Meet your hair’s new best friend: coconut oil. While the popular oil is also used for weight loss and skin care, it’s most commonly used for hair growth and deep conditioning. Coconut oil is rich in nutrients and minerals to keep your hair strong and shiny, while its antifungal properties protect your tresses from dandruff. Follow these simple steps to transform your hair:
- Get It Right
First, you need to make sure you purchase pure, unrefined coconut oil as opposed to refined, which is bleached, deodorized, and stripped of essential nutrients. For the coconut oil hair mask, hair can be either damp or dry, but it works best with damp hair.
- Heat It Up
Scoop out your pure, unrefined coconut oil into a saucepan. Warm it up on low heat for a few minutes, until the oil melts to a clear liquid. Then pour it into a cup or a bowl. Note that the amount of coconut oil used depends on the length and thickness of your hair.
- Apply
Make sure the coconut oil isn’t so hot that it burns your scalp. When the oil reaches the perfect warm temperature, apply it directly to your scalp and massage for a couple minutes. The warmth of the coconut oil will improve your scalp’s circulation, promoting hair growth.
- Distribute
After you rub the coconut oil into your scalp, apply the rest of the oil throughout your hair. Work a comb through it to evenly distribute.
- Wait It Out
Tie up your hair or pile it into a shower cap and let it sit for a minimum of 30 minutes to an hour. For a deep conditioning mask, leave the coconut oil on overnight.>
- Wash It Out
Shampoo your hair twice to make sure you wash out all of the coconut oil. If you don’t get it all out, you will be left with a greasy residue.
For the best results, apply the coconut oil hair mask once or twice a week. Seriously, what can’t you do with coconut oil?