Using Coconut Oil as a Natural Hair Treatment
Consider the coconut. Isn’t it odd that such a popular natural hair treatment comes from something so humble, so unkempt? Who entrusts such a thing to care for their precious locks? As it turns out, lots of people. And they have been using it for centuries.
In tropical climates where coconut trees thrive, generations of people have taken advantage of coconut oil’s natural ability to protect, revitalize, and nourish hair fibers.
But before we discuss coconut oil hair treatment, let’s take a look why our hair would need to be improved in the first place.
How Hair Follicles Get Damaged
Hair fibers are protected by the
cuticle, which consists of several layers of thin, flat protein cells. These cells overlap like shingles on a roof, protecting the inner fiber from water and other undesirable characters.
In dry, porous, or damaged hair, the protective layer is weakened, enabling excess water to penetrate into the hair fiber. Once inside, the water molecules are greeted by hydrophilic (water loving) proteins. These proteins invite the water molecules to join them in the
endocuticle.
As more and more water molecules enter the party, the endocuticle and surrounding cell membranes swell up. This swelling can cause structural damage by lifting cuticular surface cells.
Later, after the party is over and most of the water molecules have left (evaporated), the hair fiber returns to its normal size. However, the weakened cuticle is now more susceptible to splitting, fraying, cracking, and protein loss—all of which are especially pronounced during combing or brushing.
How Coconut Oil Protects, Revitalizes and Strengthens Damaged Hair
To protect and revitalize unhealthy hair, coconut oil interacts with hair fibers in two important ways:
1) On the surface of the hair fiber. Coconut oil lubricates hair fibers, reducing the friction responsible for frizzy hair. But more importantly, it provides a shimmering, protective layer of hydrophobic molecules. This makes hair shiny and pliable. It also helps to keep out all of those partying water molecules.
2) From within the hair fiber. Coconut oil’s polarity, low molecular weight (which helps with diffusion), and affinity for cortical protein allows coconut oil to slip past the hair fiber’s cuticular defenses. This ability to penetrate into the cuticle and cortex sets it apart from other hair treatments, such as mineral and sunflower oil, which don’t have what it takes to get inside the follicle.
After penetrating into the hair fiber, the coconut oil brings along its hydrophobic (water repelling) molecules, which prevents the hair protein from inviting too many water molecules into the endocuticle’s house. Coconut oil thus prevents the water party from ever happening, thereby minimizing the stress put on the surface cells of the cuticle.
How to Get the Most Out of Coconut Oil Hair Treatments
Use as a Pre-wash Treatment. Post-wash coconut oil treatments will help with external hair issues, such as reducing frizziness and increasing shine and flexibility. But they won’t help with internal hair fiber issues. This is because coconut oil can only penetrate wet hair. The only way to get all the benefits of this valuable natural hair treatment: Apply it before washing.
