Mct Oil for hair?

[apollosdrawer]

From what I understand mct oil is a derivative of coconut oil, and there are some minor differences between the two. For example mct oil is thinner than coconut oil and supposedly it pentrates the hair shaft more.

My question is has anyone tried mct oil or products containing it? I've never heard of it--surprised but pleased that I haven't heard everything about hair oils yet lol.

The main reason I ask is actually because in looking for a good sustainable toothpaste that doesn't come in plastic tubes, I came across one with peppermint oil and mct oil in it...and after seeing some people use mct for hair masks I thought if I don't like it as a toothpaste, I can use it as a hair mask!

Though the idea of doing so without hearing some personal experiences with mct oil makes me a little nervous lol. I've put mayonnaise in my hair before but I suppose toothpaste with an ingredient i haven't heard of before feels like another thing, even if it is all natural stuff.

What do you think? Any mct oil lovers?

[akurah]

From what I understand mct oil is a derivative of coconut oil, and there are some minor differences between the two. For example mct oil is thinner than coconut oil and supposedly it pentrates the hair shaft more.

My question is has anyone tried mct oil or products containing it? I've never heard of it--surprised but pleased that I haven't heard everything about hair oils yet lol.

The main reason I ask is actually because in looking for a good sustainable toothpaste that doesn't come in plastic tubes, I came across one with peppermint oil and mct oil in it...and after seeing some people use mct for hair masks I thought if I don't like it as a toothpaste, I can use it as a hair mask!

Though the idea of doing so without hearing some personal experiences with mct oil makes me a little nervous lol. I've put mayonnaise in my hair before but I suppose toothpaste with an ingredient i haven't heard of before feels like another thing, even if it is all natural stuff.

What do you think? Any mct oil lovers?

I wouldn't use anything with peppermint oil on your scalp or hair. That can cause rashes, irritation, and other problems on your skin. I also don't think putting toothpaste in your hair is a great idea either even if it didn't have peppermint oil.

If you're interested in mct, I'd just buy that directly. I've never used it, but from googling, it looks like it's largely intended to be a food product, and we have a long and storied history of putting food products in our hair on LHC (because it works).

[apollosdrawer]

I wouldn't use anything with peppermint oil on your scalp or hair. That can cause rashes, irritation, and other problems on your skin. I also don't think putting toothpaste in your hair is a great idea either even if it didn't have peppermint oil.

If you're interested in mct, I'd just buy that directly. I've never used it, but from googling, it looks like it's largely intended to be a food product, and we have a long and storied history of putting food products in our hair on LHC (because it works).

Well to clarify, it's not a normal toothpaste, it's supposed to be all natural and its ingredients are mostly different oils. I was already leaning away from using it even for teeth, it was more of a curiosity if it could be used for different purposes.

It's definitely good to know that about peppermint oil! Thanks. Its true that natural doesn't mean risk free, and I'm in no hurry to put things on my hair/skin recklessly.

[JasminxCat]

I wouldn't use anything with peppermint oil on your scalp or hair. That can cause rashes, irritation, and other problems on your skin. I also don't think putting toothpaste in your hair is a great idea either even if it didn't have peppermint oil.

If you're interested in mct, I'd just buy that directly. I've never used it, but from googling, it looks like it's largely intended to be a food product, and we have a long and storied history of putting food products in our hair on LHC (because it works).

I think peppermint oil has great uses as long as it's safely diluted. I actually use peppermint oil to soothe scalp irritation and rashes

[apollosdrawer]

I think peppermint oil has great uses as long as it's safely diluted. I actually use peppermint oil to soothe scalp irritation and rashes

My skin is pretty sensitive generally so I'm overly cautious lol. I could probably contact the seller and ask them what the concentration is like in the product now that I'm thinking about it. It's probably just there to give a minty feeling/scent as people like that from their toothpaste.

Could you tell me more about how you dilute the peppermint oil and why you feel it works for you? And would you say you skin tends to be pretty tolerant or is it sensitive as well?

I rarely put any of my oils/hair products on my scalp anyway, I concentrate on the ends.

[JasminxCat]

My skin is pretty sensitive generally so I'm overly cautious lol. I could probably contact the seller and ask them what the concentration is like in the product now that I'm thinking about it. It's probably just there to give a minty feeling/scent as people like that from their toothpaste.

Could you tell me more about how you dilute the peppermint oil and why you feel it works for you? And would you say you skin tends to be pretty tolerant or is it sensitive as well?

I rarely put any of my oils/hair products on my scalp anyway, I concentrate on the ends.

I have VERY sensitive skin so what I'm able to use is very limited in skin products. If you're worried, do a patch test first. To dilute it, I use 3 drops per 1 tablespoon of preferred carrier oil. For skin lotion, 2 drops per pump. Its helped alleviate my itchy, irritated skin on my scalp and body. I also find it to be great on the temples for migraines

You can also add it into your shampoos or body wash, but not sure what the ratio of that would be

[akurah]

Peppermint contains menthol, which is probably why it soothes skin when diluted. Sarna, a very popular anti-itch cream, has active ingredients of menthol and camphor. I personally can't handle peppermint in any dilution, or even Sarna, on my skin, so I'm SoL there, but it can work for many people. So if diluted it might work just fine, but not gonna lie, I'm skeptical (but biased due to my own experiences).

[apollosdrawer]

Well my hair isn't very picky. So my conclusion thus far is if the seller gets back with me and says the peppermint oil is a very small percentage of the formulation, it Could go on my hair (after a patch test to be safe of course). Which is really all I was thinking. But it probably wouldn't be a fantastic hair mask. And if it was, it would probably just be the mct, in which case I'd be better off just buying the mct as you said akurah.

I am curious if you've actually tried the mct oil yourself though? Sorry, I was unsure based on your first post.

And I mean I understand you warning me about the possibility of irritation. Aloe vera tends to make my skin red and faintly itchy, because aloe naturally produces some latex, which is irritating to me. Even though aloe is Supposed to fix itching and burning for most people.

[akurah]

Well my hair isn't very picky. So my conclusion thus far is if the seller gets back with me and says the peppermint oil is a very small percentage of the formulation, it Could go on my hair (after a patch test to be safe of course). Which is really all I was thinking. But it probably wouldn't be a fantastic hair mask. And if it was, it would probably just be the mct, in which case I'd be better off just buying the mct as you said akurah.

I am curious if you've actually tried the mct oil yourself though? Sorry, I was unsure based on your first post.

And I mean I understand you warning me about the possibility of irritation. Aloe vera tends to make my skin red and faintly itchy, because aloe naturally produces some latex, which is irritating to me. Even though aloe is Supposed to fix itching and burning for most people.

No, I have never used it. My hair prefers to be left alone. What caught my attention was the peppermint oil, and a lot of people have been nastily surprised with bad reactions from stuff like peppermint oil because there's often not any warnings anywhere about that stuff typically (like to both dilute it and spot check on the skin), and people don't always think to warn others. Another one that will occasionally cause me to poke my head into a thread is that several citrus-based oiled are phototoxic (not all are) and if you're gonna use a citrus oil on your skin, you need to look up whether or not it's one of the phototoxic ones.

[squirrrel]

I have mct oil. I have never considered using it on my hair though. I shall consider. I don’t know that I would purchase it for hair alone though.

[Suortuva]

I'm very curious about the results, if anyone tests. I have MCT oil, but for other purposes. Maybe I just go and try it to my ends, ha ha.

[Suortuva]

So, after I wrote that, I tried it on my ends and lengths, and it absorbed nicely. Then I had my hair in a bun, and I just took it down. And now you can't tell I have oiled my hair today, it's fully absorbed and gone. I don't know what to think about that.

[apollosdrawer]

So, after I wrote that, I tried it on my ends and lengths, and it absorbed nicely. Then I had my hair in a bun, and I just took it down. And now you can't tell I have oiled my hair today, it's fully absorbed and gone. I don't know what to think about that.

This lines up with what little reading I did before posting here! I don't have any handy but I'll try it sometime. Jojoba and Squalane oil are the two that absorb the most fully into my hair without weighing it down or getting greasy. It'd be nice to have a 3rd option.

What brand do you have? I'd probably have to go to a health store or the bigger grocery store a town over to find mine. There's some expensive options online.

[Deborah]

I seem to remember that Stephanie, the owner of this board is a fan of mct oil. You might search under her name.

[Suortuva]

My MCT oil is from Body Science, a Swedish brand. It was the cheapest one I could find.

I have used the Ordinary's squalenes, and they work well too, and then my hair likes Babassu oil a lot. I think I maybe should mention that I have very absorbent hair in general.

[lapushka]

Wait. Is MCT the same as fractionated coconut oil?

Hang on I'll go Google-y-doogly! :lol:

Yep, it appears the very same!

Both in solid & in (always) liquid form, coconut oil does zip for me. I get dry, crunchy, brittle ends from it, yes even in the always liquid form.

[Suortuva]

Nowadays I can use the ordinary coconut oil in my hair without any problems. Years and years ago my hair really hated coconut, even commercial products with it.

[lapushka]

Nowadays I can use the ordinary coconut oil in my hair without any problems. Years and years ago my hair really hated coconut, even commercial products with it.

Oh that reminds me! I had a brief stint with the Dabur Vatika coconut oil, as that seemed to work better for me. I actually managed to finish up a bottle, so if that doesn't tell you enough, I don't know what will. :) It was not always liquid though, so I would need to put the little green bottle in a bowl of warm/hot water every time.

Would I buy it again? No. CO doesn't work as well as other oils, not even the Vatika one, even though it worked much better on my hair for some reason than plain CO.

[apollosdrawer]

Wait. Is MCT the same as fractionated coconut oil?

Oh I hadn't made the connection! Interesting. I haven't really explored coconut oil fully. I'd certainly like to like it, since it can be pretty cheap in the grocery store, at least the hard kind. It can feel pretty heavy on my hair in my experience though.

If they're truly the exact same thing, that's interesting, because products labeled "mct oil" seem to be much more expensive than things labeled as fractionated coconut oil.

Maybe it's a marketing difference? Mct oil seems to be advertised as being very healthy, keto friendly, etc...they're acting like its more of a specialty good.

[momof3mary]

They sell MCT oil at my local Walmart neighborhood market. It's on the cooking oil isle. I've thought about trying it but I need to use up the oils I already have.

[barnet_fair]

Wait. Is MCT the same as fractionated coconut oil?

Hang on I'll go Google-y-doogly! :lol:

Yep, it appears the very same!

Both in solid & in (always) liquid form, coconut oil does zip for me. I get dry, crunchy, brittle ends from it, yes even in the always liquid form.

Haha, lapushka, "I'll go Google-y-doogly" made me giggle!

We call this fractionated coconut oil in the UK. I haven't heard it called MCT oil, except in some health food shops aimed at dietary use. I buy mine from Amphora Aromatics and use it for both hair and skin.

I bought it because I wanted to try coconut oil, but I find the scent of coconut a bit overwhelming. Also, non-fractionated coconut oil is rock solid year round in this climate. Fractionated coconut oil is liquid and has no scent, and I find it adds slip and shine to hair. I use it as a pre-wash treatment, add it to oil blends, and apply it to my face at night. It seems to "absorb" well into both hair and face, but I'm not sure of the physical principles behind this and whether it's actually good for the cuticle, so YMMV.

There's a thread about fractionated coconut here: https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=127914 Some others too, if you use the search.

[lapushka]

Haha, lapushka, "I'll go Google-y-doogly" made me giggle!

We call this fractionated coconut oil in the UK. I haven't heard it called MCT oil, except in some health food shops aimed at dietary use. I buy mine from Amphora Aromatics and use it for both hair and skin.

I bought it because I wanted to try coconut oil, but I find the scent of coconut a bit overwhelming. Also, non-fractionated coconut oil is rock solid year round in this climate. Fractionated coconut oil is liquid and has no scent, and I find it adds slip and shine to hair. I use it as a pre-wash treatment, add it to oil blends, and apply it to my face at night. It seems to "absorb" well into both hair and face, but I'm not sure of the physical principles behind this and whether it's actually good for the cuticle, so YMMV.

There's a thread about fractionated coconut here: https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=127914 Some others too, if you use the search.

Awesome; thanks for the thread search! Maybe we can merge all those threads together and put MCT / fractionated coconut oil in the title to combine them all. :hmm: Just a thought.

[Suortuva]

MCT oil is often, but necessarily always, made of coconut oil. But, it can be made out of other oils too.

MCT is short for Medium-chain triglycerides.

Here's the Wikipedia article of Medium-chain triglycerides: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medium-chain_triglyceride

[Obsidian]

While I've not used mct, I have used fractionated coconut oil which is very similar. My hair doesn't like coconut oil in general so it didnt care for the fractionated but it did work great on my skin and for cooking. Its a non greasy oil on the skin.

If you want to try it, check the cooking oil section at a grocery store. Any coconut that is in a liquid form is fractionated.

If you want to try coconut oil for teeth, look into the oil pulling method. You use regular coconut oil for that.

[apollosdrawer]

While I've not used mct, I have used fractionated coconut oil which is very similar. My hair doesn't like coconut oil in general so it didnt care for the fractionated but it did work great on my skin and for cooking. Its a non greasy oil on the skin.

If you want to try it, check the cooking oil section at a grocery store. Any coconut that is in a liquid form is fractionated.

If you want to try coconut oil for teeth, look into the oil pulling method. You use regular coconut oil for that.

I've actually never seen liquid coconut oil at my local grocery store which is why mct oil seemed so novel to me.

I'm not interested in oil pulling for teeth, just stuff that comes in sustainable packaging.

[squirrrel]

Wait. Is MCT the same as fractionated coconut oil?

Hang on I'll go Google-y-doogly! :lol:

Yep, it appears the very same!

Both in solid & in (always) liquid form, coconut oil does zip for me. I get dry, crunchy, brittle ends from it, yes even in the always liquid form.

It can come from other things than just coconut, and is but one tiny part of the oil. Not sure it can be compared to coconut oil in the least as it is a very thin oil, no smell of coconut and not good for cooking with as it burns at very low temperatures. It can be C8, C10, or a mix of both. I have pure C8 as this is the most useful in my diet when I choose to use it. But I don’t know that I would recommend buying for hair, doubly so if you have doubts about the kind of oil.