Washing coconut oil out of your hair

[ghost]

My usual hair routine is to CWC every other day or two, and in between I rub some coconut oil (about a pea-sized amount)into the length.
Lately, though, I've been noticing that if I try to stretch my wash days farther apart than one day in between washes, the coconut oil in my hair starts to smell less than pleasant (it has no smell going onto my hair) and makes me feel sick.
I've tried combining it with cinnamon bark and clove oil, or using one of those Aveda mists on it, but the fact that there's coconut oil possibly going rancid in my hair in the space of one day creeps me out a little. I'm thinking of getting some of that Panacea treatment, since that's supposed to smell pretty good, but I just wanted to know: If you use coconut oil as a leave in-treatment, even a small amount, do you find yourself having to wash your hair more often?

[pepperminttea]

I use coconut oil just as a pre-wash treatment for this reason. I've never had mine go bad on me, smell-wise, but I don't want to chance it really.

[Gumball]

I wash maybe one or twice a week, ultimately depending on how necessary I feel the need to do so. In between I use coconut oil almost daily, if not daily, and I heavy oil at least once a week. I've never had it smell bad. The worst that happens is that it smells just about the same as when I put it on (mildly coconutty). I've had the jar for about two years, and it's still been fine and smelling good. If you notice that it seems to sour fast, maybe it's not as good as it used to be?

[*Aoife*]

I can't stand the smell of coconut oil in my hair. I love the smell of it in the jar, the smell of coconut milk, actual coconuts and coconut scented products but I despise the smell of it on my head! Once it's been absorbed the smell goes away. I don't CO to get it out but I would keep it away from my face at all costs!

Oh and Panacea smells yum

[ghost]

Gumball, I really hope my coconut oil isn't bad already...I just bought it a few months ago :(
Maybe I'll start using it just a prewash, but I really want something to smooth my hair down in the meantime. Woe.

Hopefully Panacea will work better for me, once it comes in.

[Mayalu]

Maybe try Monoi instead? I have used it (both original Tiare and Vanilla) and have never noticed any bad smell - I do need to wash my hair more often when I use it though.

[spidermom]

I've never noticed an unpleasant smell from my coconut oil, but I like it best as a pre-wash treatment because it attracts dust and lint to my hair.

[Daisy88]

I use coconut oil every time after I wash my hair. I use Spectrum Naturals brand, USDA certified Organic, and expeller pressed. I only use a small amount, and I have never noticed any smell at all, let alone a nasty one. ;) Perhaps it is the brand of coconut oil you have? or it IS possible that it is rancid.... even though you just bought it a few months ago. :(

[Capybara]

Do you ever apply it to your scalp? Just a stab in the dark here, but the coconut oil may be reacting badly with your body chemisty.

[ghost]

Mayalu -I've never tried Monoi oil, but I spotted the vanilla one last time I was at the health food store and it smelled really good. I'll have to try that out.

I don't think it's rancid, as it smells ok in the jar. It probably is just interacting badly with my body chemistry -I don't apply it to directly to my scalp unless I'm going to be washing my hair in the next 20 minutes, but it could be reacting with oil transferred from my scalp to the length of my hair by combing, getting on my hands during braiding, etc.

Maybe I will just start using it as a pre-wash.

[irishlady]

Hmm that sounds a bit odd...

I can't really comment much on it though because I usually use my coconut oil as an overnight leave-in before I wash and condition the next morning, but I thought that sounded a bit interesting that it starts to go rancid :confused:

[naereid]

You're not alone! Coconut oil starts smelling bad after a couple of days in my hair, too. During vacation this year I always left it on as salt water protection, and despite rinsing in water a couple of times a day it still started to smell. So I guess the only way to remove the smell is to wash it out.

[Flaxen]

This used to happen to me, too. After less than a day, the scent of coconut oil in my hair would turn from lovely and coconutty to something almost fishy-smelling. I solved it by mixing some shea butter with the coconut oil - no smell change.

The really odd thing is, now I can use straight coconut oil without any change in aroma. :shrug: