Coconut Oil

[Darkhorse1]

hey all!
A friend of mine had coconut oil, pure, in her fridge! She has loaned it to me to try on my hair (ends). Usually by the end of show season, my ends are pretty fried.

Anyhow, it's a solid oil that was refrigerated---I'm just not sure how to use it/heat it. I think I read somewhere here you don't heat in the microwave, but rather on the stovetop? Do you mix anything with it?

Just looking for those who have used this for their suggestions. I'm just doing my length, and tend to get greasy looking hair easily, so I figured I'd do this before a wash to see how it goes.

Thanks!

[höpönasu]

I keep my coconut oil in room temperature and simply dig it with my fingers to get a piece, then I rub my hands together to melt it. When I use bigger amount of it for oil mixes, I put my microwave on 'medium' and let it be there like 10 seconds. (:

Oh and, I use it on my ends sometimes with glycerin. My oil mixes contains usually 2-6 different oils. I let them sit on my hair over night.

[Melika]

It has a very very low melting point. You should be able to scoop a little out and it will melt right in your hands. :)

[sally_neuf]

honestly, I just rub it in my hands until it melts !

[Darkhorse1]

Awesome! Thanks!!

[melusine963]

Since your friend uses the jar for cooking, I'd store it in your own fridge. Coconut oil does have a sell-by date which can be happily ignored if all you're using it for is hair, but I'd be more careful if it's being eaten too.

Just scoop up a little bit with a teaspoon (I'd say use your finger nail, but not if it's someone else's food), place it in the palm of you hand, rub your palms together briefly until it melts, and smoothe it onto your ends.

[Darkhorse1]

melusine--I was going to keep it in the fridge as she had it in hers. It expires in 2015, so I figured it had to be refrigerated after opened.

[Leeloo]

I keep mine at room temperature and just put some in my hands and it melts pretty fast.

[Anje]

In the fridge, my coconut oil is rock-like, and because it gets condensation on it (especially if I'm impatient and open it up to scrape some out), I tend to think that frequent use of the main refrigerated stock is more likely to cause it to go rancid early. Therefore, I like taking out an aliquot of coconut oil and keeping that at room temperature. It usually melts at about 76F, so in my home it tends to be liquidy in the summer and a soft solid the rest of the year. If you need to melt some, putting the container in a bowl of warm water out of the tap for a few minutes is often sufficient.

[Vijikanth]

I think that is a test for original un-adultered coconut oil. The simple coconut oil has fat into it that helps in conditioning the hair which also is the reason for it getting solid at cold climates. That is a good sign. And some companies usually mix coconut oil with mineral oil that keeps it in liquid state at all temperatures. There is mixed response on mineral oil for hair. Pure coconut oil is very good for hair conditioning.

[kaydana]

I'd transfer some into a small jar/tin (an old lip balm jar would be perfect) and keep it out of the fridge. Then you can scrape it out with your fingers and not worry about contaminating food.

[heidi w.]

1. Oil AFTER hair is freshly washed and freshly air dried.
2. Oil from the earlobes on down.
3. I have a hair oiling video on youtube. Google search for Heidi W. hair oil video...and watch it.
4. You do not need to heat this oil whatsoever.
5. Simply take a fingernailfull and rub it on one palm, THEN take the other palm and rub your two palms together to melt it.
6. Oil freshly detangled hair.
heidi w.

[heidi w.]

I buy expeller pressed Coconut Oil from Spectrum Naturals, sign on and look under body care for it. It's for use on hair and skin. It works well on skin too.
heidi w.

[Darkhorse1]

Thanks everyone! My hair didn't like coconut oil once before, but I don't think I had the real deal---this stuff is 100% pure virgin coconut oil, organic. I am going to do what someone suggested here and take a bit into a separate container so I don't contaminate it via using it with my hands. I tried a bit on the tips of my ends---it's really just the last 2 inches of my length that are mega dry. I used it, then clarified it out and used a conditioner (ICON) and a spray on conditioner. So far, I like how the ends feel. I will play around with it though and see what works best.

Thanks for the help! Will see if my hair prefers this regime :)

[faellen]

I find that coconut oil makes a great pre-wash treatment too. I just slather my hair in the stuff the night before I wash.
Heidi's YouTube video is good too, I use her oiling method when BBB'ing.

I just keep my oils at room temperature. Due to the heat wave we had here in summer, it was liquid all the time, but it's quite cold in my house now so it's gone back to a hard solid.

[Firefox7275]

Thanks everyone! My hair didn't like coconut oil once before, but I don't think I had the real deal---this stuff is 100% pure virgin coconut oil, organic. I am going to do what someone suggested here and take a bit into a separate container so I don't contaminate it via using it with my hands. I tried a bit on the tips of my ends---it's really just the last 2 inches of my length that are mega dry. I used it, then clarified it out and used a conditioner (ICON) and a spray on conditioner. So far, I like how the ends feel. I will play around with it though and see what works best.

Thanks for the help! Will see if my hair prefers this regime :)

In terms of penetration and damage reduction/ conserving structural proteins coconut oil is coconut oil since it is all rich in lauric acid, the published research all uses refined non organic stuff.

[sarahthegemini]

Thanks everyone! My hair didn't like coconut oil once before, but I don't think I had the real deal---this stuff is 100% pure virgin coconut oil, organic. I am going to do what someone suggested here and take a bit into a separate container so I don't contaminate it via using it with my hands. I tried a bit on the tips of my ends---it's really just the last 2 inches of my length that are mega dry. I used it, then clarified it out and used a conditioner (ICON) and a spray on conditioner. So far, I like how the ends feel. I will play around with it though and see what works best.

Thanks for the help! Will see if my hair prefers this regime :)

Why did you clarify after oiling? That'd just strip away the goodness of the oil?

[Stray_mind]

I allways oil before washing. I keep my oil in the room temperature and melt it in my palms. Then i put the stuff in my hair,wrap my head with a warm towel and keep it for a while, sometimes trough the night, then i shampoo it out, using little ammount of shampoo.

[Darkhorse1]

I find oiling before washing works best for my hair needs. If I don't, it looks stringy and dirty and not professional.
I think the other coconut oil was mixed with product as it was in a conditioner. This is just straight coconut oil. Didn't use before washing today and am noticing a different---ends are a bit dryer. Will use before washing tomorrow and see if there is a difference again. Thanks for your help/input everyone!