Coconut Oil in the Winter

[blackgothicdoll]

Does anyone use coconut oil on their hair in the winter? As a leave-in? Or will your hair turn hair when you walk outside?

[gingerninja]

I use unrefined coconut oil as a leave in. It stays in my hair for about a week until i wash it out and my hair just soaks it up it doesn't solidify in my hair even when the temperature drops below freezing here.

[Ylva]

Coconut oil is always stiff here, and I haven't noticed any special effects during any season.

[Hairkay]

I may use it on my hair ends on a mild winter day.

[ravenskey]

Yep, my hair just sokes it up. I've put it on my ends as liquid a few minutes before walking to school with ice on the roads and had no problems with it resolidifying on me - it depends on how fast your hair adorbs stuff I guess.

[Alibran]

I do, although I think I'm going to have to stop using it as my hair grows because it isn't working so well any more. The amount I use solidifies very quickly when it gets below its melting point. Putting it in wet hair - I have to put everything in wet hair because my hair doesn't absorb product dry - has always resulted in my curls being held nicely in place, and prevented from frizzing as they dry. Now my hair's longer and the curls stretch out when they're wet, they need time to dry and tighten a bit before it solidifies, which they're not getting. I haven't managed to make it work with the diffuser.

Short answer: yes it solidifies.

[lapushka]

Coconut oil (even fractionated) turns my hair dry and brittle. For some people it does that.

I use other oils, like baby oil or sweet almond, macadamia, jojoba, and right now I am using Dr. Hauschka's neem oil blend.

[purpleelephant]

Similar to lapushka, my hair would turn more brittle (particularly my damaged ends) when I put in coconut oil: (I think it may have sealed OUT moisture). In the winter, it just created more hassle with the dry, cold air. But, as all things here, YMMV.

[blackgothicdoll]

Interesting. I find so far coconut oil works best when I use it as a hot oil treatment and shampoo out. I read the coconut oil is both a sealing and penetrating oil, meaning it can fill your strands and also seal moisture in. It might be just filling the strand up and not letting anything else in, including moisture. I haven't used it as a leave in in years because I did end up with crunchy hair before.... I was just curious to see if it could function as a heavier sealer in the winter time the way shea butter does. I don't have any problem with my hair turning hard with a bit of shea butter though, so I may as well just stick to that. Thanks all! :)

[Twig]

Interesting. I find so far coconut oil works best when I use it as a hot oil treatment and shampoo out. I read the coconut oil is both a sealing and penetrating oil, meaning it can fill your strands and also seal moisture in. It might be just filling the strand up and not letting anything else in, including moisture. I haven't used it as a leave in in years because I did end up with crunchy hair before.... I was just curious to see if it could function as a heavier sealer in the winter time the way shea butter does. I don't have any problem with my hair turning hard with a bit of shea butter though, so I may as well just stick to that. Thanks all! :)

I do a hot oil treatment/shampoo out too. It's made all the difference. My hair is pretty dry and frizzy anyway, even though I've ditched the color and heat.

[spidermom]

I've never had coconut oil harden on me even in winter, but I mostly use it as a pre-wash treatment.

[cestlavie]

I use it as a prewash treatment but not as a leave in during winter because it makes my hair stiff during that time of the year.

[gustavonut]

I had it harden on me once, and after that I’ve always used it as a pre poo before shampooing instead of a leave in.

[HaMalka]

I generally don't leave coconut oil in my hair very long but one time I ran out of time to wash my hair and left it in overnight in a chilly house and the next day my hair had white pieces in it and was stiff.

[Jo Ann]

I prefer to switch to a lighter oil blend during winter. Contrary to the FL Travel Bureau's propaganda, it does get cold here in Florida during winter (especially in January and February) and it does get a lot less humid during our winter, so I prefer lighter oils that are absorbed quickly by my hair. I oil more frequently, too, and for that, coconut oil doesn't work well on my hair when it's dry.