so, I've been using coconut oil...

[RachelRain]

for what, about a week or so now? I can actually drag a comb through it... but only if it's wet. dry, it's still not happening. but that's a HUGE accomplishment, my mom used to laugh at me if I even glanced at combs, no matter how wide, in a store, because even she would snap them in pieces (and she's fairly gentle, as long as she's not braiding my hair.)

I was so proud, I slammed on my webcam, called her up and told her to watch me drag a comb through it. :cheese: She asked what my secret was and I just told her I switched conditioners. I didn't want to go through the whole 'ewwww' thing again.

[Gumball]

I loved getting to that point with coconut oil. Combs can glide through oiled hair, and that's all I need! So much less hair breaks, too.

[RachelRain]

yes. soooo much less. I'm so sick of cleaning out my brush every week and being able to create a kitten!

[emsahib]

congratulations :) and nice story. What's the eww thing?

[Gumball]

congratulations :) and nice story. What's the eww thing?

Sometimes people react negatively to alternative ways of caring for hair that they may see as different from the norm. For many that includes oiling, as it's not a commercial product like most shampoos, conditioners, and leave-ins.

[RachelRain]

yes. I asked my mom at first if I could snag some olive oil, because she usually gets the cold pressed virgin stuff and I get soybean, and when she asked why I said 'for my hair' and she got all grossed out.

you should've heard her reaction to honey. LOL. it's been over a week now and I *still* laugh whenever I think of it. awesome.

ETA - you know, she called me this morning to ask if I'd gone and took her advice and bought a hot oil treatment? I didn't even know what to say to that lol. Olive oil is ew, but a hot oil treatment is okay. Where are the lines drawn on whats okay and acceptable?

[Laurenji]

Coconut oil is amazing!!!

I'm definitely as far from "comb-breaking curly" as you could possibly get, but coconut oil is doing wonders for my hair. My hair is so soft that if it's down I can hardly keep my hands out of it. Plus I have the unprocessed kind, so it smells deliciously of coconut. :crush: What's not to love?

[RachelRain]

I can't even call my hair wavy at this point, and I can still snap combs. lol.

granted though, they're plastic ones, so pretty flimsy, but still.

I love curly hair though... I used to have it. I hate that my mom permed my hair when I was a kid and killed it all on me. :(

[Loreley]

I'm glad it works for you! :) I want to try coconut oil too but I haven't found it in the stores I usually go to. My mum's friend was talking about buying different oils (to cook with) which are not common and I asked her where she buys them. She told me there is a shop in the nearest town selling oils and natural stuff. :D I'm excited, I hope I can buy coconut oil there!

[Laurenji]

I found mine in a little hole-in-the-wall organic and natural foods store that just opened up recently. They will probably be getting jojoba oil soon as well, which I also want to try... (although I might not, since coconut oil seems to be working so well.

[RachelRain]

I found this one at a fairly new health food store in the town I grew up in. it's pricy, and sort of... raw vegan. not exclusively, because there's processed foods too, but it seems mostly raw vegan. it's also got a LOT of dairy free, gluten free, etc. it's AWESOME. it's my new fav store. lol.

so I bought the coconut oil but then I found it at walmart - surprisingly, for about the same price even. so I'm probably going to keep getting it at the health food store, since it's an excuse to go back :)

(I in no way meant anything bad about raw vegans. I just couldn't think of what else to describe the place as! lol)

[RachelRain]

you know, I just realized that it's been 95% humidity here for the last hour and a half (I get a notice whenever it changes more than a degree) and my hair is loving it. it feels a little thicker than usual and really there's not much in the way of frizzies at all - nothing I can say beyond normal almost-dry hair friz and broken bits.

I'm happy. almost happy enough to actually do a dance. lol. normally at low 70's, my hair would be FREAKING out, so if this is a result of daily use of the coconut oil... that in itself is enough to keep me using it!

[Dragon]

Glad you have found something that works. Coconut oil is amazing. I get mine off the internet.

[RachelRain]

I was going to do that, but then... just the liquidy aspect... and the fact that the mail carriers around here are sooo not careful... I figured it'd be better if I went out and bought it. I'm probably being overly careful though. I'm sure the jars would be insulated well in the box and everything.

[sipp10]

Coconut oil is solid until warmed, so it can be shipped with no problems! I purchase Nutiva Brand and it is in a plastic, unbreakable container.

[RachelRain]

oh cool. maybe I'll see if there's different stuff online then... this opens options lol

[eezepeeze]

I get mine right in the regular mega-grocery, in the health food department with all the organic spices and flaxseeds, etc. It comes in a glass jar and sort of looks like wax or lard. It's solid. That is, it was solid until the temperature went above 80 degrees in my room...now it's sort of a milky, grainy texture, but it still works. I can't believe I'm almost out of it...I never thought I'd use the whole thing...I'm addicted to it now. It's the only thing that has ever made my steel-wool hair soft and touchable. Hooray for coconut oil :D

[heynormy]

All I have to say is...yet another reason to love coconut oil!! :D

[Toadstool]

How much coconut oil do you use?

[RachelRain]

I did one deep treatment where about 3 tbsp were left it in for a few hours, but otherwise I've been trying to use it instead of my leave in conditioners. I've been pouring just enough to wet my hands and then sliding it over my hair before I brush it in the morning. If I need more because it stopped wetting my hair about halfway down, I just do it again. it seems to be working pretty well so far.

[Cimorene]

Oooh, I love coconut oil! I get mine at my local Whole Foods in a little glass jar that lasts for months. I haven't been able to use mine as a leave-in conditioner, because 1) My scalp's really oily as it is and 2) I love the smell of coconut oil so much that I end up using WAY too much :D, but it's great for a pre-shower treatment.

Actually, the only real drawback is that it makes me crave coconut and pineapple pancakes! :yumm:

[Angela_Rose]

I lurrvve my coconut oil. I have little jars of it in my bedroom, both bathrooms, my kitchen, and my car.

[RachelRain]

those pancakes sound a LOT better than the cherry chocolate chip ones I was going to make tomorrow... now I've gotta go google that. lol.

[StephanieB]

oh cool. maybe I'll see if there's different stuff online then... this opens options lol
I buy mine online.

I use the 16-oz tub of Emerald Laboratories Extra Virgin Certified Organic Unrefined Coconut Oil, which costs between $7-$15, depending on which website you buy from.

Just type "emerald labs coconut oil" into your google search box, and look for the best price (take shipping/handling costs into account when you peruse/shop.

That google search ^ also brings up a couple of links to the capsules, too - so don't make a mistake and get capsules... you want the 16-ounce tub of coconut oil.
It's edible, so you an eat a few tablespoonsful per day, as per the package directions... and/or use it in your hair... and/or use it on your face or other skin. Some LHCers use it in place of deoderant. (it won't stop wetness, but it will supposedly stop odor - I haven't tried that, but there's a whole thread on it here)

[jupiterinleo]

Ooh, I might just try this coconut oil.
I have sweet almond oil, though. Would that work just as well?

[RachelRain]

now THAT is cool. I've got overactive sweat glands anyways, so nothing's ever stopped that, but I have wanted to stop using commercial deodorants for a while now. I'll have to try that, thank you! :)

I've seen almond oil mentioned on here by a few people, jupiterinleo, but from what I've gathered different hair likes different oils, so give it a try and see :) I wanted to try some almond oil myself but didn't see it anywhere, so I got coconut instead. but now I think I'll just order them both off the internet instead.

I learn all kinds of neat stuff daily on here, this is bomb.