How To Use Coconut Oil Effectively In Your Haircare Routine

Key takeaways

• Coconut oil has many benefits for the hair, from nourishing and moisturising to helping strengthen weaker strands.
• Coconut oil has both anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal properties, making it a beneficial addition to scalp-care routines, too.
• Coconut oil can also be used as part of your skin and oral-care routines.

Sometimes, the best beauty solutions are also the simplest. Coconut oil is one good example. Using a jar from the kitchen cupboard to achieve hair that’s hydrated, lustrous and flake-free might sound like too easy a fix, but for many, coconut oil is absolutely the answer. “During the pandemic, I started experimenting and using natural products and I was using coconut oil on my hair once a week,” says celebrity hair extensionist Priscilla Valles. “The hydration and shine it provides is beyond amazing.”

Why use coconut oil?

Applying coconut oil to tired strands makes sense. The oil is derived from raw, mature coconuts and is composed of 100 per cent, predominantly unsaturated fat. Coconut oil’s fatty acids (principally lauric acid) can improve hair health when employed correctly. There are, of course, caveats and limits to what coconut oil can offer, but the fact that it’s all-natural and usually budget-friendly, make testing the treatment for yourself worth a try. “Coconut oil has benefits for all hair types, but is best used on dry, damaged, or colour-treated hair to lock in moisture and prevent breakage,” says celebrity hairstylist Andrew Fitzsimons.

Whether you’re already a convert or just coconut-curious, here’s what you need to know about coconut oil for hair health – and how to incorporate it into your hair care routine.

What are the benefits of coconut oil for hair?

For fans of natural products and ingredients, coconut oil is close to magic. The oil is commonly used topically to moisturise skin and calm dermatitis, or swished around the mouth to the benefit of gums and teeth. Elsewhere, it can be easily incorporated as a cooking oil into a healthy diet. Not to mention the long list of benefits coconut oil has for the hair, too.

Strengthens strands

“Coconut oil is a great ingredient to implement into your hair routine because it has nourishing fatty acids, which help moisturise, prevent breakage and strengthen the hair,” says Fitzsimons. According to research, coconut oil actually reduces protein loss in both damaged and undamaged hair. Its make-up allows it to penetrate the hair shaft in order to better deliver hydration, leading to softer and shinier strands and enhanced texture.

Anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties

In addition to improving the health of your hair, coconut oil’s moisturising, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties make it a scalp health hero, too. The oil helps to treat fungus and subsequent flaking in the short term, and some research says that it can help to repair the scalp’s moisture barrier over time.

Protects hair from heat damage

“Coconut oil can also be used in your styling routine as a natural heat protectant, to reduce hot tool damage,” says Fitzsimons. He’s right: coconut oil’s penetrative properties condition hair, seal the cuticle and lock in moisture, protecting hair from potential damage that comes with your go-to dryers and irons. The oil also helps to tame frizz, resulting in sleeker, softer styles.

Can coconut oil help hair grow?

According to Dr Hadley King, a New York City-based dermatologist, there are no credible studies that link the use of coconut oil to hair growth. “It does not directly affect hair growth, but it may provide benefits that improve the health of the hair overall.”

She explains that, because coconut oil has emollient properties, it can potentially reduce hair breakage and make hair less brittle. This results in stronger hair over time. So, while you shouldn’t be using coconut oil for the sole purpose of growing hair back, using it comes with other helpful benefits.

Can coconut oil damage hair?

Though coconut oil is a cure-all for many hair woes, there are certain application tips to take note of before you start using it.