from their unequivocal positive effects on the entire body are very important for the hair look;
- Eat a lot of fruit and vegetables (ideally raw ones) to provide necessary vitamins and microelements necessary for the proper hair growth;
- Supplement your diet with products containing biotin (so called vitamin H or B7). You will find it in many fruits (watermelons, bananas, grapes, grapefruits, peaches), and vegetables (cauliflowers, beetroots, tomatoes, onions, spinach), as well as nuts and oilseeds (rapeseeds, sunflower).
Remember!
A beautiful look of your hair depends on numerous factors. Drugs, stress, fatigue, diet poor in vitamins and minerals as well as contamination of the environment and intense hair styling may cause hair loss, its brittleness and no shine. Sometimes it is enough to change several everyday habits to make your hair strong, smooth and shiny. Try to make the external care to be only a complementing element to your care from the inside and you will notice splendid effects not only with regard to your hair look!
It is important to be aware of the fact that the cosmetics industry promotes and advertises numerous potential benefits from the application of “chemical” cosmetics. However, paradoxically, it often happens that such products contain toxic chemical agents and preservatives which result in low hair growth and are harmful not only to the hair but also to the environment.
Do you like to experiment? Coconut oil may replace many hair cosmetics, as for instance:
- Hair conditioner for damaged hair;
- Wax preventing frizzy hair in conditions of high humidity;
- Styling mousse (to be used sparingly in order not to weight down your hair);
- Antistatic liquid (rub a bit of coconut oil in your palms and gently apply to your hair);
- Hair loss treatment products.
I encourage you to experiment once you get to like coconut oil. For me, an essential hair mask has been already for a long time my “irreplaceable duet”: coconut and argan oils!
Several examples of coconut oil-based home-made hair masks:
- 3 spoonfuls of coconut oil + 1 spoonful of argan oil = Stimulating hair growth mega conditioner for dry, damaged and falling out hair! Due to a high content of vitamin E and antioxidants, argan oil stimulates cells to divide causing a quicker hair growth . It is often used in hair loss treatments.
- 1 spoonful of coconut oil + 1 spoonful of organic honey (heat gently for the purpose of mixing) = A conditioner absolutely necessary to repair the hair structure.
- How about a mixture with omega 3 acids– your hair will love it! – 1 spoonful of coconut oil + 1 spoonful of linseed oil … a little honey… a yolk …
Recipes may be listed endlessly! Have a fun!
You can buy the oils here:
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