Sometimes, our grandmother’s home remedies, passed down through generations, aren’t myths – we just wait for science to prove them. One such authentic home remedy is using coconut oil for healthy hair. This miraculous oil is not like the latest beauty trend to follow, but it’s been around for centuries for beauty, cooking, health, and cleaning purposes, etc. And what‘s fascinating is that modern science is giving language to what our grandmothers experienced. It tells us through research why it worked so well. Through these studies, we got an idea of how coconut oil penetrates deeply to our hair shaft and reduces protein loss. In this way, it makes our hair healthy and strong. 

Coconut oil is one of the best oils for our hair. We get it from pressing fresh coconut flesh (the white, juicy part inside the coconut) or from dry coconuts. It is famous for its multipurpose use in the household, culinary uses, medicine, cosmetics, and beauty industry. 

This fatty fruit has a delicious smell, and so its oil has a particular coconut smell that refreshes our minds after the application. It is full of healthy fats like lauric acid, oleic acid, monolaurin, capric acid, and myristic acid. Among these, lauric acid is found abundantly in coconut oil that is a medium chain fatty acid. It has a great ability to penetrate deeply in the hair shaft and help reduce protein loss. 

In addition to this, coconut oil shows antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties that protect our hair from environmental damage, heat, dryness, and frizz. 

Cold-pressed coconut oil is extracted from fresh coconut flesh without using any heat or chemicals. In this way, natural nutrients, antioxidants, medium-chain fatty acids like lauric acid, and oil’s antimicrobial properties are retained. That makes it more effective for our scalp and hair health. 

Cold-pressed coconut oil is a more natural and lighter version as compared to the refined coconut oil versions that mostly use dried coconuts, heat and chemicals for oil extraction. 

Don’t consider coconut oil just as a traditional grandma’s remedy. It is backed up by science that proves how natural fatty acids and antioxidants make it suitable for our hair. Some of its benefits are 

1. Reduces Protein loss 

As we all know, hair is mostly composed of keratin protein, and our poor lifestyle badly affects our hair structure and hair protein. That’s why we face hair loss and breakage on a daily basis.  

One of the strongest scientific findings about coconut oil is that it reduces protein loss from our hair. When coconut oil is compared with sunflower and mineral oils in research, scientists found out that coconut oil significantly reduced protein loss in both undamaged and damaged hair.  

And this is because of its primary fatty acid, lauric acid which has straight chain and its low molecular weight allows it to penetrate inside the hair shaft. This makes hair more resilient, brittle, and strong. 

2. Moisturizes hair 

The presence of lauric acid, vitamin E, and other saturated fatty acids in coconut oil moisturizes our dry locks and smooths our hair from the inside out. These conditioning properties make our hair soft, smooth, and shiny. 

3. Supports Scalp health  

Research also proves that coconut oil positively affects our scalp. One study suggests that using coconut oil improves the diversity of scalp microbes, and it also helps in dandruff control. Dryness and dandruff are reduced, and it makes our scalp healthy, free from any itchiness, and flaking.  

4. Makes hair Shiny 

The emollient properties of coconut oil help in making our hair cuticles soft, smooth, and shiny. Hair experts also agree on this point that coconut oil improves the texture of our hair and makes it more manageable. 

5. Repairs Damaged hair

Over-styling and excessive use of heating tools damage our hair and cause hair loss. Use of coconut oil to protect our hair from such damage is a good option. As it prevents protein loss and its anti-microbial and anti-bacterial properties protect the scalp from harmful microbes. It is also very hydrating for our scalp and hair; thus, it conditions our hair too. So use coconut oil for healthy hair and you fall in love with your voluminous locks.

We can use coconut oil in many ways. To get optimum results, we can use it as  

1. For Scalp Massage 

Take a small amount of coconut oil, warm it between your palms to liquefy it. Apply it to your scalp and massage it for 5-10 minutes. This boosts blood circulation towards the scalp and coconut oil deeply penetrates into the hair shaft. Leave it on your scalp and hair for 2 hours or overnight. 

Wash your hair with a mild shampoo. This practice nourishes dry hair and reduces protein loss. 

2. As a Hair mask 

You can apply coconut oil as a hair mask, too. For this hair mask, mix 1-2 tablespoons of coconut oil with 2 tablespoons of fresh aloe vera gel and 1 teaspoon of raw honey. Mix it well, until it forms a smooth mixture. Apply it to your scalp and hair length for 30 minutes and wash it off. 

This hair pack is ideal for dry and frizzy hair. It deeply moisturizes the dry locks, and controls frizz. It also strengthens our hair roots, and hair looks soft and hydrated. 

3. As Leave-in Hair Conditioner 

If you want to use coconut oil as a leave-in hair conditioner. Then, take 2 –3 drops of coconut oil, warm it between your palms. Apply it to the damp hair ends and avoid the scalp to prevent greasiness.  

This method adds shine to our dull hair and is also helpful in controlling dryness and frizz. 

Although coconut oil is our grandma’s tested remedy, is it the right choice for everyone? 

It is a natural treatment for our scalp and hair. Still, we should be cautious while using it