Coconut Oil

nckyola · 09-06-2004, 03:13 PM

Just wondering if anyone has used or currently uses coconut oil. If so, do you recommend it based on your experience with it?
(I am considering using it on my very irritated, dry scalp as my regular EVOO seems to not be doing it's job.)

**HaitianPeach** · 09-06-2004, 04:11 PM

i know that my loctician told me not to use any type of oil on my hair because all it will do is cause unecessary build up. have u tried seabreeze? it works wonders for me

nckyola · 09-06-2004, 04:52 PM

yeah, tried sea breeze and, while it was a good temp fix, it doesn't really solve my problem. My scalp is actually dry and flaky. Loctician told me to use Paul Mitchell Tea Tree shampoo and EVOO to remedy it, but I use EVOO normally (but not frequently) anyway.
So... I was curious about the benefits of coconut oil that I have been reading about.

**sonshinescoils** · 09-06-2004, 07:30 PM

EVOO =extra virgin olive oil? whoo took me a second. plenty of folks use coconut oil. i just bumped a thread for you. my loctician only uses oil on my hair/scalp to avoid buildup. she also uses tunde's essential rinse--lots of tingly eo's that work like a miracle on my dry flaky scalp. as well as tunde's shampoo and oils.

have you tried just spritzing with water? or water and eo. try that before adding another product. oil doesn't moisturize, it locks in moisture. put some water on that scalp and then, perhaps, smooth a bit of coconut oil on top of the damp/wet hair. see if that helps. water definitely has my vote.

**Arianna** · 09-07-2004, 02:12 PM

*Real* coconut oil is solid, right?

**theomozo** · 09-07-2004, 02:21 PM

I don't have locs.

You know what? I had dry flaky scalp when I used shampoo to wash. Ever since I started on my no-poo I have not had that problem. I just use any conditioner that comes my way but usually for dry/coloured/damages hair types.

Then I put a mix of shea butter, coconut oil and olive oil on my scalp and hair after a no-poo. In between no-poos I spray a mixture of conditioner, olive oil, rosemary oil and camomile oil.

No dry, itchy scalp and little build up.

@Arianna: 100% coconut oil is watery not solid. Well, if left undisturbed for a while, it can become somewhat solid. If yours is really solid it might be mixed with petroleum jelly.

**thunderstorm** · 09-07-2004, 03:15 PM

coconut oil is solid at temperatures under 76 degrees F. so if you live at temperatures of 76 degrees F or more, coconut oil is liquid; if less than 76 degrees F, coconut oil is a [solid] fat.

**Arianna** · 09-08-2004, 01:34 PM

k, thanks. I saw some in the health food store and it was in a jar and I thought it was solid. It was heavy like a solid. I know coconut oil is said to be really good for hair, but don't you risk it solidfying in your locs? Fractionated coconut oil is not solid, but i wonder if its as good as the real thing.

**thunderstorm** · 09-08-2004, 01:42 PM

@arianna,

some people, locs wearers and loose-hair naturals alike, do not like to put any product in their hair that is solid in its natural state: coconut oil, beeswax, any of the nut butters, etc. because of the buildup issues that you mentioned.

others think that if the products are applied sparingly, that they can be beneficial and will wash out easily with whatever soap you use.

i guess it will boil down to you actually testing coconut oil on your own hair to see how it works.

:heart

nckyola · 09-08-2004, 11:22 PM

100% coconut oil is semi-solid in cool temps,as thunderstorm noted, but melt extremely easily and quickly. for example if you put it in the fridge it would get hard and solid but the minute you put some between your fingertips it will melt like butter.

i've had mine a while b/c it's good for the skin as well, but when i bought it, it seems solid in the health store but when opened it really wasn't at all.

so .... after my last wash, i massaged some coconut oil into my scalp and so far so good. no flakes and the itching has decreased significantly. i figure that will probably take a bit of time to get past but at least the dryness is being combatted now. I have not mixed with EVOO yet though, as I don't want too much stuff in there at once - need to find what works and go from there.

@ sonshinescoils, thanks for bumping that thread BTW.

ETA - couple of links with info
coconut oil info
benefits for the skin and hair
from thread africankween started