Coconut Oil for the Hair: Benefits and Uses, Do and Don’ts

Coconut oil has become so popular over the past several years that it’s hard to imagine a time when we didn’t use it every day. Since then, people have come out with tons of different ways to use it. For example, you can cook with it, eat it raw, apply it topically or use it in skin care products. Because it contains so many healing properties, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial and antimicrobial, there is virtually to wrong way to use coconut oil on your body.

If you’ve never tried using coconut oil on your hair, then you’re in for a treat. Studies show that it helps promote hair growth, fights dandruff, and gives your hair a healthy, shiny appearance. There are many different ways to use coconut oil on your hair, so before you give it a try, make sure you give this article a read.

We’ll show you how to use coconut oil for hair health, including what not to do and how to make your own coconut oil hair products at home.

Health Benefits of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil definitely has superfood qualities complete with potent medicinal properties. And thanks to its oil consistency, it’s perfect to use on your hair and skin. Coconut oil contains a unique type of fatty acids called medium-chain fatty acids or MCTs. Research shows that MCTs are shorter than other chains of fatty acids, which makes them easier to digest. These types of fatty acids go straight to the liver where they enhance the production of ketones. This makes coconut oil popular among people who follow the ketogenic diet. But you don’t have to be keto to appreciate the health benefits of coconut oil.

One study found that populations that eat lots of coconut oil tend to be healthier than those who don’t. Specifically, people who eat coconut oil have lower rates of heart disease. Another study found that eating coconut oil can help you lose weight because it increases fat burning. In fact, one study found that consuming 15 to 30 grams of MCTs per day helped people burn about 120 calories and increase their 24-hour energy expenditure by 5 percent. Not bad for some oil, huh?

Here’s where coconut oil comes in handy for hair and skin health. Research shows that coconut oil contains a compound known as the lauric acid that makes up about half of the fatty acid content. Once digested, lauric acid forms a substance known as monolaurin. Both lauric acid and monolaurin contain antibacterial and antiviral properties that kill harmful bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Research shows that these compounds can even help kill a dangerous type of bacteria known as Staphylococcus aureus and the more commonly known Candida albicans, which causes yeast infections. You can use these same antiviral and antibacterial properties to cleanse your hair, especially if you’re sensitive to products that contain a lot of chemicals and need something natural. Many people also use coconut oil to kill the bacteria in their mouth and keep their gums healthy in a process called oil pulling.

Here are some more reasons to use coconut oil on your hair. Several studies have shown that coconut oil helps moisturize dry skin by improving its moisture content when applied topically. It can even be used to treat eczema. When you apply coconut oil to your hair and scalp, it can help these areas retain moisture and prevent dry, flaky skin and hair. Other research shows that coconut oil can be used to protect against hair damage by acting as a weak sunscreen. Specifically, it has been shown to block about 20 percent of the sun’s rays, which can make your hair appear dry and dull.

Finally, coconut oil has an antioxidant-like effect on the body that reduces inflammation. According to one study, coconut oil helps the body absorb carotenoids, which is a type of antioxidant that helps give foods its color. You can use this anti-inflammatory action to reduce hair breakage, scalp irritation, and other skin disorders that may occur on your scalp and affect the appearance of your hair. It can even reduce pain, according to one study. This comes in handy if you have a painful infection or even lice! Because of its ability to help you absorb antioxidants, it helps to use coconut oil in addition to other natural products that contain them, such as essential oils and herbs.

How To Use Coconut Oil For Hair Health

Thanks to its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and natural moisturizing properties, there are tons of ways you can use coconut oil to improve the health of your hair. Some people use it once a week as a deep conditioner while others use it daily to help heal scalp conditions. We’ve put together an extensive list of how to use coconut oil for hair health and tips for applying it correctly.

1. Use It As A Deep Conditioner

One of the best reasons to use coconut oil as a deep conditioner is because it’s completely natural and doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals. It also provides natural moisturizing properties that make it tremendously nourishing for your hair. If you blow dry your hair every day, it can leave your hair dry and damaged. Over-brushing your hair also causes damage to it.

Coconut oil contains medium-chain fatty acids that penetrate your hair deeply and quickly, so you get instant hydrating results. According to one study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Science, coconut oil is better to use than sunflower oil and mineral oil to condition your hair.

It’s also the only oil that reduces protein loss without any harsh chemicals, which makes it a safe home remedy to condition your hair or even a child’s hair. Protein loss is what leads to dry and damaged hair.

In addition to the deep penetration of MCTs, coconut oil also contains lauric acid, which has a low molecular weight and is also able to deeply penetrate the hair to nourish it with fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. You can use it directly on your hair or scalp to promote the growth of new, healthy hair.

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