How to get Coconut Oil out of your hair

[Phiona]

So I've been oiling my hair for about 6 months. I usually mix two or three oils and then cover my entire head with the mixture. Well I've been reading about how good coconut oil is for your hair so I decided to do one treatment of JUST coconut oil. Ok so here's the problem... I usually wash my hair with cool/cold water so when I washed my hair the cold water made the coconut oil HARD :( i ended up with a tangley mess. I ended up rinsing it with hot water to get it out and the hot water dried out my hair so the treatment was pretty much pointless :( Has this happened to any one else and how do you fix it?

[Rocket22]

I use Conditioner only to get it out and that works great for me. I use warm water then I follow up with a cold rinse and then use white vinegar diluted in a spray bottle and just leave that on. So far so good, and I have been using the Coconut oil now about every other night and wash it out in the morning for about a month or so

[Una]

Did you wash with shampoo at all? When I do a coconut oil treatment, it usually washes out very well with diluted shampoo. Don't worry about losing the benefits of the coconut oil by doing this. Coconut oil is one of the few natural oils that has chemical properties allowing it to penetrate the hair shaft.
The softness and shine granted to your hair by the coconut oil should remain after a shampoo (particularly a suflate-free shampoo).

[Athena's Owl]

I use warm water for showers and i never do a cool rinse (brr)

But you must remember that coconut oil solidifies at about 25 degrees celsuis, so it's solid at (typical) room temperature (Not in here. It's always so hot in my apartment. Whine.)

in order to be effective, coconut oil needs warmth. I've had my hair stiffen on winter days because of the coconut oil.

but I've had no trouble getting the coconut oil out of my hair with warm water and conditioner.

[Phiona]

I use Conditioner only to get it out and that works great for me. I use warm water then I follow up with a cold rinse and then use white vinegar diluted in a spray bottle and just leave that on. So far so good, and I have been using the Coconut oil now about every other night and wash it out in the morning for about a month or so
Thank You :) have you noticed an improvement in your hair since you started using it?

[Phiona]

Did you wash with shampoo at all? When I do a coconut oil treatment, it usually washes out very well with diluted shampoo. Don't worry about losing the benefits of the coconut oil by doing this. Coconut oil is one of the few natural oils that has chemical properties allowing it to penetrate the hair shaft.
The softness and shine granted to your hair by the coconut oil should remain after a shampoo (particularly a suflate-free shampoo).
Yes i forgot to mention that I use a baby shampoo and the shampoo cleaned it off the top of my hair but it was more near the ends that it wouldnt come out...

[Rocket22]

Thank You :) have you noticed an improvement in your hair since you started using it?

omg have I!!!! I love Coconut oil this has been my favorite (so far) everyone has their preference and you will have to find what works for your hair. I'll try just about anything once, or maybe even twice!! :) EVOO, shea butter, jojoba oil, egss, avacado pack, whatever I can get my hands on :)


There is a thread on peoples routines check that and try diffent things out. They say to try only one thing at a time so you can figure out what is working and what is not.

[Shany]

You can take it out with conditionner and warm water. You can also try to cover your hair with conditionner some minutes before taking your shower.

[spidermom]

Same for me; conditioner plus shampooing my scalp area, and I use warm water, not hot.

I always want a little coconut oil to stay in my length, at least the ends. I'm not obsessed with getting rid of every last trace.

[ericthegreat]

Coconut oil becomes solid at around 71 degrees F, or around 22 degrees C, so if you are rinsing your hair cold or cool water you really won't be able to get it off of your hair. You need to wash in at least warm, not necessarily hot, but at least warm water to get the oil off your hair.

Also, you didn't specify if you used shampoo to wash the oil out, or if you just used plain water. If you just used plain water, it certainly won't be able to get it out, because all oils repel water. You can use shampoo to remove the oil, but an even more effective way is to use a cone-free conditioner. Apply the conditioner to your oiled hair, let it sit for around 15 minutes, and then wash it out with warm water.

[Sundial]

You can use shampoo to remove the oil, but an even more effective way is to use a cone-free conditioner. Apply the conditioner to your oiled hair, let it sit for around 15 minutes, and then wash it out with warm water.

This. It really does seem to work better if you let the conditioner sit in for a bit

[vnv]

Sorry to hijack but I am a newbie and have a few questions about this too. At the moment I have heavily oiled dry hair with coconut oil and a dash of olive oil.

When I go to wash it out, should I rinse with warm water, then put the conditioner in and let it sit, or should I apply the conditoner over the oil and let it sit, then go and rinse it all out?

I will probably need to shampoo the roots because my hair can get very oily and lank, so if I put conditioner into the ends (either before or after rinsing pending above question) then shampoo the roots with the conditioner still in, then rinse it all out, does that sound okay?

TIA!

[ericthegreat]

Sorry to hijack but I am a newbie and have a few questions about this too. At the moment I have heavily oiled dry hair with coconut oil and a dash of olive oil.

When I go to wash it out, should I rinse with warm water, then put the conditioner in and let it sit, or should I apply the conditoner over the oil and let it sit, then go and rinse it all out?

I will probably need to shampoo the roots because my hair can get very oily and lank, so if I put conditioner into the ends (either before or after rinsing pending above question) then shampoo the roots with the conditioner still in, then rinse it all out, does that sound okay?



TIA!

Hi vnv, you do NOT wet your hair at all when you are using the CO method (meaning using conditioner only)to wash your hair. You simply apply the conditioner directly to your oiled hair, let it sit for at least 15 minutes, and then you wash it out with a warm shower. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but using conditioner only is actually even more effective in removing oil from your hair than using shampoo. See, the fatty alcohols in a cone-free conditioner will bond very well with the oil molecules, so that when you finally wash it out, the warm water takes out both the conditioner and the oil that is now bonded to the conditioner. However, this bonding process doesn't happen immediately, this is why you have to first allow those 15 minutes for that bonding to happen.

You are free of course to default to using shampoo if that's what you are used to, but the shampoo will dry out your hair. The CO method is a much more gentler method, it will remove the oil from your hair without drying out your hair. In fact, it will leave your hair more moisturized.

[vnv]

:) Thanks ericthegreat. It seems so weird to think about having clean hair without using shampoo, especially considering I have so much oil in my hair right now, but I will trust you :p I can always shampoo if my hair is too oily after.

Im going to wash it out soon, the oil has been in for a few hours now.

[irishlady]

Hi :)

Well this is what I do:

I oil my hair with coconut oil the night before, or I oil and bun/plait it in the morning if I'm washing it later that evening.

I wet it with warm water (lukewarm in the summer). I find this helps to loosen the oil in the hair a bit, no need to use hot water.

I use shampoo mainly on my scalp, and gently push the suds through the length before I rinse, I'll repeat the shampoo if need be.

I then put a good amount of conditioner all over the length, focussing on the ends, and any that's left on my hands I smooth over my scalp.

Rinse with warm (or lukewarm) water and if I can stand it, some cold water (strictly in the summer only).

I switch between cones/non-cones.

Warm water doesn't dry out my hair, and works for me, cold water doesn't do a thing except make my hair shiny.

This is what works for me, but keep in mind that everyone is different.

[cariboo]

However, this bonding process doesn't happen immediately, this is why you have to first allow those 15 minutes for that bonding to happen.


Ah! Maybe this is what I've been doing wrong!! I use coconut oil ALL THE TIME and love it to bits, but I've never been successful with COing it out again, so I CWC, shampooing the roots only... but will give CO another go now - maybe I'm just being too impatient with it!

fingers crossed! & thanks for the tip!

:)

[MaryLA]

Question: where do you buy your coconut oil? I bought some at Walgreens in the ethnic hair section. When I opened the jar, the coconut oil was very thick and sticky. Is that normal? I was thinking it would be liquid like olive oil....

[In2wishin]

Question: where do you buy your coconut oil? I bought some at Walgreens in the ethnic hair section. When I opened the jar, the coconut oil was very thick and sticky. Is that normal? I was thinking it would be liquid like olive oil....

If your jar says 100% coconut oil (may say refined or unrefined) the thickness is normal but the stickyness isn't: it should melt in your hand and be oily. You might have coconut oil with additives.

As others have said, coconut oil should be solid at room temp (up to around 74-76 degrees F) but melt upon contact with your warmer skin. It comes in refined (no smell) or unrefined (smells like coconuts). The best place to get it locally would be a natural foods store or possibly an ethnic grocery (especially Indian or Asian). It will usually be in the cooking oil section.

[MaryLA]

Thanks for the info In2wishin. What brand of coconut oil do you use?
I'm going to look for better quality coconut oil next time I go shopping. Mine says 100% coconut oil, but also lists petrolatum as the first ingredient. It smells just like coconuts.

[kteachone]

Thanks for the info In2wishin. What brand of coconut oil do you use?
I'm going to look for better quality coconut oil next time I go shopping. Mine says 100% coconut oil, but also lists petrolatum as the first ingredient. It smells just like coconuts.

Yeah, that isn't the right stuff. I made that mistake the first time too. My coconut oil isn't organic, but it is 100%. I got it at Kroger.

To get it out, I CWC. The first C is light--I rub my scalp with the conditioner and rinse. Then I shampoo (Sometimes I use a clarifying shampoo--Suave, but most the time I use Lush). The last C is a heavy cone.

Of course, I don't really care too much if it doesn't all wash out--I just put more in after it dries!

[pop]

Hi vnv, you do NOT wet your hair at all when you are using the CO method (meaning using conditioner only)to wash your hair. You simply apply the conditioner directly to your oiled hair, let it sit for at least 15 minutes, and then you wash it out with a warm shower. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but using conditioner only is actually even more effective in removing oil from your hair than using shampoo. See, the fatty alcohols in a cone-free conditioner will bond very well with the oil molecules, so that when you finally wash it out, the warm water takes out both the conditioner and the oil that is now bonded to the conditioner. However, this bonding process doesn't happen immediately, this is why you have to first allow those 15 minutes for that bonding to happen.

You are free of course to default to using shampoo if that's what you are used to, but the shampoo will dry out your hair. The CO method is a much more gentler method, it will remove the oil from your hair without drying out your hair. In fact, it will leave your hair more moisturized.


Something I do wrong because the last time I oiling my hair with coconut oil, without wet my hair I put conditioner and rub my head, I let it in my head about 20-30 minutes and then I wash it with warm water and only conditioner (I use Johnsons baby conditioner) , then I rinse it with apple vinegar and cold water and the top of my head is oily..:( Only if I put in my roots shampoo I dont have this..but I love only conditioner method :(

[In2wishin]

Thanks for the info In2wishin. What brand of coconut oil do you use?
I'm going to look for better quality coconut oil next time I go shopping. Mine says 100% coconut oil, but also lists petrolatum as the first ingredient. It smells just like coconuts.

I saw that on the Walgreen's website and wondered if that was what you got. Their labeling is definitely misleading. I did see Natures way on their website but it looked like they were promoting it as a dietary supplement so if you go back to Walgreens check in that section or ask (the stores don't always carry the same stuff as their website). If you are in a small town without a natural foods store that may be a solution.

I use Jarrow refined (don't like the coconut smell of unrefined) for any formulations that need coconut oil. I actually use Babassu oil on my hair because I get clogged pores on my scalp when I use coconut oil.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Resurrecting this thread - At the moment my length from ears down is fairly well glued together with coconut oil which I want to remove. Yesterday I warmed some conditioner, put it through my dry hair, then put a shower cap on and allowed it to soak through the oiled hair for an hour. Then washed my hair in warm water, diluted shampoo and did another lot of conditioning, rinsed in warm water, then a cold vinegar and water final rinse.

My hair is STILL full of coconut oil, it didn't come out. Any further suggestions? Apart from washing a couple of times over with undiluted shampoo, which would probably do it?

[two_wheels]

sarahlabyrinth, I had the same problem yesterday- am currently trying shampoo bars at the mo instead of my usual Pantene ice white which I feel is drying. I don't want to give up overnight oil because without it my hair is very porous.

So soaked 30 mins in conditioner then rinsed out, then shampoo bar and acv... Waited 8h for it to dry, and was horribly oily still so I had to wash again with tons of shampoo. It's a shame because when I use shampoo bar without pre-oiling, it turns out lovely, but I have to pre-oil quite often to avoid porosity problems.

Is there a specific conditioner we should be using for this? I used tresemme naturals. If it's cheap and available in the uk... Well, that would be even better :)

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I don't know if there is a specific conditioner we should use. I shampooed undiluted 3 times yesterday and the oil is still there, hardly any came out. I might hunt through my conditioners today and try again with a different one.

[two_wheels]

How strange. Hope you get it out. For what it's worth, Pantene Ice Shine shampoo (lots) followed by Tresemme Naturals conditioner (also lots) worked for me.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Thanks two_wheels. I just tried soaking it in Pantene conditioner for an hour this morning and rinsed it out. My hair is still damp at the moment but as far as I can tell it feels as if the oil is gone. It must depend what conditioner you use...We can't buy Pantene Ice shine here. Not sure about Tresemme Naturals either, am getting groceries this afternoon and will see what I can find. ETA: Most of the oil has gone, some is still there.