Coconut oil vs Argan oil

[Nymphadora]

Hello! Between the obvious price discrepancy what's the difference hair wise of these two? Is one more penetrative, better for a certain cause, etc? I have both and sometimes blend them together on my damaged but hopefully improving hair lol. Thanks!

[meteor]

Well, all natural oils have some differences, of course, and just looking at their fatty acid compositions (see at the bottom of my post), you see how different they are.
The fact that coconut oil contains a lot of medium chain triglycerides is probably the reason why it penetrates hair so well.
Let the way your hair feels and looks guide you. There is certainly no problem mixing 2 or more oils or rotating.
Since you mentioned the price differential, I wanted to add that it's cheaper to get big bottles of 100% argan oil in cooking sections of Middle Eastern stores. Also, I find that argan oil is pretty similar in its composition to sweet almond oil.

Coconut oil's effect on hair is definitely more researched than argan, and it's been shown to penetrate hair and bind to hair keratin, preventing some damage (protein loss) during washing (1, 2, and 3).
Another study (4) shows that hair can absorb around 15% of its weight in coconut oil in an hour. An overnight soaking oil increases absorption to around 20% or 25%. This is good news, because it lowers the risk of hygral fatigue (damage from swelling and de-swelling of hair shaft from water, like an old elastic tape) from overwashing hair.

See the studies:
(1) Effect of mineral oil, sunflower oil, and coconut oil on prevention of hair damage: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12715094
(2) Investigation of penetration abilities of various oils into human hair fibers: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16258695
(3) Secondary ion mass spectrometric investigation of penetration of coconut and mineral oils into human hair fibers: relevance to hair damage: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11413497
(4) Quantitative measurement of the penetration of coconut oil into human hair using radio-labeled coconut oil: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22487449


Compare the fatty acid breakdowns of these 2 oils:
Argan oil (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argan_oil):
Fatty acid Percentage
Oleic 42.8%
Linoleic 36.8%
Palmitic 12.0%
Stearic 6.0%
Linolenic <0.5%

Coconut oil (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_oil):
Fatty Acid Percentage
Caprylic saturated 9%
Decanoic saturated 10%
Lauric saturated 52%
Myristic saturated 19%
Palmitic saturated11%
Oleic monounsaturated 8%
Other/Unknown 5.3%

[Nymphadora]

Thanks for all that, meteor!!! That's great stuff. I see that about coconut oil as sometimes I load it into my hair at night and it feels totally absorbed in the am. That's really interesting!

[meteor]

Thanks for all that, meteor!!! That's great stuff. I see that about coconut oil as sometimes I load it into my hair at night and it feels totally absorbed in the am. That's really interesting!

Yep, I get that effect too (unless I abuse the oil and then my ends get crunchy from the overload), and I love it. It also means that I don't get incredible shine from coconut, since it penetrates and gets absorbed very well, but I get much stronger shine from oils that just sit on top of hair, e.g. mineral, grapeseed, safflower, etc.

[mariechin1234]

The only downside to using argan oil is the fact that it contains a lot of oleic acid which is highly comedogenic. So while it may be good for oily skin and psoriasis, it could clog pores and cause inflammatory acne. Coconut Oil is comprised of many fatty acids.

[Nymphadora]

What about maracuja oil has anyone heard of that? I have a bottle of it by Tarte brand I got as a gift and it's meant for the skin. However, I wondered if it would be suitable for hair!

Thanks for your responses.:)

[meteor]

What about maracuja oil has anyone heard of that? I have a bottle of it by Tarte brand I got as a gift and it's meant for the skin. However, I wondered if it would be suitable for hair!

Thanks for your responses.:)

Why not? You can always try it on hair. :)
But to be perfectly honest, my first thought was: maracuja (passionfruit seed) oil is kind of pricy to be used on dead matter like hair... :) Scalp is a different story, you can treat it like you treat skin (with minor modifications). Personally, I use ordinary olive, coconut and mineral oil on hair, and I'm only picky about the oils I eat or apply to scalp and skin.

But here is some good stuff on maracuja oil by the brand you are using on Paula Begoun's Beautypedia:
"Maracuja oil has documented anti-inflammatory properties and, at least in animal tests, can stimulate the production of fibroblasts, cells that make collagen. It's also a source of lycopene, and antioxidant common to tomatoes (Sources: International Journal of Cosmetic Science, October 2012, pages 435–440; Planta Medica, September 2009, pages 1,221–1,226; Acta Cirugica Brasiileira, Volume 21, Supplement 3, 2006, pages 55–65; and Journal of Medicinal Food, Volume 8, Spring 2005, pages 104–106)."
http://www.paulaschoice.com/beautypedia-skin-care-reviews/by-brand/tarte-cosmetics/_/Pure-Maracuja-Oil

Generally speaking, when you are experimenting with new oils, the only thing I'd caution about is drying capacity of oils: http://ktanihairsense.blogspot.ca/2011/12/understanding-drying-capacity-of-oils.html
Drying oils polymerize in contact with oxygen, forming a hard-to-remove film over time, which makes them awesome for painting if you are an artist but bad for hair build-up if you use too much and leave them in for too long.
Here is an extensive list of different oils and their drying capacities: http://soapcalc.net/calc/OilList.asp - sort them by "iodine value", as oils with iodine value of 130-190 or higher are usually considered "drying". (And in case you are wondering, maracuja/passionfruit seed oil iodine value is around 115-150 (http://www.gardenofwisdom.com/catalog/item/3987807/3778862.htm), so it can be considered "drying" or "semi-drying").

Hope this helps with future experimentation with oils. :D

[Nymphadora]

Very interesting, thanks meteor!! :) maybe I'll save that one for the face ;)

[Springs10808]

As someone who uses both, do you notice one or the other working better against frizz? I have a bottle of argan oil that I bought quite a while ago, and I've been using it as part of my post-wash routine to keep frizz down. It's been working quite well, but I've been wondering about other oils like coconut because since I've joined LHC, I've noticed that very few people ever mention argan oil, but many use coconut and others.

[meteor]

Springs10808, I don't really experience major battles with frizz, so I never noticed a big difference between coconut, argan or any other oil in that respect. In my experience, silicones are even better than natural oils at smoothing down hair without weighing it down or making it look greasy, so I would choose them for frizz control.
I think "sealing" oils that coat hair (e.g. mineral, grapeseed) are generally preferred for anti-frizz action compared to "penetrating" oils (e.g. coconut, olive, palm), but I think all occlusives: oils, silicones, waxes, etc help cut down on frizz, so I recommend using whatever feels and looks nicer on your hair. :)
The choice of oils is pretty individual, some folks hate coconut while others swear by it, and you'll find this across the board about many oils. :)

[Nymphadora]

I as well do not have frizz, I am trying to use the oils to help my hair's condition so sorry I can't help there!! I do make a aloe gel w coconut oil I've heard of on here that keeps my strands in place, if that's something you'd like to try :)

[joytoday12]

Greetings from our home state of NJ!

Just my two cents: I've noticed that when I use coconut oil, if I go outside and there is still some moisture in my hair, or if I don't completely distribute it throughout my hair, the oil solidifies. It hardens like that chocolate sauce that makes a shell on ice cream, and looks verrrry strange. So a word to the wise - remember that some oils harden at cool temperatures, like coconut and olive oil. On the other hand, I have a little bittle of jojoba oil in my chilly NJ bathroom cabinet that won't harden off even in the recent 20' temperatures we've been having.

So, I'd say, use the argan on COLD days, and the coconut oil when it's warmer.

[lady mechanic]

I like to use coconut oil as a pre shampoo treatment (melt it put in on my hair let it soak for an hour then shampoo out) then use argan oil as a leave in to seal in moisture after I shampooed and conditioned the coconut oil out. It works great for me

[evalina]

Have to agree with joytoday12, my coconut and babassu oils harden in my hair at cold temperatures. Therefore not using them anymore during daytime, only as prewash over night.
My Argan and my almond oil is from Primavera and both have a great quality. My hair soaks it up in no time.

[sapphire-o]

Neither of them work for my hair. Coconut oil tend to give me crunchy ends. Argan oil seem to form a waxy buildup (that I once had to wash 5 times to get rid of). I can use some other oils just fine, including cheap oils like sunflower or rice bran oil. Argan oil works great on my DH's typical Caucasian hair however. I suspect that's why it's so popular as there are so many people with Caucasian hair here.

[DweamGoiL]

I've never used coconut oil straight from the jar because years ago I fell in love with Monoi Oil. It also solidifies in cooler temps, but I don't see it harden on my hair. I use it as a leave in when I wash and I have never had an issue with it solidifying in my hair and coating it a la ice cream shell. I do use a tiny amount since my hair is fine and cannot handle heavy oilings. I have never used Argan. Since I have been on LHC for a long time, I have seen oil fads come and go. At first, I tried this and that, and nothing worked better than my trusty Monoi and sometimes Jojoba, but the latter tends to be a bit heavy for me so it's only once in a blue moon type of thing. I do not have caucasian hair, but it is wavy and fine, and I have a lot of it. I call my hair humidity hair because 1 drop in the air will cause it to frizz up crazily. I tend to struggle through Summers with my hair.

[maborosi]

My hair hates argan oil- it did nothing for me. Coconut oil leaves my hair detangled and well-moisturized, but I have to be mindful how much I use otherwise it looks really greasy.

I love grapeseed oil- nothing beats it, oil-wise, as far as shine and smoothing goes.

[MINAKO]

Although neither of these are on top of my list, they occasionally make it into the top 5 if that makes any sense. Coconut oil makes my hair shinier and keeps it tangle free for longer while argan makes it really soft and seems to do a better job at preventing breakage.
That being said my current favorites are Macadamia, Avocado, Sesame and Hemp Seed in no particular order, but since Sesame is so cheap its the most puchased one of these. I also love Lanolin, Jojoba and Sweet Almond. Unfortunately i dont have a strong memory of Poppy Seed and Wheat Germ oil, but will try these again. basically i CAN go with any oil exept Olive, i hate that stuff with a passion, dont get it in my hair, keep it out of my food.
Apart from chemistry and specification there really only tryal and error, what works wonders for one head of hair might do nothing to another.

[amitomo]

wow Meteor you are a way better version of hair wikipedia :)

[AlexDig]

For frizz, I personally prefer castor oil. You'd think it'd be sticky and stuff but in small quantities distributed over hands and the applied to hair, it's been my alternative to hair serum fir a while now and I love it. Mineral oil is pretty awesome for frizz too but I don't think it actually helps the hair, just covers (I could be wrong here though...just my impression).

[JustLetItBurn]

There are many differences, and some of their positive effects overlap each other. Argan oil is much more expensive and actually clocks in as the most valuable oil per fluid ounce in the world. I use coconut oil to prevent dry skin instead of say a lotion, and I use oil from argan nuts to treat acne (http://essenceofargan.com/). I have used the argan oil on my hair but I get the pure argan oil and it doesn't spread too far in my thick hair. Argan oil also prevents dry skin on my face, but I mainly use it to help prevent and treat acne naturally in my beauty routine.

[lapushka]

I think coconut (if your hair can handle it) might be a much much lighter oil than argan oil is. I think argan is up there, and might range somewhere between olive and castor. IMO.

[Groovy Granny]

For silver or blondes...beware that argan oil can stain &/or cause brassiness.

The stains in my silver hair were removed slowly by discontinuing the oil/shea products and clarifying.

[Crystawni]

For me I use oils only occasionally, preferring coconut oil pre-wash (preventative for protein loss) as it doesn't absorb in to my already soft/slippy hair so much. The coconut oil remains in its liquid form where I live, so no crunchy stuff, either--just wet and oily for even the smallest amount. And I use argan oil afterwards as it's lighter and doesn't keep my hair wet-looking (and I'm lucky it doesn't stain any of my hair colours). It's also my go-to for frizz (humidity, I haz it--all. the. time.), but again, I don't use it every day (moisture in the air, mayhaps, keeps it tangle-free) or even after each wash (my hair settles after day one anyway). But I do use argan oil on my face, neck and elbows every day--it glides on like silk. :)

[Mavi]

I find that if I apply a little coconut oil to my post shower ends, the gets crunchy and actually feel dryer than before, by the time they dry. Has anyone else experienced this? If you did, have you tried argan oil and found that your results were better?

[Obsidian]

Mavi, coconut oil does the same to me. I've actually had my hair break from getting so crunchy after coconut oil. I use argan now and it leaves my hair incredibly soft. I use it like a silicone serum, just a tiny bit scrunched through damp hair.

[cosmic crusader]

I find that if I apply a little coconut oil to my post shower ends, the gets crunchy and actually feel dryer than before, by the time they dry. Has anyone else experienced this? If you did, have you tried argan oil and found that your results were better?

Mavi, that was exactly my experience with coconut oil.

Coconut oil breaks me out in cystic acne, which is depressing because it smells so good! It also makes my hair crunchy and prone to breakage. Argan oil, on the other hand, is a dream on my hair and is my #1 oil so far.

[reilly0167]

Thank you Meteor for the useful information=)

[Daydreamer.]

Coconut Oil deeply penetrates hair and can prevent protein loss during washing. It can make some hair crunchy, though. Argan oil softens and smoothes hair. It makes more sleek/shiny.

[RavenRose]

Mavi, that was exactly my experience with coconut oil.

Coconut oil breaks me out in cystic acne, which is depressing because it smells so good! It also makes my hair crunchy and prone to breakage. Argan oil, on the other hand, is a dream on my hair and is my #1 oil so far.

Exactly my reaction to coconut oil. Since I stopped using products with coconut oil I have had a dramatic reduction with my acme. I now use an Argon based oil blend- I get better results with the oil mix on wet hair, but can use Argon oil on dry hair for ultra softness and shine.

This is a handy chart if you have acme issues- https://www.beneficialbotanicals.com/facts-figures/comedogenic-rating.html

[lillielil]

I use both on my skin, but neither one works in my hair. I use coconut in my OCM mix, and use argan oil as a moisturizer. I have tried using coconut oil in my hair in every way possible, but it just turns out awful. Argan feels nice in my hair, but makes it quite dull.

[TaraDanina]

I use both, for different purposes!

Argan oil: I really do love this stuff. I buy the small size Josie Maran oil at Sephora, and use it sparingly for skin, and about every other day for hair and cuticles. It lasts a little over a month. When I use it for hair, I put a couple drops in my palm and massage into the ends of damp, washed, conditioned, towel-dried hair. This helps lock in moisture big time. My hair looks shiny and feels soft and strong, but never gets greasy.

Coconut oil: coconut oil weighs my hair down a lot. Because of this, I will usually use coconut oil for a scalp treatment, and then hair mask for pre-wash. I've heard coconut oil needs 18 hours to fully penetrate hair, so I do this in the early evening, before a day off, sleep in with it in, and then shampoo, followed by a hair rinse. I prefer cutting the coconut oil with something lighter, like almond or olive oil. Otherwise, my hair will be heavy for days.