The Wonders of Coconut Oil for Hair

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I am so excited! I just got some coconut oil and I can’t wait to prepoo my daughter’s hair and my hair (see yesterday’s blog for information on prepooing: http://tropie7189.blogspot.com/2011/06/natural-hair-regimen-and-pre-poo.html). I’ve heard that coconut oil is great for hair. An article in the Journal of Cosmetic Science* underscores this point:

This study has firmly established the superiority of the protective effect of coconut oil on hair damage in grooming processes when it is used as a pre-wash conditioner as compared to mineral oil and other vegetable oils such as sunflower oil. It not only has a protective effect on undamaged hair but also on chemically treated hair, UV-treated hair, and hair treated with boiling water (i.e., hair in water at 100øC for 2 hr). The ability of coconut oil to penetrate into hair cuticle and cortex seems to be responsible for this effect. Coated on the fiber surface, it can prevent or reduce the amount of water penetrating into the fiber and reduce the swelling. This, in turn, reduces the lifting of the surface cuticle and prevents it from being chipped away during wet combing. A reduction in the WRI is additional evidence of its efficacy in decreasing water absorption. The data presented in this work clearly show the superiority of coconut oil as a hair damage protectant, in the grooming of untreated or damaged hair.

Here is another resource that talks about coconut oil and hair: http://beautyinreason.blogspot.com/2010/08/amazing-results-with-prepooing-with.html. Have you ever used coconut oil as part of your natural hair regimen? What kind of oil do you use? What kind of results have you gotten? Please share!

*The journal article citation is: Rele, A.S. & Mohile, R.B. (2003). Effect of mineral oil, sunflower oil, and coconut oil on prevention of hair damage. Journal of Cosmetic Science, 54, 175-192.