I just found out that coconut oil is not moisturinzing.... damnit

[Pear Martini]

Its been my only moisture treatment for the past month or two. I don't know what to do now :(

It makes my hair behave really nicely when I coat all of my hair in it and overnight it.

I guess it just protects hair from protein loss. Bummer.

[halo_tightens]

Hey, go with what works for you! That's one of the biggest lessons I've learned from this site, I think. It doesn't matter what's said about any particular product; you have to go by what it does for your hair.

Words are nothing-- results are what matters! :)

[Madame J]

If it makes your hair nice, why do you care that it's not moisturizing? Oils, in general, do not moisturize -- they can trap in the moisture by creating a hydrophobic barrier/coating on hair, but they do not add more moisture to hair. Water, and things that attract water, add moisture.

Hair does not necessarily need moisture added to it -- it needs what it needs, everyone's needs are different. If coconut oil soaks are making your hair nice, and you don't have any complaints, what's the bummer?

[spidermom]

Poppycock! There are a lot of opinions floating around this site as well as the web in general. This is how I understand it - when we're talking about hair and skin, oil IS moisturizing. When hair emerges from the scalp, it is coated with natural sebum, which provides essential fatty acids (EFAs). The longer the hair gets, the more those natural EFAs are washed and worn away. If you want silky, pliable hair, you have to replace those EFAs, and you do it by adding oil. (PS - and you can't cure dry skin by adding water, either.)

[zule]

Madame J is right. Even facial creams and oils don't moisturize. They set up protection so that your own body's water, or a true moisterizer's, won't "escape" (evaporate). You're having good hair from this treatment, so your hair is really happy with it.

Go with what works.

[Pear Martini]

Yes, I will keep on using coconut oil. I have really dry, damaged hair though. It has been bleached and dyed a few times, so I'm thinking, it must need some added conditioning.

[SimplyViki]

Hey, you live in Miami. The air's moisturizing. ;) The coconut oil will seal it in, if anything. Not to worry, if the results are good, keep at it.

Are you using conditioner, though? I am of the personal opinion that you can never condition enough. That's what my hair seems to think, anyway. :agree:

[ktani]

No oil "moisturizes" hair or skin, depending on how one defines the term. As others have stated, an oil helps keep moisuture in the hair or skin from evaporating faster than it would otherwise.

Many people prefer to oil damp hair for that very reason.

[Pear Martini]

Hey, you live in Miami. The air's moisturizing. ;) The coconut oil will seal it in, if anything. Not to worry, if the results are good, keep at it.

Are you using conditioner, though? I am of the personal opinion that you can never condition enough. That's what my hair seems to think, anyway. :agree:

Hmmm... I never thought of it that way. I guess the air down here is pretty moist all year long lol. I have been washing my hair using conditioner only and shampooing whenever it starts to feel icky. I am so happy that I can now "wash" my hair everyday ithout worrying about it all breaking off :joy:

[Pear Martini]

No oil "moisturizes" hair or skin, depending on how one defines the term. As others have stated, an oil helps keep moisuture in the hair or skin from evaporating faster than it would otherwise.

Many people prefer to oil damp hair for that very reason.

Last time I oiled my hair, was the first time I oiled it while wet. I noticed my hair was wavier that usual, which must mean that it retained more moisture!

Its all making sense to me now.

I just had an AHA moment

[ktani]

Oils do not prevent moisuture vapour from entering the hair.

".... sorption and desorption of water vapor on hair fibers treated with various oils is investigated ... Coconut oil-treated hair had a higher regain than mineral oil-treated hair. ... The lowering of the diffusion coefficient of water vapor by oil films will slow the loss of moisture, an effect similar to "moisturization" of hair.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17520153

In other words, coconut oil allows more water vapour into the hair than mineral oil and slows the loss of moisture from the hair.

[Ursula]

Some people use "moisturizing" in a narrow sense, meaning that the hair contains water moisture.

But, generally speaking, when one talks about "well moisturized" hair, what one means is "well conditioned" hair, not "wet" hair. "Well moisturized" is used to describe hair that is soft, shiny, that detangles easily, etc. In that sense, oils can be "moisturizing."

However, oils alone do not always provide all of the components needed to give hair the "well moisturized" properties. Water is one of the components that contribute to the appearance of being "well moisturized" - but it isn't the only component. Protein (in good balance, not too much and not too little) is another component. For some people, silicones are a component.

I'm guessing that oil isn't the only thing that you use on your hair. You may be using commercial shampoos and conditioners, or wetting your hair with water on occasion, perhaps? The coconut oil your using may be a component of an overall routine that gives your hair the properties that are considered "well moisturized."

[Madame J]

Madame J is right. Even facial creams and oils don't moisturize. They set up protection so that your own body's water, or a true moisterizer's, won't "escape" (evaporate). You're having good hair from this treatment, so your hair is really happy with it.

Go with what works.

Actually, facial creams are an emulsion, with both oil and water products, so they will add moisture to your skin, and they have oil and/or silicone ingredients to prevent that moisture from being lost.

But spidermom has a point -- do we really strive for "moisturized" hair, or do we want hair that is silky and soft? Moisture is a specific term, and oils may not add moisture, but they can certainly improve the condition of some people's hair.

Pear Martini, if your hair is chemically-damaged, it's probably appreciating the coconut oil for its protein-sparing effects when you wash. If you're using conditioner, that might be plenty moisturizing for you.

[Pear Martini]

Oils do not prevent moisuture vapour from entering the hair.

".... sorption and desorption of water vapor on hair fibers treated with various oils is investigated ... Coconut oil-treated hair had a higher regain than mineral oil-treated hair. ... The lowering of the diffusion coefficient of water vapor by oil films will slow the loss of moisture, an effect similar to "moisturization" of hair.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17520153

In other words, coconut oil allows more water vapour into the hair than mineral oil and slows the loss of moisture from the hair.

Wow. Thanks for dropping this knowledge on me. I guess I can keep on going with what I have been doing :heart:

[Honestwitness]

As I understand it, oil can seal OUT moisture, too. It acts as a barrier. If the hair has enough moisture in the shaft, it will be soft and pliable, not dry and brittle. Think of how hair feels when it's sopping wet. It's definitely not brittle.

The trick is putting up the barrier before too much moisture evaporates out of the shaft.

I remember I once asked my pediatrician what to do for my baby's diaper rash. He said to keep the skin moisturized. I asked him what kind of moisturizer I should use, thinking he was going to recommend some expensive diaper rash ointment. He said, "Well...water is the best moisturizer there is."

I thought to myself, "Well...DUH! I guess he's right. Moisture equals water. Water equals moisture."

If you want to water your lawn, you don't use oil. If you want humidity in your air, you get a humidifier, which turns plain, ordinary water into tiny droplets and disperses them in the air.

If you want more moisture in your hair, add water. If you want to keep the water from escaping, add oil AFTER the water.

Now, here's something interesting. If you have too much oil, you need to apply a detergent, which requires lots of water to rinse out. Using all that water would seem good for the hair, but it's not really, because all the oil is also gone. If you let your hair air dry after using detergent and water, you will definitely have dry, brittle hair, because the barrier is gone and way too much water escapes way too fast.

What I haven't figured out yet is how conditioner-only washing can get my hair squeaky clean, but it doesn't come out as dry as when I use shampoo. I don't understand the nature of the ingredients in conditioner. If anyone can enlighten me, I'd be grateful.

[Pear Martini]

Some people use "moisturizing" in a narrow sense, meaning that the hair contains water moisture.

But, generally speaking, when one talks about "well moisturized" hair, what one means is "well conditioned" hair, not "wet" hair. "Well moisturized" is used to describe hair that is soft, shiny, that detangles easily, etc. In that sense, oils can be "moisturizing."

However, oils alone do not always provide all of the components needed to give hair the "well moisturized" properties. Water is one of the components that contribute to the appearance of being "well moisturized" - but it isn't the only component. Protein (in good balance, not too much and not too little) is another component. For some people, silicones are a component.

I'm guessing that oil isn't the only thing that you use on your hair. You may be using commercial shampoos and conditioners, or wetting your hair with water on occasion, perhaps? The coconut oil your using may be a component of an overall routine that gives your hair the properties that are considered "well moisturized."

Thank you. BTW, your avater has made me crave a cup of tea. Its 10:15pm, so I have to stay decaf. Perhaps blueberry or green tea :p

[CaityBear]

Who cares if it makes your hair feel great? Why change your routine if it works.

[getoffmyskittle]

It's not? Well, don't tell my hair. I don't want all those splits to come back.

(IOW: use what works.)

[ktani]

Wow. Thanks for dropping this knowledge on me. I guess I can keep on going with what I have been doing :heart:

You are most welcome. The only thing you need to be sure of with any hair routine or product is if they work for you.

If coconut oil and your hair work well together why stop? But now you have some information to back you up if you are doubting your results.


As I understand it, oil can seal OUT moisture, too. It acts as a barrier. If the hair has enough moisture in the shaft, it will be soft and pliable, not dry and brittle. Think of how hair feels when it's sopping wet. It's definitely not brittle.

The trick is putting up the barrier before too much moisture evaporates out of the shaft.

I remember I once asked my pediatrician what to do for my baby's diaper rash. He said to keep the skin moisturized. I asked him what kind of moisturizer I should use, thinking he was going to recommend some expensive diaper rash ointment. He said, "Well...water is the best moisturizer there is."

I thought to myself, "Well...DUH! I guess he's right. Moisture equals water. Water equals moisture."

If you want to water your lawn, you don't use oil. If you want humidity in your air, you get a humidifier, which turns plain, ordinary water into tiny droplets and disperses them in the air.

If you want more moisture in your hair, add water. If you want to keep the water from escaping, add oil AFTER the water.

Now, here's something interesting. If you have too much oil, you need to apply a detergent, which requires lots of water to rinse out. Using all that water would seem good for the hair, but it's not really, because all the oil is also gone. If you let your hair air dry after using detergent and water, you will definitely have dry, brittle hair, because the barrier is gone and way too much water escapes way too fast.

What I haven't figured out yet is how conditioner-only washing can get my hair squeaky clean, but it doesn't come out as dry as when I use shampoo. I don't understand the nature of the ingredients in conditioner. If anyone can enlighten me, I'd be grateful.

Not all oils seal out as much oil as others, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17520153.

The reason your hair is not as dry with CO'ing, is that the conditioner is not stripping out as much natural oil as your shampoo may have. Conditioners contain water but they also contain waxy type ingredients that act like oils to slow water evaporation down.

[Pear Martini]

As I understand it, oil can seal OUT moisture, too. It acts as a barrier. If the hair has enough moisture in the shaft, it will be soft and pliable, not dry and brittle. Think of how hair feels when it's sopping wet. It's definitely not brittle.

The trick is putting up the barrier before too much moisture evaporates out of the shaft.

I remember I once asked my pediatrician what to do for my baby's diaper rash. He said to keep the skin moisturized. I asked him what kind of moisturizer I should use, thinking he was going to recommend some expensive diaper rash ointment. He said, "Well...water is the best moisturizer there is."

I thought to myself, "Well...DUH! I guess he's right. Moisture equals water. Water equals moisture."

If you want to water your lawn, you don't use oil. If you want humidity in your air, you get a humidifier, which turns plain, ordinary water into tiny droplets and disperses them in the air.

If you want more moisture in your hair, add water. If you want to keep the water from escaping, add oil AFTER the water.

Now, here's something interesting. If you have too much oil, you need to apply a detergent, which requires lots of water to rinse out. Using all that water would seem good for the hair, but it's not really, because all the oil is also gone. If you let your hair air dry after using detergent and water, you will definitely have dry, brittle hair, because the barrier is gone and way too much water escapes way too fast.

What I haven't figured out yet is how conditioner-only washing can get my hair squeaky clean, but it doesn't come out as dry as when I use shampoo. I don't understand the nature of the ingredients in conditioner. If anyone can enlighten me, I'd be grateful.


I don't know if you have tried this but there are some "cleansing conditioners" on the market. The first one I heard of was "Wen", which I have used and can say it works great, cleans, smells good, my hair loves it. One problem is it is $30 for the bottle but if you order online it comes with a deep treatment as well.

If you don't mind spending that much green on your hair, I suggest WEN.

http://www.wenhaircare.com/index.php?uci=ous116&refcd=GO006894s_wen&tsacr=GO3649601086&s_kwcid=TC|8124|wen||S|e|3649601086

VO5 also makes a cleansing conditioner. I think the "Kiwi Lime" is cleansing. It says it right on the bottle. If my scalp feels dirty, I will do this twice. This is the one I use the most because it is pretty cheap and does cleanse my hair.

http://www.overstockdrugstore.com/product_images/x/022400341071.jpg

[ktani]

Conditionders can cleanse the hair. They contain film formers though like the waxy type ingredients mentioned and they can build-up after a while. So can oils if overused. Any type of barrier that is not removed can do that. Some are removed more easily than others in one shampoo. Some require a stronger shampoo or clarifying treatment.

Whatever works best for one's hair is what one should stay with.

[juliaxena]

In my opinion function of oils is similar to those of cones, just that oil is more greasy and cones are more slippery. It just depends what your hair likes. Mine won't absorb oils for anything. However low cone conditioner feels great on it. Again, coney serum doesn't.

[Debra83]

WOW, juliaxena, cool sig pic. great growth.

[jojo]

I have to disagree, coconut keeps my hair lovely and soft, does it moisterize? maybe it just stops moisture leaving the shaft? It works for me and has been my faithful friend during my hair growing!

[LKayL]

I find that coconut oil works really well for my hair, better than a lot of leave-in conditioners you can buy. It's cheap, as well.
:pumpkin::pegasus::kitten:

[florenonite]

It isn't? It's all I use on my hair and eczema-prone skin and it's worked better than anything else.

I do notice that on my drier skin (hands and feet) I need to apply it when my skin's damp after washing my hands or showering, whereas on the skin that's less dry I can apply it when it's not damp. I think this is because of the whole trapping-moisture thing, so if there's no moisture to trap it just sits there but if there is it can be absorbed.

I think hair's the same. I've got reasonably healthy hair, so I can put coconut oil on when it's dry and it makes my hair feel great. I also heavily oil the night before a wash and apply it damp after washing if I remember (I've got to wait about half an hour after taking my hair out of my towel before it stops dripping enough for me to apply oil). Because your hair's more damaged, and therefore drier, applying it to dry hair might not work, but applying it damp should. If applying it dry is working for you right now, though, then keep doing it.

[ChloeDharma]

Oils do not prevent moisuture vapour from entering the hair.

".... sorption and desorption of water vapor on hair fibers treated with various oils is investigated ... Coconut oil-treated hair had a higher regain than mineral oil-treated hair. ... The lowering of the diffusion coefficient of water vapor by oil films will slow the loss of moisture, an effect similar to "moisturization" of hair.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17520153

In other words, coconut oil allows more water vapour into the hair than mineral oil and slows the loss of moisture from the hair.

Oh good, you saved me having to dig out that link!
I suggest anyone interested in the effect of coconut oil reads that study. I also agree with the point that Spidermom made about EFA's, hair is about balance in my opinion, a balance of water (moisture if you like), protein, EFA's etc and like some others have mentioned i think sometimes when people think of moisturising what they really are looking for is replacing whatever is out of balance.

[Katze]

I think a lot of people here use 'moisturizing' as a SHORTHAND term. Certainly, anything that makes your hair feel good is probably a good idea. :)

[heidi w.]

Its been my only moisture treatment for the past month or two. I don't know what to do now :(

It makes my hair behave really nicely when I coat all of my hair in it and overnight it.

I guess it just protects hair from protein loss. Bummer.

Generally speaking, if your hair is not processed, not colored, then protein "loss" is not a concern. This isn't why we oil.

We oil to form a protective coating on the hair to keep it supple.

If you're eating sufficient protein, you should be fine on the protein front. In general, there's no reason to be worried about protein anything with hair UNLESS you're coloring or some form of perming (straightening, flat ironing, thermal X....that kind of thing. Heat. Changing the shape of the hair for a long term time.)

heidi w.

[ktani]

Oh good, you saved me having to dig out that link!
I suggest anyone interested in the effect of coconut oil reads that study. I also agree with the point that Spidermom made about EFA's, hair is about balance in my opinion, a balance of water (moisture if you like), protein, EFA's etc and like some others have mentioned i think sometimes when people think of moisturising what they really are looking for is replacing whatever is out of balance.

I do not think the study I linked is the one you mean. Thanks to Norai, this is the full study pdf of the one that people here often refer to, http://journal.scconline.org//pdf/cc2003/cc054n02/p00175-p00192.pdf

[juliaxena]

WOW, juliaxena, cool sig pic. great growth.

Aww thanks...