Before I go into all the benefits of coconut oil for the hair I want to clarify what kind of coconut oil is best for the hair. Any coconut oil that says "virgin" (there is no such thing as "extra virgin") or "pure" is the kind you want. It doesn't matter the brand, as long as you see one or the other. From what I've seen so far coconut oil from the Phillipines is labeled "virgin" and the oil from India is labeled "pure". So either one is the same thing.
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| The coconut oil on the left is good for hair while the oil on the right is a mixture of coconut oil with other oils. Although it's not "pure" or "virgin" it's still useful for oiling the canopy of the hair. |
Coconut oil taken internally supposedly destroys viruses (I say "supposedly because viruses can't be destroyed, only contained) because it contains something called
"lauric acid" which is also in human mother's milk. Lauric acid allows coconut to penetrate the hair shaft and start to build-up until it fills the cortex, building up the hair strand from within. This takes several applications, so once again, consistency is the key to improvement.
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| The lauric acid in coconut oil can penetrate the cuticle to the cortex and fill it out. |
To help the oil reach the cortex of the hair it should be applied when the cuticule is open which happens when the hair has been drenched with warm water. Coconut oil can be used as a coating oil but I find that it's best when mixed with other oils such as lemon oil, jojoba oil, and olive oil.
