On Saturday morning, I decided to act on a little idea floating around in my head. An at home hair experiment if you will. I was a little wary, since my last home remedy was a major fail.
Growing up, my mom would apply baby oil to our hair all the time. So when I read that coconut oil can be used as a skin moisturizer, I figured it would work well in my hair as well.
Jar on the left – Swanson Vitamins & jar on the right – Costco
So after breakfast, I opened up my jar of coconut oil and scooped out a couple of spoonfuls into a small bowl. I then microwaved the oil for 20 seconds. I took the mixture into the bathroom and got to work. Using my hands, I applied the oil to my roots, eventually moving to my ends. When every last strand was coated, I tied my hair into a bun and continued on with my Saturday morning routine (clean, vacuum, blah, blah, blah).
A few things to note:
- I have semi-thick, naturally wavy, coarse hair.
- I washed my hair the night before and let it air-dry, so it was nice and clean.
- Coconut oil hair will make you smell like one big Samoa cookie!
Ok, so 1.5 hours later, I showered and washed my hair. I had to lather, rinse, and repeat before I felt comfortable that all of the oil was completely gone. I also applied a small amount of conditioner to my ends for extra protection.
Y’all, after drying and straightening per usual, I was so impressed with how soft, smooth, and shiny my hair was. Not only that, but it felt fuller too. I couldn’t stop running my hands through it! The true test came when I stepped outside to run errands. AND…my hair was frizz free after being exposed to two hours of Miami humidity. Trust me, that is something! Even the next day, as I was styling my hair, it just felt so soft and smooth.
This picture does my experiment no justice, but you get the picture.
Finally – a natural, cheap and successful at home beauty experiment! And because it worked way better than I expected, I plan to coconut’ify’ my hair once a week from now on. I’m growing out my hair (a few more inches at the very least), and I think this will help keep it manageable…hopefully!
Have you ever applied coconut oil to your hair? If you know of any other simple home beauty remedies, please share!
Khushboo Thadani (@KhushbooThadani) says
March 20, 2013 at 7:22 amI’m so impressed you did this on your own, P! As I’m sure you know, getting oil massages is very common in India…I usually do it as the salon as I’m always worried that I won’t wash every bit of the oil off my hair if I do it at home! I’m glad you had great results and here’s a tip for when you next put oil in your hair- do it on a day you need to wash your hair. Apparently applying oil to hair is most effective when your hair is dirty!
Parita says
March 21, 2013 at 12:38 pmLucky duck! I wish I could go get a professional massage every week…that would be heaven! And thanks for that tip – I figured if my hair was full of product and nastiness, the oil would have a harder time doing its thing! Will definitely try you way out though – makes things a lot easier for me!
IHeartVegetables says
March 20, 2013 at 7:44 amI’ve heard this works but I’ve never tried it!!! Now I’ll have to give it a try 🙂
Parita says
March 21, 2013 at 12:36 pmLet me know if you do, Liz!
Aparna B. says
March 20, 2013 at 8:21 amI miss my mom applying oil to my hair! I fully believe that’s the reason my hair isn’t as pretty as it used to be once 🙁 I need to start doing oil treatments again! My hair is long, fuller at the roots, goes limp near the ends (in serious need of a trim) and is dried out at the ends. It’s also naturally wavy if I leave it to air dry. I need to try this asap!
Parita says
March 21, 2013 at 12:36 pmI need to go get my hair cut too! I’m hoping I can make it to mid-April. And seriously, those were the days when our mom’s did things like this for us. Miss it so much!
Jasmine Shah says
March 20, 2013 at 8:43 amNice… Once you apply oil and than wrap a warm towel on your head, it will make your hair more shiner and healthier. I have tried it and it works
Parita says
March 21, 2013 at 12:35 pmGREAT TIP! I’m definitely going to use this the next time. Thanks!
Amanda @ .running with spoons. says
March 20, 2013 at 10:14 amI’ve actually been doing this for a few years and it’s seriously worked wonders for my hair! Another one of my favorite natural beauty hair treatments is putting a little bit of Moroccan argan oil onto the ends of my hair after I get out of the shower… Leaves my hair feeling so soft and keeps the split ends away.
Parita says
March 21, 2013 at 12:34 pmI used to use Moroccan oil! Loved it. I should probably get some because it really does work. I remember my hair feeling like silk!
Hema says
March 20, 2013 at 10:45 amCoconut oil is great for the hair! I try to use it once a week. Eggs are great also for shine! I tried the top coat polish out that you recommended and I LOVE it!!
Parita says
March 21, 2013 at 12:34 pmOne time in high school, I created my own “hair mask” with eggs, mayo and a few other things. You’re right, eggs do work too! And I’m glad you liked the top coat. It’s pretty incredible!
dixya@food, pleasure, and health says
March 20, 2013 at 11:11 amI used to do this and it really works. Sometimes I even try with warm olive oil. The only problem is I need to re-apply shampoo 3 or 4 times sometimes to really clean off my hair
Parita says
March 21, 2013 at 12:33 pmOlive oil is a little thicker than coconut oil…I think. I had to rinse, later, and repeat two times to get it out completely. Totally worth it!!
Kacy says
March 20, 2013 at 11:25 amYour hair looks great! I might have to try this when the summer humidity kicks in in DC.
Parita says
March 21, 2013 at 12:31 pmThanks! I think this is a great year round way to keep your hair moisturized and strong. Let me know if you try it out!
Manisha says
March 20, 2013 at 12:51 pmHey! I just found your blog last week from one of my favorite healthy living blogs (pbfingers.com) and I’m addicted!
My mom always used to put baby oil in my hair too when I was younger but ever since I college, I’ve been using coconut oil! I usually use it every weekend because my hair is in rough condition with my running and constant washings! I love the smell too:) I keep a small container in the bathroom and just run hot water on the container to melt just enough!
Parita says
March 21, 2013 at 12:31 pmThanks, Manisha! Glad you found me! 🙂
In my opinion, the smell is the best part! Have you tried applying it to your face? I’ve heard good things, but I’m scared since I have really sensitive skin.
Brittany (Healthy Slice of Life) says
March 20, 2013 at 1:31 pmSounds like we have very similar hair, so I really want to try this now! And your hair looks like super model hair all blown out- gorgeous!
Parita says
March 21, 2013 at 12:29 pmThanks, Brittany! Let me know if you try it. It’s too simple not to. 🙂
Lakshmi says
March 20, 2013 at 2:25 pmI do the “warm oil hair treatment” every 3-4 days. It’s a practice dating back to my childhood. My mother used to make a batch of hair oil that used curry leaves, camphor and a host of other lovely ingredients in a base of coconut oil. The drill was simple – warm the oil, apply it to the scalp, leave it on overnight, wash off with shampoo the next morning. As I grew older, I began using conditioner as well.
These days, I use a herbal hair oil I got from India but the routine is the same. I CANNOT go without oiling my hair every 3-4 days. It keeps my scalp moisturized, my hair healthy and soft… the results are obvious. I remember asking my hair stylist how best to attend to my hair. She remarked, “Keep doing what you are doing.”
Parita says
March 21, 2013 at 12:29 pmThat sounds so therapeutic! Love it. I still remember the days when my mom would apply oil to our hair…so wish I could go back in time!
Glad to know that you’ve seen such great results from coconut oil. I’m definitely going to keep it up now!
Honey What's Cooking says
March 20, 2013 at 4:24 pmI have applied coconut oil to my hair and for me the results show even more when I wear my hair curly, the curls are more shiny. Just like you i microwaved the oil. I’ve heard great things about Almond Oil, i wanna buy it at TJ or WF.. but organic. Good stuff P.
Parita says
March 21, 2013 at 12:28 pmMy cousin also swears by Jojoba oil. She says its worked wonders on her curly hair! Might be something worth checking out since you also have that hair type.
Tara Condell says
March 21, 2013 at 5:09 pmI love it! I’m going to have to try it later this week. Your hair looks so silky smooth in the after picture.
shraddha says
March 22, 2013 at 12:05 pmi do this too but not as routinely as before i had Jai come into my life!! great post and tips Parita!
Bright Discover says
August 21, 2016 at 1:28 amVery Nice information about hairs thanks alot
Ellen Cooper says
February 7, 2019 at 9:59 amThanks for the information I will definitely try this.
Ellen Cooper recently posted…Top 15 Best Ultrasonic Essential Oil Diffusers Reviews and Recommendations