Crazy in the Coconut

By Emily G.

Although I may not always seem the type (especially first thing on a Monday morning), I am completely obsessed with my hair. I put my locks through everything from experimental styles to temporary colours to bleachings, and I have been doing so for many years now. Of course, all these things are liable to leave your hair looking and feeling horrid, so I have been to the ends of the earth in search of a 'miracle' cure - and it seems I have finally found just the thing!

Coconut oil. That's it. This is a single-ingredient miracle treatment that can be used anywhere on your body, from your split ends to your calloused feet. I hear you can even use it for cooking - how incredible! ;)

Using it as a moisturiser (or on the stove) should be straightforward enough, but in this post I'm going to walk you through using Coconut oil as a hair mask!

Let's start off slow - to begin, you will need to grab yourself a jar of coconut oil. I found mine at Coles for less than ten dollars. Your oil needs to be unrefined, as refined oil is missing the nutrients that are so good for your hair.

You will notice that the oil, in its natural state, is solid. You can either warm some in the palm of your hands (Coconut oil has a very low melting point), or place a small ceramic bowl containing the amount you prefer in hot water for a few minutes, if you like.

Then to apply! Start at your roots, massaging the oil in, and work your way down through the mid-lengths to the ends of your hair. If you have problems with dandruff, the oil will help moisturise your scalp, too! The oil can be applied to either damp or dry hair, but I prefer to apply mine dry as I am going to wash the oil out anyway.

Once your hair and scalp is entirely saturated, tie your hair up in a high bun (if it's long enough), and pop a plastic cap over your head. You can leave the oil in as long as you want - I do it overnight - but for best results you should let it work its magic for at least an hour.

When you're done, jump in the shower and shampoo and condition as normal, being sure to rinse carefully. It's fine if a little oil remains, but you may find you need to wash your hair again sooner than if you were to rinse all the oil out.

Let your hair dry naturally and voila - shiny, conditioned hair! I find coconut oil to be a fantastic natural alternative to store-bought deep treatments, and far more cost effective too.

Next time you feel like giving your hair a little TLC, give coconut oil a go! You will not be disappointed.