Why does coconut oil cause dryness in people’s hair, if it is being advertised for hair growth and moisture?
Over the years, I have had clients that come in for a consultation who suffer from dryness of hair. When I questioned them about the products they have used for moisture, each one of them would happily tell me they use coconut oil. They express to me that they use it regularly to add moisture to their hair. Unfortunately, however, they are disappointed when they use the coconut oil product as directed and advertised, but they still notice their hair is brittle and dying of thirst. Upon examination, I notice that the hair follicles are not smooth but rather appear brittle, lifeless, and extremely dry.
After feeling their hair texture and discovering the damage their hair have experienced due to the dryness; after hearing countless of stories about how my clients have researched coconut oil, how they know someone who have tried it and it worked for that person, and how they are sure that coconut oil is the best thing for their hair but cannot understand why they still experience dryness; I then begin to tell my clients the truth about coconut oils and the reality of what it is good for and how to use it properly. I’m excited to also share it now with you!
Growing up in Africa, my grandmother used to make coconut oil from scratch and use it for cooking. We would use it on our skin, and it would leave us with a smooth, soft, clear, and even complexion. But we would never use it on our hair. Noticing that many women have used coconut oil and have suffered from dryness I began to do my research. I discovered that coconut oil is a very healthy ingredient for making shampoo. In fact, coconut oil is the lather producing agent in many natural shampoos, including in my own line, Sayblee Handmade Natural Hair Care, LLC line. Other studies show that coconut oil has several antiviral, antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. It even serves as a natural weight loss agent. And do not forget, it is a lather producing agent in some natural soaps.
Although I hate disappointing my clients and would never doubt the results that their own research has provided, I must explain to them why I do not recommend coconut oil to be used on the hair. The most important thing to note is that the oil is used to make soap and shampoo. When you use it regularly on your hair by itself with no other product, it will do nothing but clean the natural moisture from your hair shaft.
The Truth About Coconut Oil & Hair Moisture
If you review the diagram above, you will see that the coconut oil coats the outside of your hair causing your hair to take up less water. Thus, using the coconut oil as a matter of moisturizing the hair would be ineffective. Based on my research, I have concluded that this is the reason that although my clients were using coconut oil on their hair, their hair continued to need moisture.
Therefore, the question now becomes: how to properly use coconut oil on your hair?
I tell my clients during their consultation, that the best way to use coconut oil on their hair – if they insist because of what they have read out there or were told – is to invest in hair styling creams that use coconut oil as one of their ingredients as that will refine the strength of the cleaning agent in the coconut oil. Also, coconut oil may be used as a pre-wash before shampooing your hair. But alone, your hair will remain dry.
In closing I would like to recommend other ingredients out there in hair products which will keep your hair healthy, moisturized, shinny, and growing without damage if used correctly on a regular basis. Few of the ingredients I recommend are meadow foam seed oil, organic Shea butter, and organic wheat germ. These are some of the few ingredients you can find in the Sayblee Handmade Natural Hair Care, LLC line.
Finally, my dear readers, I hope you have learned something new about why your hair tends to become dry although you are using coconut oil for moisture. Please write to me and let me know if you learn something new from this or if you want to share some of your knowledge with me! Thank you for taking the time to check out my blog.
August is National Hair Loss Awareness Month! For the rest of the month, I am offering free telephonic consultations for anyone experiencing hair loss that wants some guidance on where to begin! Happy Shopping!
Expert Sayblee Darsale
