10 Benefits of Using Coconut Oil for Hair

Though it has been around forever, coconut oil has only recently entered the limelight as a potentially revolutionary health and beauty product. Like many organic substances, the effects of this naturally occurring oil are far reaching. With uses ranging from dietary supplementation to skin care and to hair maintenance it has since become commonly accepted as a go-to part of any beauty regime.

One of the most common uses of coconut oil is to help keep hair looking fresh, young and healthy. By making coconut oil a regular part of your hair care routine, you will start to notice a significant different in your hair looks and feels. Adding to the popularity of coconut oil, here are 10 benefits to using coconut oil in hair care.

1. Stronger Hair – Coconut oil helps to protect and promote the proteins in your hair. In doing so, it can help strengthen anyone’s hair and make it more resistant to any outside damage. This is caused by the amount of nutrients and vitamins found in coconut oil. These will help ensure that your hair stays stronger for longer. If your hair is thin or you notice that you shed too often, coconut oil could be the perfect addition to your hair care regimen to help remedy this issue.
2. Moisturizing Properties – Unlike regular moisturizers that contain mostly water, coconut oil actually penetrates into the skin and helps promote healthy hair that retains moisture. These moisturizing properties actually contribute to the strengthening properties of coconut oil, and can help keep your hair looking fresh.
3. Sleek and Shine – In addition to moisturizing your hair, coconut oil will help to really make your hair shine. The natural vitamins and nutrients found in coconut oil work with your hair to help make it pop. This shiny look will not be like one offered by artificial oil, but rather will bring out the natural beauty of your hair.
4. More Volume – If volume is a concern, rubbing coconut oil in the scalp can help to promote hair growth. Whether you want thicker hair or just need more hair in general, coconut oil is the perfect addition to any hair care routine. Unlike other products on the market, this natural method will start showing results quickly.
5. Straighten Your Hair – Wavy hair can look great, but having frizz is never desirable. When the humidity is up and your hair just won’t cooperate, the simplest solution could be in coconut oil. Instead of turning to a hair straightener that will damage and dry out your hair, you can apply a bit of coconut oil to help keep your hair from getting out of control. This is not harm-free, but it also gives you all of the other benefits of coconut oil.
6. Prevent Sunburn – Most people do not realize that their scalp is actually quite susceptible to sunburn. If you are going to be out in the sun all day, you will usually use a nice, strong sunscreen to protect your skin. Rubbing sunscreen in your hair is not practical, but coconut oil is naturally SPF 4, which gives you just enough additional protection to make sure that your scalp does not burn in the sun.
7. Avoid Itchiness – Hair can become itchy, especially as the day progresses. With coconut oil, you are adding a natural ingredient to your hair that will help prevent and reduce this itchiness. For utility, coconut oil can be used to help fight psoriasis and eczema. Of course, its anti-itching qualities expand beyond these pesky issues, and will help just as well with a general itchy scalp.
8. Prevent Dry Scalp – Just like the moisturizing properties offered to the hair itself, coconut oil can help to moisturize the skin underneath the hair. In many cases, coconut oil is applied directly to the skin for just this purpose, including uses such as lip balm. If your scalp tends to dry out, regular use of coconut oil could be exactly what you need to get back on track. This can help with flaky skin under the scalp and is part of the reason that coconut oil works so well to reduce itching.
9. It Smells Good – Coconut oil is commonly used as a natural deodorant. This is because it has a great smell. By adding coconut oil to your hair care ritual, you can help to enhance the other odors while adding all of the other benefits. Simply by using coconut oil after applying shampoo, you can really have a noticeable odor about your hair that others are bound to compliment you on. There may be other ways to make your hair smell good, but none of them offer the distinct benefits afforded by coconut oil.
10. It’s Affordable – Unlike many hair care products that are available on the market today, coconut oil is not expensive. In fact, it is typically much cheaper than other cosmetic products, making it an easy addition that won’t break the bank. Naturally, the better option is to buy virgin coconut oil because it is organic and does not have any harmful additives. Though this is more expensive, it is still relatively cheap and the benefits are well worth the increased price.

Where to Start

The best part about coconut oil is that hair is not the only part of you that can benefit. Many people who seek out coconut oil will also add it to their diet and as a skin care product. There are dozens of benefits beyond those offered for your hair, any one of which is reason enough to start using coconut oil.

Of course, even if you don’t plan on adding coconut oil into your diet or facial cleansing routine, these 10 benefits should be enough to compel you to start using it for hair care. The regular addition of coconut oil can go a long way in helping your hair look healthy and strong. Forget the days of wishing someone would notice you and start being the envy of all of those around you.