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Intotouch
May 12th, 2011, 09:33 AM
My first three months following advice from this wonderful forum were fantastic! My hair was in better condition than it had been for decades. Then i started to experiment with oils. I read a lot of peoples reviews of oils, especially coconut oil, and having such great experiences from the other advice on here i dived headlong into it, trusting all that i read.

As i mentioned on another thread coconut oil is awful for my hair. It leaves it tangly, sticky and snappy at the ends. Because i read so many fabulous reviews of this oil i decided that this sudden rubbish condition meant that i had used it wrong. It couldn't possibly be causing this. So i tried less on damp hair. Then in an SMT. Then eventually i decided to believe my eyes and that coconut oil does not soak into/improve my hair but rather the opposite! It wrecks my hair and leaves it with build up that is slow to remove. So before i venture into new oils (I have tried only olive oil, almond oil and rapeseed oil) i wanted to post this in case there are other oils that i should worry about/need to strand test before trying.

Please stop recommending coconut oil to all and sundry! It does bad things to some peoples hair. My hair is fine, thin and curly.

Delila
May 12th, 2011, 09:37 AM
Well, on the plus side, at least you figured out what was going on.

I've decided that I'll only use camellia oil or shea butter. Those seem to be the only two my hair seems to like. I've done a lot of experimenting, but wasn't really thrilled with the results I got from other stuff.

One thing I've noticed is that both my hair and skin seem to respond to the oils the same way, so oils that don't work for my skin/nails, also don't work for my hair.

MsBubbles
May 12th, 2011, 09:39 AM
Coconut oil does terrible things to my hair too! I think it's better suited for the thick-haired. My hair is too wimpy for it. Camellia oil works better because it's so light-weight.

I also wasted a lot of money on products other people here swear by: a ficcare, Aubrey Organics conditioners, any conditioner without cones, hair sticks...:)

may1em
May 12th, 2011, 09:45 AM
Olive oil doesn't work for me. I tried doing a deep treatment with it once, and it didn't wash out all the way (I tried, too), so I ended up having to dump a massive amount of baby powder into it to look presentable, instead of like I'd forgotten to wash my hair in a while. Coconut is good for me, but in small amounts.

krissykins
May 12th, 2011, 09:47 AM
Coconut oil works fine for quite a few people, even those with fine hair. I'm going to keep recommending it because there are a lot of people who have had great success with it. Keep in mind that we don't know the magic formula for what will work with your hair, so we can only recommend what has worked for us in the past. I understand your frustration but coconut oil has been a tried and true treatment for a lot of people here. :twocents:

Did you have refined or unrefined coconut oil, by chance? Unrefined seems to work a lot better for hair than refined.

As for worst oil experience, I've been quite please with all the oils I've tried, although sweet almond oil was a tad bit heavy. I've tried coconut, jojoba, sweet almond, castor, and olive oils.

Emerald88
May 12th, 2011, 09:48 AM
No one item is going to work for everyone's hair type unfortunately. I am sorry the coconut oil did not work for you, but now you know. It is the best oil for my hair and when someone asks what works for my hair, I will continue to recommend it. It is always an experiment to find out what works on your hair. The best way is to find others with the same hair type as yours usually. It is unrealistic to think that every piece of information you pick up here will automatically work for you or that someone on this site can tell you specifically what you need to do for your hair. If only it were that easy, but it trial and error for everyone.

Islandgrrl
May 12th, 2011, 09:49 AM
My hair loves coconut oil. But it's thick and has a tendency to be frizzy even though it's not curly. Olive oil is the one I won't go near. It left my hair sticky and clumpy and took four shampoos to wash out. Gross. I don't like shea butter in my hair, either, for pretty much the same reason. Camellia oil and argan oil are both good, though. Sweet almond oil is awesome on my skin but not my hair. One thing I've discovered (through trial and error) is that over oiling with *any* oil makes my hair well and truly awful. So when I use the oils my hair likes, I use them sparingly.

Every product isn't for everyone, and pretty much the only way to determine what works for you is to try stuff.

Oh, and should you ever decide to try a treatment with eggs in it, remember to rinse/wash with cool water. :wink:

Signe
May 12th, 2011, 09:54 AM
i need a mix of olive and coconut: olive to give the moisture and detangle, coconut to help the mix penetrate my hair so it doesn't just sit on top. either one alone is not that great for me.

Sundial
May 12th, 2011, 09:54 AM
I didn't like coconut oil too because it made my ends crunchy after a few uses. Shea butter was too heavy for me and was difficult to wash out. I think I might be allergic to argan oil even though my hair seemed to like it.

It seems that different oils work differently for everyone. You just have to try it to know if it is something that works for you or not

jojo
May 12th, 2011, 09:55 AM
Its not that coconut oil does bad things it just doesnt suit your hair thats all. My hair prefers EVOO, coconut oil doesnt seem to soak in my hair well either!

littlenvy
May 12th, 2011, 09:56 AM
Both MsBubbles and I have said it many times that
a) coconut oil does not work for us. (makes my hair feel like barbie doll synthetic)
b) that you have to do strand tests for everything, since different hair behaves differently in a lot of people.

Many people on this forum like other types of oil, (or no oil at all) , rather than coconut oil.

However, it does work great on majority of people.

Now you know what doesn't work for you. Which is a good thing because now you can avoid it and stay away from products that contain it.

and I totall agree with MsBubbles - Camellia oil agrees a great deal with me and its the only oil I can wear daily without washing my hair. (in small amounts that is)


Just one more note. I went to a store yesterday and hair addict that I am, went first to the hair section even though I wasn't going to buy anything. Looked at all the cool new products and old ones that I used to use and then I saw a jar of Super Coconut Oil!! I picked it up just to smell it, love the smell :), and was shocked to see that it was a strange colour when I opened the thing. It turned out that the main ingredient was not coconut oil but mineral oil. :rolleyes: Poor people who have bought it and used it without reading the lable first.

Phexlyn
May 12th, 2011, 09:57 AM
Please stop recommending coconut oil to all and sundry! It does bad things to some peoples hair.
I tried coconut oil and my hair does just fine using it, but the EVOO recommended for deep treatments is just way too much on my fine hair and extremely hard to remove completely. Using it as a leave-in was even more of a disaster. Oh well, it just happens.
I bought shea butter because people with a similar hair type as mine liked it very much, and it left me with either no effect at all or else with sticky hair. It's okay on my skin though, so at least part of it got used.
Jojoba oil is kind of okay, but there are much better oils for my hair. I also tried sunflower oil once, as it was already in the house for cooking, with similar effects as with the EVOO.

My hair likes coconut oil and sweet almond oil. That's probably not what you wanted to hear, but coconut oil is recommended so much because so many members benefit from its effects. As with every other recommendation, you just have to try for yourself if it works on your hair, and no matter how carefully you check the other people's hair types or routines, your experiment might still be a failure. :o

elbow chic
May 12th, 2011, 10:01 AM
All you can really do is try things-- sometimes they'll be great and other times they'll be "eh." There's probably no single thing that works like magic for EVERYONE, but many things will work for a hefty enough majority that they're worth mentioning and trying. :)

Plus, some things that don't work at one time in a person's life may work later. Hair goes through changes as a person gets older, or as the hair gets longer, or as their lifestyles and routines change.

Stretching washes did NOT work for me a year ago, but now it does! :) Who knows what the future holds?

Magdalene
May 12th, 2011, 10:06 AM
My hair doesn't really like oils all that much. I might use some grapeseed for detangling, but a good coney conditioner works just as well for me and is less messy. To each their own!

(I save the coconut oil for eating- it's good for you!)

Sagi1982
May 12th, 2011, 10:11 AM
The worst oil I ever tried was the the wellbeloved olive oil. I couldn't wash that stuff away in four shampoo washes.
Never again!

vanillabones
May 12th, 2011, 10:19 AM
Just wanted to add my two cents that my hair is very fine and very thin and it loves coconut oil. I apply so much that it would probably scare off classic length members :D then when I wash it off I put a tad on my damp hair and my hair dried and looks thicker and fuller. It has to be the coconut oil because any days I don't put it on damp my hair looks meh as usual.

It works for most, just not for all :) Trial and error. I didn't know if it would work for me since it's not the top favorite amongst fine thinnies. But it is my favorite.

Sagi1982
May 12th, 2011, 10:28 AM
Trial and error seems to be the right method for most natural hair treatments. :D

In2wishin
May 12th, 2011, 10:29 AM
Works:


Babassu
argan (small amount as a leave in)
Jamaican Black Castor (deep treatment)
Grapeseed, avocado, sunflower, cocoa butter, kokum butter, shea butter (in varying amounts in my homemade conditioner)


Doesn't work:


Coconut (virgin, refined, or fractionated)
Olive
Sweet Almond

Audrey Horne
May 12th, 2011, 10:35 AM
The worst one was sunflower oil, it was years ago, so it doesn't count ;-)
My hair loves coconut oil BUT only in SMT or condish. Coco alone (on the wet/damp/dry hair) leaves me with hateful crunchy ends. I use EVOO on daily basis.

selderon
May 12th, 2011, 10:44 AM
Please stop recommending coconut oil to all and sundry! It does bad things to some peoples hair. My hair is fine, thin and curly.

:confused: Do I understand correctly that you want everyone at LHC to stop recommending coconut oil because it doesn't work for some people? If that's the standard, we'd have to stop making suggestions altogether.

Trial and error is the only approach that we know works. Without it, I never would have known that EVOO leaves my hair silky and insanely shiny or that ACV rinses left it so light. I've tried things that didn't work so well. I know they work for some people, but not for me. I simply omitted them from my routine.

Firefly
May 12th, 2011, 10:48 AM
Well, naturally people are going to recommend what works for them. For me that is implied in all recommendations I read here: just because it works for someone else I know I might not get the same result. It is interesting what works for some and not others.

From my own experimentation I discovered that I have to be very careful with the Monoi coconut oil... after a while I get the crunchies. I need to use it very sparingly. Recently I starting using Vatika oil as a deep conditioning treatment and that seems to work well (though I think it's too soon to say definitively). For some reason my hair seems to love the tub of plain, unrefined coconut oil I have. I can use that as often as I like and my hair doesn't get tangly or crunchy. Obviously, for others, YMMV.

theodora
May 12th, 2011, 10:49 AM
Worst: olive oil, had a horrible experience with it when I was a teenager, took like 3 washes to get it off completely

I like coconut oil fine, though I use it more on body than hair.
Love, love, love wheatgerm oil and jojoba oil, had good results with both. Oh and argan in small doses.

Now you've all made me curious about camelia oil, didn't know it existed but it sounds lovely and I'm sure it smells delish!

theodora
May 12th, 2011, 10:52 AM
Oh yes and Monoi of course, it smells so nice! My aunt used to live in Tahiti so she'd always brought some back. It worked really awesome on her but she has thick wavy Spanish dark hair, and I have thin blond hair so can't really use it as leave-in if I don't want to look like an oil-slick!

As everyone says, it's all trial and errors, there's no magic cure-everything work-for-all oil!

Intotouch
May 12th, 2011, 11:10 AM
Sorry, i should have expressed myself better. I wanted to keep the title short and that was the best that i could come up with. Of course i did not mean never recommend coconut oil. Yes it works for lots of people. I have a very dear friend who herself swears by it.

What i should have said was "please stop recommending coconut oil without qualifying it by saying it can be bad for some hair." That would have been very long though for a title. I thought that by saying "stop recommending it to everyone" that this was implied. Everyone meaning it may not suit everyone.

For months i only read only rave reviews of it. All this wisdom combined with fabulous photographs of hair can turn a new girls head you know!

In the case of other products, cones for example, i read plenty of people saying it suited some hair or not others, or reading differing opinions on it. Not so the coconut oil. So please provide a warning as it could save another person much frustration and confusion and breaks. If all you read is how fabulous it is it's very easy to blame your application or another product.

Camelia oil sounds good. I've never seen it though. Where would you normally find it?

That was a very interesting point that what doesn't suit the hair doesn't suit the skin.

littlenvy
May 12th, 2011, 11:24 AM
Sorry, i should have expressed myself better. What i should have said was please stop recommending coconut oil without qualifying it by saying it can be bad for some hair.

What got me into trouble, and basically doubting myself and sticking with it, was reading only rave reviews of it. All this wisdom combined with fabulous photographs of hair can turn a new girls head you know! So please provide a warning.

Can aloe vera cause crunchy ends?
You hair seems to be a lot like mine.
Aloe vera can make your hair very sticky. But crunchy sounds like protein overdose. Unless your aloe is not pure and its mixed with alcohol or something else.

krissykins
May 12th, 2011, 11:25 AM
Sorry, i should have expressed myself better. What i should have said was please stop recommending coconut oil without qualifying it by saying it can be bad for some hair.


Bolding is my own.

Wouldn't it be more appropriate to say "this is what worked for me, it might not work for you" rather than "here, try coconut oil, but it's bad for some hair"? There's no point in recommending it if we tell people it's bad for some hair. I know you dislike coconut oil since you've made it very clear from your thread tags and posts, but it's not evil. I'm sorry that it made your hair look and feel horrible. I'm glad you have found that it doesn't work for you so that you can find something else. :flower:

Aloe very has never given me the crunchies, but it does make my hair look and feel greasy. It may not work for your hair, though ;)

gretchen_hair
May 12th, 2011, 11:29 AM
The worst oil ever was Mineral, the second worst is Vaseline/Petroleum Jelly and the third worst was Castor oil. Gunky, oil, clumpy, awful! Never again.

elbow chic
May 12th, 2011, 11:34 AM
Sorry, i should have expressed myself better. What i should have said was please stop recommending coconut oil without qualifying it by saying it can be bad for some hair.

What got me into trouble, and basically doubting myself and sticking with it, was reading only rave reviews of it. All this wisdom combined with fabulous photographs of hair can turn a new girls head you know! So please provide a warning.


I do know what you mean. I used to be on a natural, hippy sort of board where people were just raving about using baking soda/ACV in lieu of shampoo and conditioner. I was like, heck yeah! Save the planet and have beautiful hair and save a few dollars and get to brag forever after about how I stuck it to Proctor and Gamble and quit buying their commercialized plastic Barbie-fied crapola? Sign me up!

Well, baking soda and my hair don't get along, evidently. Despite weeks of trial and troubleshooting, my hair managed to become both greasy and straw-dry at the same time. (seems that a BS concentration that was strong enough to clean my scalp would leave my hair completely stripped, and a BS concentration that was sufficiently diluted to not fry the hair wasn't enough to actually clean the gunk off my scalp.)

It was just plain nasty. Every wash was worse than the last. The "no-poo" gurus said, "keep at it, it tooootally works, you just have to give it more time!"

Finally, I went running back to the old trusty pantene and posted a sort of pissy thread about it-- because I'm gracious like that :p -- and I got like ten pages of responses that said "yeah, I really hated no-poo too." lol.

Annie Fulton
May 12th, 2011, 11:36 AM
The worst for me is probably olive oil. It isn't a bad oil, but my hair is very fine and olive oil is just way too heavy for it. It takes the dickens to wash it out.

Mountaingrrl
May 12th, 2011, 11:37 AM
I've learned to avoid mineral oil entirely and use castor and olive oils only in special circumstances (they're hard to wash out). Shea, argan, avocado and yes, coconut, work well for me.

ratgirldjh
May 12th, 2011, 12:03 PM
Weirdly enough the only oil that really works on my hair without making it crunchy is an indian oil with sesame, coconut, wheat germ oil, with infused herbs like castor leaf, bringrag, and others.

But really it is only my scalp that can tolerate oiling. All oils build up on my ends and length.

djh

ooo
May 12th, 2011, 12:09 PM
neem oil! it smells... well lets say really bad.

pepperminttea
May 12th, 2011, 12:09 PM
Coconut oil works fine for quite a few people, even those with fine hair. I'm going to keep recommending it because there are a lot of people who have had great success with it. Keep in mind that we don't know the magic formula for what will work with your hair, so we can only recommend what has worked for us in the past. I understand your frustration but coconut oil has been a tried and true treatment for a lot of people here. :twocents:

Agreed. Nothing will work for everybody, but it's worth recommending when it works for so many people. My hair's edging on fine and loves a bit of coconut oil - it's just trial and error to find out what works. What can help narrow things down is looking for other people with a similar hairtype to yourself, and finding out what works for them. Even then, there's potential for hair disasters, but it's a good place to start. :)

Incidentally, I find coconut oil works better for me when I don't use 'cones - it absorbs a lot more, whereas with 'cones it just sits on the surface and gives me build up. Just something to keep in mind.

Amraann
May 12th, 2011, 12:28 PM
I only use a tiny tiny bit of coconut oil on my ends when my hair is damp.
That works for me.

JuliaDancer
May 12th, 2011, 12:29 PM
What kind of coconut oil did you use? I use cold pressed organic coconut oil, and it makes my hair soft. My hair is somewhat thick, relatively straight.

HuggyBear
May 12th, 2011, 12:31 PM
What i should have said was "please stop recommending coconut oil without qualifying it by saying it can be bad for some hair." That would have been very long though for a title. I thought that by saying "stop recommending it to everyone" that this was implied. Everyone meaning it may not suit everyone.


That was a very interesting point that what doesn't suit the hair doesn't suit the skin.

When someone recommends a product, treatment, etc., it should go without saying that just because it worked for one person doesn't necessarily mean it will work for someone else.
I often recommend the honey lightening treatment as my hair turned out great with it. When I do recommend it, I just tell them that I hope it works for them. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't.
I tried coconut oil as it came highly recommended from a lot of people for hair & skin. Although it worked great for my hair, my skin hated it and I broke out incredibly bad. Coconut oil is said to have a high clogging probability but not everyone's skin reacts to it like mine did.

Superfine
May 12th, 2011, 12:36 PM
Amen, MsBubbles. My fine hair & Ficcares & sticks just don't work. Even a small Ficcare is so heavy it wants to slide toward my nape - even with BSL length. As for oils, Intotouch, my fine, silky hair likes jojoba on the ends, cone conditioners, diluted regular shampoo (current fav=old fashioned Prell diluted by 1/2). I have learned soooo much here too.

SimplyViki
May 12th, 2011, 12:43 PM
The thing is, nobody knows how your particular hair will react to any given thing until you've tried it. What works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another person, even if they have similar hair types.

We also don't have any official "system" (or any way of creating such a system) for recommending particular products based on your specific hair type and needs. All anybody here can do is offer their own opinion, based on their own experience. If I'm a person who's used and loved coconut oil, then that's what I'm going to recommend.

Most people here aren't claiming that their own personal favorite hair products are going to work for everybody. Actually, I don't know of anybody who's claiming that, but then, I certainly haven't seen every post on these boards! :p The general intention around here, though, is pretty much "your mileage may vary". We'll recommend things that have worked in the past, especially if they have worked for us and other people, and you can try it out and either find that it works for you or doesn't work for you.

Sweet_Decadence
May 12th, 2011, 12:43 PM
Coconut oil works wonders on my hair when its dry, I can apply globs of the stuff and my hair will just eat it all up but if I put it on damp hair..well...thats quite a different story.

I didn't get along with avocado oil though, started making my hair fall out in clumps.

BrightEyes7
May 12th, 2011, 12:45 PM
Coconut oil works wonders on my hair when its dry, I can apply globs of the stuff and my hair will just eat it all up but if I put it on damp hair..well...thats quite a different story.


I didn't get along with avocado oil though, started making my hair fall out in clumps.

Same here. Everything.

Coconut oil works great on dry hair... I can drench my hair in it and be fine. But if my hair is damp and I apply it, my hair is too stretchy and snaps.

EVOO works too, but I don't like the smell.

The one oil that I have sworn off forever is avacado oil. It made my scalp itchy and made me shed like crazy!! I lost at least a few cm's of ponytail diameter after one run-in with avacado oil.

Just try oils out... buy small amounts and you can mix and match until you find what is right for you. No two people have hair that reacts the same to everything, even if they have the same hair type. You just need to experiment!

Alvrodul
May 12th, 2011, 01:34 PM
My hair doesn't get along with Olive or Almond oil - it ends up a sticky, unattractive mess, and the oil is hard to wash out. Also, I usually avoid putting oil on my scalp too often, since that leads to increased hair loss. Not a big hair loss, yet noticeable to me.
So I usually only oil my scalp after hennaing, or after clarifying, since my scalp gets dried out then, and a bit of oil does help at that time.

gretchen_hair
May 12th, 2011, 01:34 PM
I think it's kind of harsh to blame others who have simply made posts and suggestions. Ultimately no one can reach through their computer and force coconut oil onto your head, you made that choice and continued with it. Playing the blame game isn't going to gain sympathy and will ultimately cause harsh feleings. It isn't courteous to demand that people quit suggesting coconut oil or to demand that they make a disclaimer.

This is a forum, we make posts, people can take the advice or leave it, please so blame others for the methods that don't work for you and please don't demand that people make disclaimers to suggestions.

IcarusBride
May 12th, 2011, 01:35 PM
I have fine and thin hair too, and coconut oil works wonders for me. I would not dare to recommend anything to you at this point, for fear of being blamed by you if it doesn't work well for you.

Anje
May 12th, 2011, 01:39 PM
Shea butter and my hair aren't friends. I find it heavy and sticky and just plain nasty, and can't quite figure out why so many people like it. That's the way most things are, really. No matter what, you'll eventually find something where you're in the minority opinion: that's OK, but don't leap to the conclusion that the majority is invalid.

If memory serves, jojoba oil didn't seem to do much for me. Then again, when I first joined LHC, jojoba and coconut were the first ones I tried, and my hair didn't care for either of them. Coconut's still not my favorite oil (despite how much I want my hair to love it), but something changed after a year or two here and my hair responds much better to oils in general than it used to.

Don't let your initial impressions of an oil be your only ones. Revisit it after a couple years and see if they still hold, because sometimes what hair likes changes.

NouvelleNymphe2
May 12th, 2011, 01:47 PM
IMHO it's all how you use the oil. My hair likes many oils (coconut, avocado, and camellia), and a range of butters (they are great for deep conditioning). That being said I don't load up with shea or avocado butter and go out for the day. It's usually mixed for a deep conditioning treatment, COed out of my hair, and then left to soak in for the night. The next morning it's all washed out, and my hair is left very conditioned and shiny. As far as a leave-in or styling oil i don't use them in the summer, I'll use a volumizing product to avoid a greasy appearance. But when it's colder a tiny bit of any of the above mentioned oils applied to the very ends of damp hair works nicely. If I over do it, up it goes and the conditioning benefits are great. I have baby fine hair and am working towards a ii thickness (which I think should start at around 3'').

PolarCathy
May 12th, 2011, 01:51 PM
My hair/scalp likes nearly everything I tried so far (almond, sesame, castor, walnut, grapeseed, avocado, I hope I didn't forget any)

There is only one oil I didn't like, that is refined coconut. (I can't get unrefined here.)

Update. Sure I did forget some. Jojoba was also OK but pricey, and EVOO is also good, me like. Favorite is sesame.

Nastasia
May 12th, 2011, 02:01 PM
I've got rather fine hair, and I love coconut oil. I can slather my hair with it the night before a wash, and it comes out with one shampoo. My scalp loves it too - it keeps the dryness and dandruff away.

Jojoba is the only other one I've tried, and it works pretty well in small doses. Too much makes my ends crunchy.

wavyR
May 12th, 2011, 02:06 PM
straight oils have a tendency to just make me look greasy. i've had good luck however, with a mixture. i think it's called fox's shea butter conditioner? i can't recall the name, but a small amount on dry hair gives me that great shine and my hair has been feeling a lot healthier lately.

EmiliaF
May 12th, 2011, 02:07 PM
I understand your frustration and I know the feeling of wanting something to work because other people swear by it, but then in the end having to admit defeat...

But I also have to say that, on this forum, every suggestion is almost always coupled with the phrase 'though it might not work for everyone'. People here always emphasize that what works for one person might not work for another. We criticize some hairdressers when they treat every hair the same, because we know that different people's hair can be very different.
I don't think it's fair to request that people stop recommending stuff that worked for them. After all, this is one big part of what this forum is about. I have learned a lot from LHC members and the phrase 'Different thing work differently for different people' is plastered all over the forum.
I have only been a member for 6 months and I can't count the number of times I've read this sentence :wethree:

ravenreed
May 12th, 2011, 02:08 PM
Every single thing recommended on LHC will work badly for someone. Really.

Soapnuts broke me out in a rash. Kimberlily's Defrizzing Spray gave me so many split ends I had to trim an inch off my ends. My BBB makes my hair look so greasy that I only use it to brush out dry shampoos. Yet these things work very well for some or most folks.

Everything, EVERYTHING on LHC is YMMV.



Sorry, i should have expressed myself better. I wanted to keep the title short and that was the best that i could come up with. Of course i did not mean never recommend coconut oil. Yes it works for lots of people. I have a very dear friend who herself swears by it.

What i should have said was "please stop recommending coconut oil without qualifying it by saying it can be bad for some hair." That would have been very long though for a title. I thought that by saying "stop recommending it to everyone" that this was implied. Everyone meaning it may not suit everyone.

For months i only read only rave reviews of it. All this wisdom combined with fabulous photographs of hair can turn a new girls head you know!

In the case of other products, cones for example, i read plenty of people saying it suited some hair or not others, or reading differing opinions on it. Not so the coconut oil. So please provide a warning as it could save another person much frustration and confusion and breaks. If all you read is how fabulous it is it's very easy to blame your application or another product.

Camelia oil sounds good. I've never seen it though. Where would you normally find it?

That was a very interesting point that what doesn't suit the hair doesn't suit the skin.

Toadstool
May 12th, 2011, 02:08 PM
I think it's kind of harsh to blame others who have simply made posts and suggestions. Ultimately no one can reach through their computer and force coconut oil onto your head, you made that choice and continued with it. Playing the blame game isn't going to gain sympathy and will ultimately cause harsh feleings. It isn't courteous to demand that people quit suggesting coconut oil or to demand that they make a disclaimer.

This is a forum, we make posts, people can take the advice or leave it, please so blame others for the methods that don't work for you and please don't demand that people make disclaimers to suggestions.

I don't think the OP was blaming anyone. She explained how she had trouble phrasing the thread title. I don't think anyone needs to be oversensitive about it. The title actually says "Stop recommending coconut oil to everyone", not "Never recommend/suggest it to anyone"

Cocoa_Crema
May 12th, 2011, 02:10 PM
Please stop recommending coconut oil to all and sundry! It does bad things to some peoples hair. My hair is fine, thin and curly.

I probably won't stop recommending it to people. I've known more people that have loved it than hated it. I have medium 3b curly hair that is henna and it enjoys the treatments. My daughter has straight hair and her hair adores it more than mine. Also, it's the nature of these forums to recommend things to one another. ;)

HintOfMint
May 12th, 2011, 02:12 PM
At first I was a bit put off by the tone of this thread, which came off as really accusatory, but you do have a point in that we do qualify certain products with YMMV over others. Coconut oil is treated as a more "universal good" whereas protein products or cones will get the "maybe it will work for you maybe it won't, my hair sure liked it though."

Still though, the general tone of this entire forum is YMMV. There are few rules that are truly universal. We all differ on shampoos, conditioners, and even detangling methods. And if something doesn't work for you, go with your gut and don't listen to people who say "oh it must be you, stick to it, it's really great!" For example, I used to CO but my shed rate increased, so I stopped. Point blank, no apologies, no rationalizing, no BLAMING anyone. I have posted my experience and why I've stopped, but that's all. Ya dig?

jeanniet
May 12th, 2011, 02:17 PM
People recommend what works for them. It would be much worse if they recommended things they haven't tried! Everything here is YMMV. Coconut oil doesn't work well for me, but jojoba, camellia, and argan oils do, so that's what I suggest when someone asks about oils. I also know that they don't work for everyone. The only way to find out what works for you is to try things out.

When trying something new, don't go overboard. Use a small amount and see what you think. It's easier to try again with a larger amount than to fix a disaster. Experimenting is fun, but it's not always perfect. :D

pepperminttea
May 12th, 2011, 02:20 PM
For example, I used to CO but my shed rate increased, so I stopped.

Off topic, but isn't that normal for a routine with more scalp manipulation/massaging? (Not trying to accuse or anything; I was thinking of dabbling with CO soon, but haven't yet had a chance. :))

krissykins
May 12th, 2011, 02:21 PM
I don't think the OP was blaming anyone. She explained how she had trouble phrasing the thread title. I don't think anyone needs to be oversensitive about it. The title actually says "Stop recommending coconut oil to everyone", not "Never recommend/suggest it to anyone"

This begs the question, who should we selectively choose to recommend it to? It's a good starter oil. Then most people move on to other oils.

I would recommend olive oil, because my M/C hair loves it, but that definitely would not be a good thing to do since it's such a heavy oil :lol:


At first I was a bit put off by the tone of this thread, which came off as really accusatory, but you do have a point in that we do qualify certain products with YMMV over others. Coconut oil is treated as a more "universal good" whereas protein products or cones will get the "maybe it will work for you maybe it won't, my hair sure liked it though."

Still though, the general tone of this entire forum is YMMV. There are few rules that are truly universal. We all differ on shampoos, conditioners, and even detangling methods. And if something doesn't work for you, go with your gut and don't listen to people who say "oh it must be you, stick to it, it's really great!" For example, I used to CO but my shed rate increased, so I stopped. Point blank, no apologies, no rationalizing, no BLAMING anyone. I have posted my experience and why I've stopped, but that's all. Ya dig?

I've never thought of coconut oil as a universal good, but I can see what you mean. It is given pretty high ratings compared to some. I still think it's a good place to start because it brought me from despair to awesome hair ;) Again, I will still recommend it, but I'll try to make it clear that it may not work for everyone :)

ETA: pepperminttea, my shed rate didn't increase when I started CO, but when I tried shampoo bars, I lost quite a bit. It varies for wash methods with lots of scalp manipulation (I did lots more scrubbing with shampoo bars and more massaging with CO, if that makes any sense)

Cocoa_Crema
May 12th, 2011, 02:26 PM
People recommend what works for them. It would be much worse if they recommended things they haven't tried! Everything here is YMMV. Coconut oil doesn't work well for me, but jojoba, camellia, and argan oils do, so that's what I suggest when someone asks about oils. I also know that they don't work for everyone. . :D


Off topic too..... Do you put the argan oil all through your hair or just the ends?


Thanks!

Intotouch
May 12th, 2011, 02:51 PM
I'm really sorry if i offended anyone with this post.

I did not mean the tone to be accusatory. I never said that coconut oil was bad for everyones hair. I never meant to insult anyone who has recommended it in the past. I know that you did so with the best intentions and in the majority of cases gave great advice.

I could have skipped mentioning coconut oil in the title (and now wish i had) but that was what prompted me to post. Hopefully also someone about to try this oil will now come across a negative experience of it when searching and may strand test first before using it.

I wanted this discussion to help us all not to make bad mistakes with hair.

Of course everyone who had a wonderful experience with coconut oil should recommend it still. Please just add a warning that it may not suit everyone when you do. It will help some people a lot.

Spring
May 12th, 2011, 02:54 PM
I remember my first experiences with coconut oil wasn't good,... I was wondering what all the praise was about. I had always used olive oil, so I was comparing the effects of the 2 and I didn't like how coconut oil felt on my hair compared to olive oil. I can't remember how or when I fell in love with coconut oil :flower:, but over time it somehow happened. After reading this thread I want to try camelia and grapeseed next. :p

krissykins
May 12th, 2011, 02:58 PM
I'm really sorry if i offended anyone with this post.

I did not mean the tone to be accusatory. I never said that coconut oil was bad for everyones hair. I never meant to insult anyone who has recommended it in the past. I know that you did so with the best intentions and in the majority of cases gave great advice.

I could have skipped mentioning coconut oil in the title (and now wish i had) but that was what prompted me to post. Hopefully also someone about to try this oil will now come across a negative experience of it when searching and may strand test first before using it.

I wanted this discussion to help us all not to make bad mistakes with hair.

Of course everyone who had a wonderful experience with coconut oil should recommend it still. Please just add a warning that it may not suit everyone when you do. It will help some people a lot.

:grouphug: We understand. I want to personally apologize for making you feel like we've ganged up on you. I just wanted to clarify my point of view but I don't want you to feel like we're disregarding your experience. Hopefully someone will see this thread and take all of our coconut-oil-loving advice with a grain of salt!

I will definitely recommend strand testing oils from now on :flower: Thanks for giving the minority a voice! (I know you all are out there :p)

ravenreed
May 12th, 2011, 03:06 PM
I often post negative experiences in threads and I sometimes feel like a Debbie Downer, but I think it is good to give everyone a balanced view of various methods we talk about. I think people just post what happens. If it works for them, they post a positive experience, if not, a negative one. Someone who posts something positive shouldn't have to look up whether or not anyone ever had a bad experience just to recommend what works for them personally.

I am not going to qualify every post by saying, "This might not work for you." That should be understood, IMO. We would have to do that for every danged post, and that gets silly. A lot of oils/methods did bad things to my hair. I just tried something else until I found what works.


I'm really sorry if i offended anyone with this post.

I did not mean the tone to be accusatory. I never said that coconut oil was bad for everyones hair. I never meant to insult anyone who has recommended it in the past. I know that you did so with the best intentions and in the majority of cases gave great advice.

I could have skipped mentioning coconut oil in the title (and now wish i had) but that was what prompted me to post. Hopefully also someone about to try this oil will now come across a negative experience of it when searching and may strand test first before using it.

I wanted this discussion to help us all not to make bad mistakes with hair.

Of course everyone who had a wonderful experience with coconut oil should recommend it still. Please just add a warning that it may not suit everyone when you do. It will help some people a lot.

Jean Stuart
May 12th, 2011, 03:10 PM
I have not had a bad experience with any oil yet, but I also have not tried that many. :)

MonaLisa
May 12th, 2011, 03:12 PM
coconut oil when i put it the first 2 times. horror....

MissManda
May 12th, 2011, 03:20 PM
Coconut oil works fine for quite a few people, even those with fine hair. I'm going to keep recommending it because there are a lot of people who have had great success with it. Keep in mind that we don't know the magic formula for what will work with your hair, so we can only recommend what has worked for us in the past. I understand your frustration but coconut oil has been a tried and true treatment for a lot of people here. :twocents:

Did you have refined or unrefined coconut oil, by chance? Unrefined seems to work a lot better for hair than refined.

As for worst oil experience, I've been quite please with all the oils I've tried, although sweet almond oil was a tad bit heavy. I've tried coconut, jojoba, sweet almond, castor, and olive oils.

This. I couldn't have put it better myself. :)

gretchen_hair
May 12th, 2011, 03:28 PM
I still don't see why people *need* to feel that they have to add a warning.

Milk is good for some folks, for others it makes them fart (me)

I am also smart enough that if I try something and it makes me or my hair feel yucky, I discontinue use immediately.

If someone says, *I have acne, any suggestions*? I might say....try Tea tree, it worked great on my pimples. I do not think I need to add a disclaimer *this may not work for you though* That's a given. I don't need to sound like a drug commercial........*this may or may not work for you, it has worked for me, it may cause a rash, bumps, sensitivities, allergic reaction, hives, splotches, red spots, you may have trouble breathing, please do not ingest, do not apply to eyes, mucous membranes or large open wounds, if any allergic reactions appear or you have trouble breathing or are vomiting, please call 911 or go to a hospital as soon as possible.*


I'm really sorry if i offended anyone with this post.

I did not mean the tone to be accusatory. I never said that coconut oil was bad for everyones hair. I never meant to insult anyone who has recommended it in the past. I know that you did so with the best intentions and in the majority of cases gave great advice.

I could have skipped mentioning coconut oil in the title (and now wish i had) but that was what prompted me to post. Hopefully also someone about to try this oil will now come across a negative experience of it when searching and may strand test first before using it.

I wanted this discussion to help us all not to make bad mistakes with hair.

Of course everyone who had a wonderful experience with coconut oil should recommend it still. Please just add a warning that it may not suit everyone when you do. It will help some people a lot.

Choctaw
May 12th, 2011, 03:40 PM
Jojoba, shea oil and red palm oil turn into maple syrup in my hair unless they are mixed with sweet almond, sunflower or mustard oils.

lara grace
May 12th, 2011, 03:53 PM
I still don't see why people *need* to feel that they have to add a warning.

Milk is good for some folks, for others it makes them fart (me)

I am also smart enough that if I try something and it makes me or my hair feel yucky, I discontinue use immediately.

If someone says, *I have acne, any suggestions*? I might say....try Tea tree, it worked great on my pimples. I do not thing I need to add a disclaimer *this may not work for you though* That's a given. I don't need to sound like a drug commercial........*this may or may not work for you, it has worked for me, it may cause a rash, bumps, sensitivities, allergic reaction, hives, splotches, red spots, you may have trouble breathing, please do not ingest, do not apply to eyes, mucous membranes or large open wound, if any allergic reactions appear or you have trouble breathing or are vomiting, please call 911 or go to a hospital as soon as possible.*


Hehehe that made me laugh!

Yes I'm beginning to think that coconut oil doesn't work for me either.. my ends feel crunchy and I think it's building up. I'm going to clarify and do my weekend deep oiling with olive oil instead :)

alyanna
May 12th, 2011, 05:29 PM
Intotouch,
I understand your post and I don't think it sounded accusatory at all, maybe just frustrated, but that's ok. I didn't find it offensive, but again I'm not easily offended.

I'm a thin, fine and wurly too and I've had pretty good luck with olive oil, which I use only once in a while for a deep condition. Mind you, the day I wash it out my hair does get greasy within 24 hrs, but after the second washing, it's back to normal.

I've only started experimenting with coconut oil, so I can't really comment other than to say my hair seemed fine after the experiment.

Trial and error is the key though with any of this stuff, and as someone said earlier, something could work fine for you and then all of a sudden stop, or vice versa. I'm sure you'll find the right formula for you.

gab1430
May 12th, 2011, 05:46 PM
I just want to say that I (imo) thank everyone who gave me any advise here, some worked wonders, some wasnt all that i expected, but I appreciate the time people put into trying to help eachother with their very own personal experience. For my fine long curly hair, coconut does WONDERS!

cowgirllong
May 12th, 2011, 06:01 PM
My worst experience was with tea tree oil. It made my hair stink and it took days to get rid of the smell. It nearly made me throw up and it gave me headaches. Second to that would be when I tried coconut oil and it made my hair crunchy. Baking Soda washes did the same thing. So, I don't do those things anymore.:D

alxardnax
May 12th, 2011, 06:13 PM
I like Avocado oil. Its one of the only three oils that can penetrate hair and it doubles as a very light protein treatment. but then again my hair LOVES coconut oil and I have a different hair type than you, but its worth researching. Hope you find one that works for you!

Jenn of Pence
May 12th, 2011, 06:14 PM
So, I happened to be rereading Nightshade's article on Damaged Hair (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=79) this afternoon, and her discussion of oils and what they do (about two-thirds of the way through the article) triggered my memory of your original post, Intotouch.

If anyone is indeed having crunchy ends kind of problems with oils (self included! :D), maybe this would be a helpful read to understand why this might be happening and provide and alternative method for improved oiling. As for other side effects from uncooperating oils, such as goopy yuckiness, I cannot offer any better advice that run screaming the other way! (This is how I feel about castor oil :eyebrows:)

Charlotte:)
May 12th, 2011, 06:27 PM
Coconut oil does wonders for my skin, but certainly NOT my hair! I think it's because even though it turns liquid in your hands, it turns solid and hard again in your hair. I have had luck with jojoba oil though, as it is chemically the closest thing to natural human sebum. It is light, odorless and easier to wash out than any other oils I have tried. Personally I don't think oil hydrates or soaks into hair, but works as more of a protective coating. It also adds shine to updos. I don't use oil very often, because I don't like to use shampoo on my length, and conditioner doesn't wash oils out of my hair.

Malibu Barbie
May 12th, 2011, 06:44 PM
Argan Is my go to oil. Its very light and I never have build up problems with this oil but everyone is different.

christine1989
May 12th, 2011, 06:52 PM
I can understand the massive coconut oil reccomendations since it does seem to suit a lot of people. It is sort of a hit or miss with me though. If I use too much then I get crunchy ends so I only use little bits at a time. I've never had an oil that was really terrible for my hair but most don't work wonders either. The only one I'm crazy about is castor oil since it thickens, moisturizes and washes out eaisly. I would have to say olive is one I'm not a big fan of- it does to my hair what coconut does to the OP's!

JuneBride
May 12th, 2011, 07:07 PM
Coconut Oil suck the life out of my hair. I like it more in my oatmeal than in my hair!

Lianna
May 12th, 2011, 07:23 PM
"please stop recommending coconut oil without qualifying it by saying it can be bad for some hair." That would have been very long though for a title. I thought that by saying "stop recommending it to everyone" ...

For months i only read only rave reviews of it.

So please provide a warning as it could save another person much frustration and confusion and breaks...

There are a few mentioning bad results from it, I think if people KNOW what can go wrong, they should warn because this is learning place, even if coconut oil/any other thing works for you.


Bolding is my own.

Wouldn't it be more appropriate to say "this is what worked for me, it might not work for you" rather than "here, try coconut oil, but it's bad for some hair"? There's no point in recommending it if we tell people it's bad for some hair.

It let's people know if they wanna take the risk or not. Specially if you can give details of the bad results. Also, you can save some people the money...


It isn't courteous to demand that people quit suggesting coconut oil or to demand that they make a disclaimer.


I still don't see why people *need* to feel that they have to add a warning.

Milk is good for some folks, for others it makes them fart (me)

I am also smart enough that if I try something and it makes me or my hair feel yucky, I discontinue use immediately.

If someone says, *I have acne, any suggestions*? I might say....try Tea tree, it worked great on my pimples. I do not thing I need to add a disclaimer *this may not work for you though* That's a given. I don't need to sound like a drug commercial........*this may or may not work for you, it has worked for me, it may cause a rash, bumps, sensitivities, allergic reaction, hives, splotches, red spots, you may have trouble breathing, please do not ingest, do not apply to eyes, mucous membranes or large open wound, if any allergic reactions appear or you have trouble breathing or are vomiting, please call 911 or go to a hospital as soon as possible.*

She's just asking. If someone knows coconut oil can leave hair dry, crunchy and brake, why not tell? If people don't know, that's fine. We come here to learn, why not share your knowledge?


The title actually says "Stop recommending coconut oil to everyone", not "Never recommend/suggest it to anyone"

Also, don't about 90% LHC'ers who recommned oil, recommend coconut oil? It's definally overwhelming.


I find olive oil MUCH less troublesome for a starter, since most complaints are hair too greasy/hard to wash out. Now if you hair is deadly dry, crunchy, can't comb the ends...that, to me is worse. Those are examples of coconut oil "bad results". Not to mention, olive oil is easier to buy (I can only buy coconut oil online).

OP: You're not alone. I'm in the minority on a lot of issues in this forum also...Oh, how I wish my hair liked coconut oil/CO/honey/ACV/stretching washes/etc, all the "good stuff".

teela1978
May 12th, 2011, 07:26 PM
castor oil was the worst. too thick to really handle well. hard to wash out.

most oils I can't really use as a leave in. I love a heavy pre-wash oiling with coconut oil though.

krissykins
May 12th, 2011, 07:27 PM
It let's people know if they wanna take the risk or not. Specially if you can give details of the bad results. Also, you can save some people the money...

I understand that, but I think it should be phrased differently. Saying, "here, try this, but it might be bad for your hair" is somewhat of an oxymoron. No one's going to want to try that. Saying, "this might not work for you" is a better disclaimer, IMHO :flower:

Lianna
May 12th, 2011, 07:33 PM
I understand that, but I think it should be phrased differently. Saying, "here, try this, but it might be bad for your hair" is somewhat of an oxymoron. No one's going to want to try that. Saying, "this might not work for you" is a better disclaimer, IMHO :flower:

I think only if you know exactly what could go wrong (at least one thing), you should put a disclaimer, and enlighten the person.

Let's say someone wants to strectch washes, lots of people say it might not work for you. How about we tell them what could go wrong? Like a fungal infection for instance. I use this example because I already said what I know about coconut oil gone wrong.

"This might not work for you" can be said on every post, it doesn't really help, and probably won't make the person in doubt stop trying what they're looking into.

ETA: If the results are neutral, that's different (you might only lose money), it just "didn't work for you". But we are talking about BAD BAD things happening to hair/scalp.

growingpains
May 12th, 2011, 07:40 PM
Just want to say that a judgement about how our hair fares with a given oil is as often much about 'how' we use it as the kind of oil itself.

For example, years back my best friend, who had long, glorious, hip length, healthy hair, said to me (with BSL dry, dry, dry hair), "you need to olive oil". She helped me do it and we put loads on my damp hair. I let it sit and then went to W/C. I could NOT, for the life of me get it off. It took a couple washes and ultimately I couldn't get it out that night. It left my hair gorss and residuey, not soft or silky.

Enter my recent LHC experiences. I've been using EVOO for several months. I DO NOT use large amounts. I seriously use a tiny drop rubbed between two palms on wet hair. I leave it for the night and then wash or CO. The result? The silikiest, smoothest hair ever.

teela1978
May 12th, 2011, 07:42 PM
I think that around here we report our results. Making a disclaimer on everything that works for me, but hasn't worked for others is ridiculous.

krissykins
May 12th, 2011, 07:43 PM
I think only if you know exactly what could go wrong (at least one thing), you should put a disclaimer, and enlighten the person.

Let's say someone wants to strectch washes, lots of people say it might not work for you. How about we tell them what could go wrong? Like a fungal infection for instance. I use this example because I already said what I know about coconut oil gone wrong.

"This might not work for you" can be said on every post, it doesn't really help, and probably won't make the person in doubt stop trying what they're looking into.

ETA: If the results are neutral, that's different (you might only lose money), it just "didn't work for you". But we are talking about BAD BAD things happening to hair/scalp.

I think that's reasonable. However, this is a large forum and not everyone is going to know what went wrong with someone else's head of hair. So if you know something will go wrong, definitely speak up! Still, saying "this will be bad for your hair" is just as general as "this might not work for you." The key is being specific, I guess.

I just don't like the idea of bashing certain routines, which is how some words/phrases may do. I hate when people say CO was the worst thing they ever did to their hair, no one should use this method, blah blah blah. My hair loves the CO method. Yes, it made some people shed like crazy, but it's been recommended because it works for someone. Everything out there works for someone. I just don't like using the word "bad" because there's the connotation that it doesn't work. We should say, "there are associated risks" or something to that effect.

Lianna
May 12th, 2011, 07:50 PM
If coconut oil gives you dry, crunchy, hard to manage hair that's just associated risks, or just not working? Because I thought coconut oil was to make hair soft, shiny, moisturized.

My hair is not damaged or dry normally, and coconut oil does all that to it. I just wanted to improve my hair, and gets worse.

teela1978
May 12th, 2011, 07:53 PM
If coconut oil gives you dry, crunchy, hard to manage hair that's just associated risks, or just not working? Because I thought coconut oil was to make hair soft, shiny, moisturized.

My hair is not damaged or dry normally, and coconut oil does all that to it. I just wanted to improve my hair, and gets worse.
That would be "not working" and it means you should stop and try something new.

Lianna
May 12th, 2011, 07:56 PM
That would be "not working" and it means you should stop and try something new.

Yep. I don't use coconut oil, by the way! Only pre-peroxide. :D But for the first few weeks I ever tried last year, I didn't know that it was the coconut oil. :/ I just thought I wasn't moisturizing enough/dry climate.

I just remembered we should check the review section too, because there's pros and cons there! :cheese:Great place.

krissykins
May 12th, 2011, 07:57 PM
If coconut oil gives you dry, crunchy, hard to manage hair that's just associated risks, or just not working? Because I thought coconut oil was to make hair soft, shiny, moisturized.

My hair is not damaged or dry normally, and coconut oil does all that to it. I just wanted to improve my hair, and gets worse.

It's just not working. I'm not going to say something's bad for hair if it's not. It may not work for your hair, but it is not bad for all hair.

Lianna
May 12th, 2011, 07:58 PM
It's just not working. I'm not going to say something's bad for hair if it's not. It may not work for your hair, but it is not bad for all hair.

Nothing is bad for all hair. Nothing is good for all hair.

I bet you really don't like SLES since you CO right? Well, my hair loves it.

ETA: I didn't say it was bad for all hair, or recommend people to say that. Would you say it's bad for MY hair?

krissykins
May 12th, 2011, 08:02 PM
Nothing is bad for all hair. Nothing is good for all hair.

I bet you really don't like SLES since you CO right? Well, my hair loves it.

Really? Please don't make assumptions about my hair. I use SLES on about once a month and I enjoy it.

I've said my piece. Think and say what you'd like. I will continue to recommend coconut oil and hopefully my *one* opinion will not jeopardize someone else's hair.

I hope the rest of your day is lovely. :)

Joribear
May 12th, 2011, 08:04 PM
i need a mix of olive and coconut: olive to give the moisture and detangle, coconut to help the mix penetrate my hair so it doesn't just sit on top. either one alone is not that great for me.

I'm curious - do you apply the olive oil first, then immediately apply the coconut oil?

Lianna
May 12th, 2011, 08:05 PM
Really? Please don't make assumptions about my hair. I use SLES on about once a month and I enjoy it.

I've said my piece. Think and say what you'd like. I will continue to recommend coconut oil and hopefully my *one* opinion will not jeopardize someone else's hair.

I hope the rest of your day is lovely. :)

Dear God, I didn't mean any harm. It's well known that most people who CO (I actually did it for almost a year) don't like SLES. And once a month is very little...I use it everyday. I just wanted to give an example of how different we can be.

To the bolded: that's what's wrong in this forum, am I the only one who doesn't get along with coconut oil? I'm not. I'm often alone to defend my point of view here, I might just as well give up and not help/warn anyone who might have/will have trouble with coconut oil.

ETA: And I never told anyone to stop recommending coconut oil, just warn if you know bad outcomes.

teela1978
May 12th, 2011, 08:13 PM
The point is that putting a disclaimer on every "coconut oil rocks" is as ridiculous as putting a disclaimer on every "SLES rocks" (I prefer ALS myself, it rinses cleaner in my hard water... I think...). In my experience, contrasting views are constantly being put up on this site. CO works very well for some, horribly for others. Oiling while wet works amazingly well for some, pre-wash oiling works best for others. "Trial and error" is practically our motto.

Lianna
May 12th, 2011, 08:16 PM
The point is that putting a disclaimer on every "coconut oil rocks" is as ridiculous as putting a disclaimer on every "SLES rocks"

I agree, but when someone actually says what could go wrong (and this can vary) it does have a purpose. The OP said she read for months and didn't see one bad review. I've seen some, but she didn't, which means we are not saying it enough.

MandyBeth
May 12th, 2011, 08:38 PM
Straight coconut oil just makes my hair a MESS. Nightblooming's panacea is fine. Argan oil is great on my ends, but never near the scalp, makes skin sun sensitive.

WaitingSoLong
May 12th, 2011, 08:45 PM
I have never once seen anyone say THIS WILL WORK FOR YOUR HAIR on this forum.

Not once.

If I am skeptical about a product, I do searches. If I try it and it doesn't work for me, I will search somthing like : olive oil bad. Or whatever terms the search engine will take. I usually find I am not alone in my assessment of the product. I have found it is better to search with Google instead of on LHC (someone recently recommended that to me) and it usually leads me back to LHC but LHC's search engine does not allow a lot of 3 lettered words.

It is fine for the OP to say she hates coconut oil. I am sure the intent was to keep others from thinking no harm could come from coconut oil and that it is suitable for everyone. However disclaimers come with any experiments and I will itterate my opening statement: I have never once seen anyone say THIS WILL WORK FOR YOUR HAIR on this forum.

Someone please direct me to a post that says this.

gretchen_hair
May 12th, 2011, 08:59 PM
Apparently there isn't a thread that discusses the cons of coconut oil, I would suggest making a new thread, without the fuss of disclaimers, asking people to discuss at length the problems that they have had whilst using coconut oil.

Coming onto the board, demanding that people warn others or make disclaimers of what could go wrong is ridiculous.

It appears that the people who discuss coconut oil have either had a good experience and want to talk about it and the people who have had good experiences with it obviously don't KNOW the bad effects that it may have on others, because......they like they way it worked and are discussing it. :shrug:

It seems that many people who didn't like the effects of coconut oil in their hair simply CEASED using it and didn't blame anyone for recommending it, didn't feel a need to discuss a failed EXPERIMENT and moved on to try something else in their search for their holy grail.

No matter how you slice it, you cannot try and force anyone into interacting the way YOU want them to, people will comment and interact as they wish and will not give in to demanding behavior.

When I personally recommend something, I haven't HAD a bad experience with it OR ELSE I WOULD NOT BE RECOMMENDING IT. What a concept!

If I did have a bad experience, and someone brings up the topic asking who had bad experiences and what the situation was, I will drop in (if I see the thread) and express my opinion. I will not expect people to stop suggesting the thing that did not work for me to others, I will not expect them to put disclaimers at the end of the suggestion (unless it is indeed a harmful substance when used in excess)

I find it rude and abrasive to demand that people *spill the beans on what they know*, that comment is making it seem like people KNOW that coconut oil can wreak havoc on someones hair and they are holding back this information.

I personally have no ulterior motives when I make a suggestion, I am trying to help someone find what works for them. I do not make suggestions on things that have been negative for me, that would make no sense.

I think people should just stop trying to control everything and let things flow the way they always have. If you like it, tell folks. If you don't, tell folks, *if you have the desire to do so*, if you want to forget all about it, then do that as well. Let people do as they wish and stop demanding that people make these excessive comments.

HintOfMint
May 12th, 2011, 09:05 PM
Off topic, but isn't that normal for a routine with more scalp manipulation/massaging? (Not trying to accuse or anything; I was thinking of dabbling with CO soon, but haven't yet had a chance. :))

I wasn't massaging or manipulating my scalp any more than I would have done with a shampoo. I'm very thorough in massaging my scalp when I wash, so this wasn't new. Also some people have suggested that the conditioner was helping already shed hair slide out, but that would have been the same case in my shampoo-and-condition routine. Trust me on this one, the excess shedding started shortly after I started CO. Not right away, but soon enough, and when I stopped CO, the shedding stopped too. I think my follicles were getting clogged (my highly unscientific conclusion), but ah well. That was my experience and I don't feel like going back.

A lot of people here do very well w/ CO and even their scalps are better for it. I'm glad I tried it even though it wasn't for me. The length of my hair adored it, I just wish my scalp agreed. It led me to CWC and that was my routine until I went back to cones.

And to the OP, it's alright, I'm glad you explained yourself:grouphug:

Lianna
May 12th, 2011, 09:23 PM
gretchen_hair, you use the word demand a lot, nobody is demanding anything. We are here because we like to discuss hair.

Like I said, if someone doesn't know, it's fine. Just from reading the forums we come to learn hair care that isn't suitable for our own hair type, and with this information we can help others. I certainly know a lot about african american hair, even though I'm not, I'm very glad to learn what I did and help others/suggest what might work when I can.

Like others said, often the olive oil comes with "careful, it might be too heavy". Can't coconut oil come sometimes with "careful, it might be crunchy sometimes". So the new member would know the crunchiness is from coconut oil and not just their protein conditioner.

Mesmerise
May 12th, 2011, 09:26 PM
Well who would have thought a thread about coconut oil would become so contentious! :p

I think the rule with everything is test, test and test again... on YOURSELF. Because it seems that EVERYONE has different hair. Even someone whose hair type appears to be the same as yours (ie the same degree of waviness, fineness and thickness) can still respond very differently to the same products.

I have reached the conclusion that hair is weird :p Especially my hair!

I read stuff like some people saying AVG makes their hair crunchy... well you know, I WANTED it to make my hair crunchy, cause then it sorta sticks together and the frizzy flyaways stick down, and then I sort of de-crunch it and it looks silkly. Well let me tell you AVG does not make my hair at all crunchy and doesn't even stick it well :( Although it's better than nothing lol.

Then I read about coconut oil, and how some hair loves it and absorbs it. Well, I actually first started putting coconut oil in my hair some years ago (not so regularly though, but just a bit to tame frizzies) and it kinda worked, but too much and it would look awful. So I've played around with it a bit, and in the end used it for oil shampoo, and generally oiling at night. Sometimes I'll experiment during the day, but I'm not sure it has a great effect on my hair. It doesn't wreck it, it just doesn't do what I want it to do :p.

So anyway, I just read more on the forum, try different things, and keep trying... and errm in two years I'll probably still be trying (although I hope I figure it all out long before then lol) to find what works perfectly for ME.

However, if I DO find something that works brilliantly for me, I will tell everyone on the forum! Not because I think it will work for EVERYONE, but in the hope that someone else who's struggling with their hair might find the information useful. Maybe only 1 person in 100 will find it works for them, but so what? If I can help just 1% of people solve a tricky hair problem by letting them know what works for me, then I'm happy (and so will they be). If 99/100 people try it, and it doesn't work for them, well at least they'll all know that it won't work, and won't try it again! Still, I'd hope they wouldn't all complain because I gave a bad recommendation! I'd never get upset at someone who's really excited cause XYZ works for her, and then find it doesn't work for me. I'd just shrug my shoulders and realize it's just one of those things!

gretchen_hair
May 12th, 2011, 09:39 PM
I think you are missing the whole point.

IF I know that coconut oil might cause crunchiness, and I was recommending it to someone, I would *most likely* say, *wow man, that made my ends crunchy one time when I used it for 2 weeks in a row without washing, while I was camping in Death Valley*

BUT, I do not wish for someone to try to force the entire forum to make statements that *this may not work for you*

There is no one thing, that will work for every person in this world, not even something as simple as water, sunlight and air. But if someone asked me, I am pale and cold and depressed, what do you suggest? I might say, get a little sun and fresh air. I would never consider that they might lay in the sun for 8 hours a day for a week straight and then say that I should have warned them about sunburn.

It is common sense, if it doesn't work, STOP STOP STOP using it/doing it.

That is why there are so many stupid disclaimers on everything that we buy....for example, hairdryers will have a tag that says *do not use in the shower, or while sleeping* Well, if someone asked me what brand hair dryer is inexpensive and reliable and I say Conair, I would not think to tell them...but it could be dangerous if you use it in the shower or bathtub.

IF I know something could cause a bad reaction, I wouldn't recommend it, I would recommend AGAINST using it, IF I saw the thread.

The whole tone of the OP and yourself, saying to STOP recommending or make a disclaimer, is indeed demanding.

You also made it sound like people were withholding important information that could cause a bad reaction. You didn't exactly state that, but you did say that people need to *discuss it further, they aren't saying enough*

What people? Who didn't say enough? Why should we be held up to some standard of making disclaimers on a hair forum? This whole thread astonishes me, it is ludicrous that anyone DEMAND/FORCE/STRONGLY SUGGEST that when people recommend something that they *need to be detailed/thorough/forthcoming/, like we're keeping a secret.

If someone likes something, fine, tell everyone all about it. If someone hates something, fine, tell everyone all about it. There is NO NEED to make excessive comments or disclaimers......Especially if that person making the suggestion has not had any bad experiences or simply DOES NOT KNOW that it may cause unwanted side effects.

The whole concept of forced behavior is ridiculous.


gretchen_hair, you use the word demand a lot, nobody is demanding anything. We are here because we like to discuss hair.

Like I said, if someone doesn't know, it's fine. Just from reading the forums we come to learn hair care that isn't suitable for our own hair type, and with this information we can help others. I certainly know a lot about african american hair, even though I'm not, I'm very glad to learn what I did and help others/suggest what might work when I can.

Like others said, often the olive oil comes with "careful, it might be too heavy". Can't coconut oil come sometimes with "careful, it might be crunchy sometimes". So the new member would know the crunchiness is from coconut oil and not just their protein conditioner.

Lianna
May 12th, 2011, 09:50 PM
There are a few mentioning bad results from it, I think if people KNOW what can go wrong, they should warn because this is learning place, even if coconut oil/any other thing works for you.

This is from my first post here, the first thing I said.

People can say what they want, if they know something, why not say? That's is not demanding. It amazes me how you think we are demanding information. You post if you want, this is not a job. I think we are here because we actually want to help people. We praise those "quality posts", don't we? Well, the more information, the better.

I think most people don't even know coconut oil can be bad for some. While they love it, they could at least know it's actually troublesome for some. No, it's not life matter, but it can kill hair (breakage).

ETA: And no, I don't use a lot, and I use SLES often...I wasn't suffocating my hair with coconut oil.

gretchen_hair
May 12th, 2011, 09:55 PM
I see that you did indeed get my point.



This is from my first post here, the first thing I said.

People can say what they want, if they know something, why not say? That's is not demanding. It amazes me how you think we are demanding information. You post if you want, this is not a job. I think we are here because we actually want to help people. We praise those "quality posts", don't we? Well, the more information, the better.

I think most people don't even know coconut oil can be bad for some. While they love it, they could at least know it's actually troublesome for some. No, it's not life matter, but it can kill hair (breakage).

ETA: And no, I don't use a lot, and I use SLES often...I wasn't suffocating my hair with coconut oil.

physicschick
May 12th, 2011, 10:08 PM
Mod note: Chill. No single approach is going to work for everyone. Folks are free to post about their own experiences with what works or doesn't. People reading those experiences should take this with a grain of salt (or maybe a large handful) since everyone's hair responds differently. As long as we treat each other respectfully, take what we can learn, and ignore the rest, we will all benefit from participating here.

Toadstool
May 12th, 2011, 11:46 PM
now I am wondering if coconut oil is making my ends crunchy. That wasn't a possibility I'd picked up on before. My hair is dry from damage so I thought it was that, but maybe not.

Charlotte
May 12th, 2011, 11:56 PM
I have super fine hair and am only just into the "ii" range. Coconut oil has worked wonderfully for me. I do a heavy oiling before I wash and it leaves me with just the right amount of "body" and "oompf" in my hair that would be otherwise be terribly fluffy and out of control. It doesn't look greasy at all after washing. I do use the unrefined "virgin" oil though... :) Olive oil was not so successful on my hair leaving it with a build up. :blossom:

ravenreed
May 13th, 2011, 12:07 AM
Should everyone who comments on soapnuts on LHC have to say, "Careful, it might give you a rash," because I have reported several times on the forum that I got one from them? Or should they be able to report exactly what happens for them with soapnuts.

I think that the folks who have negative experiences with a method should continue to speak up to let others know what might happen, but I don't think it is fair to make the folks with positive experiences have to know what the heck might go wrong with something before they can post.

ETA: Sorry, just saw the mod post.


gretchen_hair, you use the word demand a lot, nobody is demanding anything. We are here because we like to discuss hair.

Like I said, if someone doesn't know, it's fine. Just from reading the forums we come to learn hair care that isn't suitable for our own hair type, and with this information we can help others. I certainly know a lot about african american hair, even though I'm not, I'm very glad to learn what I did and help others/suggest what might work when I can.

Like others said, often the olive oil comes with "careful, it might be too heavy". Can't coconut oil come sometimes with "careful, it might be crunchy sometimes". So the new member would know the crunchiness is from coconut oil and not just their protein conditioner.

Babyjolie
May 13th, 2011, 12:12 AM
Hmph. I think I found this thread a little too late.

Anyway, I'll say that the best oils for my hair are olive oil, salmon, & avocado.
But I don't rub them on my head! I just eat them. I feel like what I eat controls what my hair looks like the most. I can see the junk food at the ends, & halfway up, healthy hair, that grew when I reconsidered my diet. It's not a weight thing, don't get me wrong, I'm a cook & I eat A LOT.. I just try to eat healthy things that are good for my hair, skin, brain, etc. Sure, the results aren't instant.. & it takes a long time.. but that's just like deciding to growing your hair out!

But aside from that non-sense, when it comes to actually putting stuff on my hair:
-I don't really like olive oil, it's too greasy for me.
-Same with cocoa butter oil.
-Coconut oil never really appealed to me.

I tried all kinds of kitchen-y stuff like that too, like:
-the egg trick
-the mayo thing
-grape seed oil

But I've just discovered that my hair is kind of stubborn & won't respond to those kinds of things.

Argan oil does wonders for me, if I can get the good stuff.
I bought a drug store version from a brand called Cream of Nature. It was pretty cheap for a 4 oz bottle so I was stoked. But it has lots of other ingredients in it also, & I felt like it dried my hair out after a while. But that could have been the winter too. This one is hit or miss. If you try it, I'd recommend a strand test first.

I got a sample of OROFLUIDO hair oil once that has Argan oil in it along with Linseed & Cyperus oils. It's a little more expensive because it's a salon brand, but you can really feel the quality of the oil in your hands. A little really goes a long way, & it's really light on your hair. The smell is a little strong out of the bottle, but it doesn't linger on your hair. I actually grew to love it. It reminds me of.. fake easter egg grass. Is that weird? Anyway I love, love, love that stuff. It's around $20-25 for 3-4oz, depending on if you get the bottle with the mini samples in it to give your friends, or the regular bottle. But that's enough to last almost a year, depending on hair length. My hair is about waist length now & I only really use a little oil on the ends, & then a tiny bit to smooth over the outer layer.

I also have Wella's System Professional Keratin oil, but that's not something I wear daily. I save that for super deep treatments, one because you have to be careful with Keratin & two, because it's super hard to get the real stuff! I have one bottle left & I'm saving i for a Brazillian Blow Out, which is the best way to use that oil.. but I'm still debating if I should go through with it or not. I don't like flat irons or heat on my hair...

Hmm... but going back to cheaper drug store products...

Dove just came out with a oil-finishing-cream-thing recently, & I'm loving that. I use it as a finishing cream after I brush my hair & it calms the static & frizz right down. It's called Nourishing Oil Care, Leave-In Smoothing Cream. It's so light I have to stop myself from putting too much on because when it dries it's like, "Where did it go?" It smells great & I use it tons, but I've only been using it a week so I can't really say anything about the long term effects.

Anyway, that's my two cents. Good luck everyone! :)

jeanniet
May 13th, 2011, 12:28 AM
Off topic too..... Do you put the argan oil all through your hair or just the ends?


Thanks!
I usually just oil my ends and a little ways up the length. I don't use argan by itself, though; I mix jojoba, camellia, and argan together. Right now I'm mostly using just Nightblooming's panacea. I've found that with the herbal wash/conditioner I'm using I really don't need much in addition.

Debra83
May 13th, 2011, 12:34 AM
You need to read more threads, girlfriend! They are full of "this worked for me" but "this didn't work for me". That's how we operate on LHC. We share what works, and doesn't work. You also need to be more in tune with your own body. Pay attention to it, and listen to it - not just with hair - it will save you tons of frustration, anxiety, and worse problems in the future.

Coconut oil, surprisingly, works well some days for me, but not well the others.

My favourite product since coming to this site in 2008, was just discovered by me last year. Seems I missed any threads prior to that referring to it. I came across it in a magazine at the dentist or chiro (can't remember which), and went out and bought it. EUREKA! Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition (three oils) Conditioner (the one without cones). AMAZING!!!! Started a thread...TONS OF PEOPLE here were already using it! A few tried it, but didn't like it. I have fine, curly/wavy hair - MIGHT help you too! (I use it as the c in cwc, as well as a leave in conditioner too, but you may find a better routine with it. I HIGHLY recommend it to everyone to try. Here's the linK: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=50881

hmmm....just read rest of thread and saw mod note....

Sophie.Bold
May 13th, 2011, 12:56 AM
Holly Macaroni! ;) Chill Fellow Hair Care students!

The worst thing I have ever tried was shea butter, very difficult to remove and to tangle, and Almond Oil, who made my forehead break (pimples), but only tried one kind, Tea Rinse gave me dandruff...

LHC is about Experiments! Be patient! :)

Yosha
May 13th, 2011, 01:04 AM
Coconut oil works for me when I use it as a prewash treatment and will give my hair extra softness after washing, but when I leave it in for too long it will give me crunchy ends as well. Maybe it would still work for you if you don't let it stay in your hair for too long? Or mixed with other stuff in a deep treatment? For example when I use aloe vera by itself it gives me crunchy ends (and dry skin), but mixed with other stuff it works well and gives me soft and supple skin. If the coconut oil doesn't work for you and you don't want to throw it away you could try it for your skin after a shower, and if it's foodgrade (mine is from a foodstore and is odourless) you can use it for cooking.

Anyway my other oil experiences are with almond oil which works great for my hair but it doesn't work for other people. And scalp oiling with a combination of castor oil and almond oil works for me too (including lavender eo) and I have no problem washing it out where others have not been able to wash it out. YMMV ;)

CrystalStar
May 13th, 2011, 01:05 AM
I think the best thing you can do before buying anything that anyone recommends, is read reviews online. Tonnes of them. When I used to shop in lush a lot before buying something I would read reviews, and people would always either LOVE or HATE an item. There is often very little mdidle ground. I suppose, when someone gives their opinion or a recommendation for an oil, or other product, you can think of it a bit like a review. If someone loves a product the odds are unless it's a product that is very known to cause adverse affects for some people, they won't mention the bad. You need to google a product before you buy it and find loads of opinions on it!

Anyway, the worst oil I tried was probably olive oil! Clings to the hair like there's no tomorrow! Got it right once and my ends were so silky, but I was too heavy handed for me and olive oil to be friends :laugh:.

Debra83
May 13th, 2011, 01:06 AM
Oh yeah.....forgot to mention, my hair was fine, thin, and "curly" before joining too, but I found that the Henna that I use, changed the hair for me. It's done remarkable things for me since doing that every 3-4 weeks. I highly recommend that as well for your hair type.......don't just jump into the first application though like I did, even though nothing bad happened, RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH it yourself - BAD things definitely have happened to people, like allergic reactions, smoking/melting hair if applied to chemically treated hair, hair turns completely different shades of colour, stained skin for awhile - but none of that, thank Goodness, has happened to me. Plus there are a THOUSAND and ONE different types of Henna products to colour your hair with on the market - I've only ever used ONE brand - and I'm really happy with it, and it's price (6.00 CAD last me 6 months of product). Plus, I go dark instead of Red with it because of the colour I select.

ravenreed
May 13th, 2011, 01:44 AM
Yeah, same here. For me it works right up until it doesn't. If I use it a bunch of times in a row, I get the crunch. If I use other oils and only use coconut oil occasionally, it works wonderfully.


snipped...

Coconut oil, surprisingly, works well some days for me, but not well the others.

snipped...]

xoxophelia
May 13th, 2011, 01:55 AM
The worst for me is probably olive oil. It isn't a bad oil, but my hair is very fine and olive oil is just way too heavy for it. It takes the dickens to wash it out.

For those mentioning difficulty getting EVOO out of their hair, I put mine on dry hair mixed with honey (2:1 EVOO to honey). When I do that I don't have any trouble getting it out. Olive oil alone though, especially if I used too much, is more difficult to shampoo out.

ravenreed
May 13th, 2011, 02:00 AM
CO is still the best way I have found to get excess oils out of my hair.


For those mentioning difficulty getting EVOO out of their hair, I put mine on dry hair mixed with honey (2:1 EVOO to honey). When I do that I don't have any trouble getting it out. Olive oil alone though, especially if I used too much, is more difficult to shampoo out.

Phalaenopsis
May 13th, 2011, 02:00 AM
My hair loves coconut oil as a pre wash treatment, I don't use any oils as a leave-in. I HATE jojoba oil, such crunchy ends yuck.



I also wasted a lot of money on products other people here swear by: a ficcare, Aubrey Organics conditioners, any conditioner without cones, hair sticks...:)
Haha, same here, ficcares were such a waste of my money :o

oktobergoud
May 13th, 2011, 02:12 AM
My fine hair doesn't really like oils either, besides coconut oil, I think. But isn't this all about experimenting? :)
I have wasted my money on so many things for my hair and hardly anything really worked! That's a shame but well.. at least I know now they don't work so I won't have to spend money on them again ;)

lilravendark
May 13th, 2011, 02:51 AM
Coconut oil works well for me i mix it in my shampoo the unrefined stuff and when my hair is dry it feels amazing. I second the evoo and coconut mixture together I use it on my ends. The worst oil for me was castor oil really slick ergh

ravenreed
May 13th, 2011, 02:59 AM
Yeah, I hate spending money of stuff that won't work. I try to only buy things that I can use other ways, in case my hair hates something. A lot of the oils I bought for my hair ended up being used in the shower on my legs and feet. Brushes, hair toys, or shampoos and conditioners that don't work for me, I pass on to my less picky friends or family.

I will say that the things I have tried that have worked well for me have really worked well. I joined LHC when I had stalled at waist and had a head full of unhappy split ends. I never thought I would get past that length. I am now about 3 inches from classic and my hair is very happy with me most of the time.

It helps if you can narrow down why something didn't work. For instance, once I realized that protein made my hair crunchy and snarly, I could then avoid EVERYTHING with protein. It saved a lot of grief.


My fine hair doesn't really like oils either, besides coconut oil, I think. But isn't this all about experimenting? :)
I have wasted my money on so many things for my hair and hardly anything really worked! That's a shame but well.. at least I know now they don't work so I won't have to spend money on them again ;)

Mirsha
May 13th, 2011, 03:58 AM
For me it's not the point that my hair doesn't like oils, I don't like oils on my hair. It reminds me of being unwashed and greasy, not to mention it makes me break out more than average!

Honestly, the only time I ever saw a difference with any oil was when I experimented with the oil-shampoo method. (Aside from potentially coconutoil-induced crunchyness)

I, personally, haven't recommended anyone to do anything in my time on this board (I think, for as far as I remember) because for me, there is a world of difference between a suggestion and a recommendation :shrug:

woolyleprechaun
May 13th, 2011, 04:38 AM
my best advice on the matter is this- some peoples hair-like mine-likes nothing more than benign neglect! if your hair doesnt absorb oils, your best bet is using your own. try leaving it longer than usual between washes every now and again and use your natural oils as a treatment by brushing them through with a bristle brush an hour or so before washing. hope tthat works!

In2wishin
May 13th, 2011, 06:58 AM
One thing about coconut oil that may be interesting to those who have had problems: on the skin, a little coconut oil is wonderful but a lot of coconut oil can be drying to the skin. Most soapmaking information says that you should use a smaller percentage of coconut than other oils because a higher percentage will make the soap dry out your skin. Perhaps this is what happens with coconut oil on the hair and "crunchy" ends??????

Just a thought.

I can't use coconut oil on my hair because it makes my scalp break out in little sores so I have no experience with the ends.

GRU
May 13th, 2011, 07:24 AM
As with EVERYTHING on this forum (or any other forum, for that matter), YMMV:


Your
Mileage
May
Vary


Anyone who does something simply because "someone on the internet said to do it" deserves whatever they get, hair-related or not.

Idun
May 13th, 2011, 07:34 AM
Yeah, same here. For me it works right up until it doesn't. If I use it a bunch of times in a row, I get the crunch. If I use other oils and only use coconut oil occasionally, it works wonderfully.

This is my experience aswell. I also get better results from not using coconut oil pure, but rather use it in a mix with other oils.

MaiCarInMtl
May 13th, 2011, 08:27 AM
I got a large container of coconut oil to try out on my hair but I wasn't too impressed with the results. I already had some sweet almond oil and gave that a try while I was waiting for my camellia and jojoba oil to come in from Henna Sooq. The sweet almond oil was alright but not great either. The jojoba oil is pretty good, but my hair really seems to like the camellia oil (it's like it sucks it up, no residue!).

I'll still occasionally use the coconut oil on my hair (and use it in cooking - waste not, want not) and the sweet almond oil is occasionally used for my hair (but most often for massaging the man). Otherwise, I alternate the camellia/jojoba for my nightly (light) oilings.

Everyone's hair will react differently. I used to think I needed more protein - turns out it was actually making things worse. I tried Monistat to make my hair grow, that didn't seem to work either. I'm now giving castor oil scalp massages a try for that.

You might be able to use all the things you spent money on for other things or try rid yourself of them on the swap board.

LaurelSpring
May 13th, 2011, 08:40 AM
Im not so keen on it. If I use oil I like more lightweight oil like Grapeseed and its cheap. I do use a hair butter mixture with some coconut oil in it and that works fine the way I use it.

Paranda Belle
May 13th, 2011, 09:21 AM
I'm currently trialling almond oil. It doesnt "dampen down" (I can't think of any other way to say it) my hair like coconut oil does.

I've been put off mustard oil for life by my grandmother. She used to use far too much of it and it left greasy patches on the furniture.

pelicano
May 13th, 2011, 09:27 AM
Olive oil - made my hair stringy and a bit crunchy. No other oil has done that.

jeanniet
May 13th, 2011, 09:43 AM
I just wanted to add that if you don't experiment, you won't find out what your hair really does like. Logically, you start with the things that most people seem happy with--maybe COing, coconut or other oils, updos, etc. Then you figure out what really isn't right for you and drop those, and tweak what you do like a bit. Then you experiment some more, and more, and more, until you have a small collection of products and routines that make you happy. But I'd say it takes a good six months to a year to find that base group to work with.

I liked CO, but it wasn't "quite right." I liked diluted shampooing, but again, it wasn't "quite right." BS washing was pretty good, but not perfect. Indian herbs were a disaster (and this really was very odd, because I'm half Indian!). I finally hit on what works for me, but it's been a year of trying to figure it all out. All during that time I read a ton of threads, did research online, and kept on experimenting--carefully.

I understand what the OP meant and I'm not offended, but at the same time this is very much a caveat emptor thing. You're responsible for what you put on your hair. It's your choice if you follow what someone else does. There's always at least one person who says something didn't work for them, so take that information in with the positive posts and make your own decision--but it really is your decision.

terrylillyd
May 13th, 2011, 10:05 AM
Jojoba oil works best on my hair then any other

Deborah
May 13th, 2011, 10:48 AM
We're all different. My hair does not respond well to coconut oil either, so I just don't use it on my hair. My skin, however, does very well with it. I LOVE using it in the bathtub. My very dry skin feels great and feels protected from the eczema I can otherwise get.

Oil shampoo was terrible for me, so I just stopped it and went back to CO, which works wonderfully on my very fine hair.

Catnip was another bust, as it was damaging to my hair.

I'm sure there are others, but those are the ones I can think of right now. I don't blame anyone for these bad effects. I reported my experience, then moved on to other things.

I don't expect a disclaimer when someone recommends something. I figure it worked for them and they just want to share that with others, in hopes of helping them.

celebriangel
May 13th, 2011, 11:43 AM
My first three months following advice from this wonderful forum were fantastic! My hair was in better condition than it had been for decades. Then i started to experiment with oils. I read a lot of peoples reviews of oils, especially coconut oil, and having such great experiences from the other advice on here i dived headlong into it, trusting all that i read.

As i mentioned on another thread coconut oil is awful for my hair. It leaves it tangly, sticky and snappy at the ends. Because i read so many fabulous reviews of this oil i decided that this sudden rubbish condition meant that i had used it wrong. It couldn't possibly be causing this. So i tried less on damp hair. Then in an SMT. Then eventually i decided to believe my eyes and that coconut oil does not soak into/improve my hair but rather the opposite! It wrecks my hair and leaves it with build up that is slow to remove. So before i venture into new oils (I have tried only olive oil, almond oil and rapeseed oil) i wanted to post this in case there are other oils that i should worry about/need to strand test before trying.

Please stop recommending coconut oil to all and sundry! It does bad things to some peoples hair. My hair is fine, thin and curly.

I am afraid I am too lazy to read the whole thread. However. First of all the tone of your post is fairly agressive, and I understand you're upset that you did something and it worsened your hair's condition, but I think it's possible to have stated what you said in a more pleasant manner.

I am sorry that coconut oil did not work for you. However, everyone's hair is different, and the advice on the forum reflects this. Additionally, almost all the threads with advice and techniques on them have people saying, well, this didn't work so well with me, so YMMV. Almost every piece of advice given is given with a "well, what's good for my hair is this, so maybe it'll work for you if you give it a try." And I don't think you have the right to get angry at us because you tried something and it didn't work. So you got some buildup and wasted some money. We all do that, trying things that don't work, but the payoff happens when we find something that did work.

The reason we recommend coconut oil to so many newbies is 1) it is one of the very few oil which has been proven to penetrate the hair shaft, 2) it works for a whole buttload of people, 3) It is cheap and easily available, so you haven't wasted much money or time if it doesn't work, and 4) it's not gonna cause you any damage if it doesn't work. Seems like a fine thing for a *general* recommendation to me, no? So I will keep recommending newbies to coconut oil, although most of the time I also include that finehairs might prefer something lighter.

The point I would take from your post is that we clearly need to try harder to educate newbies about what to do with the large quantities of advice on this forum.

I don't see much of a problem here. You tried coconut oil one way, it didn't work for you. You very sensibly tried another way, and it still didn't work (it was a good idea, not a bad one, to try, however - many people have success with different oils/methods by tweaking them for their personal preferences). So try something else; perhaps camellia oil or jojoba oil for fine hair.

I'm sorry to tell you this, but if you want to experiment with lots of different things, you're gonna find that sometimes you try something and your hair hates it. For me, undiluted castor oil left my hair greasy, catnip rinses made it terribly coarse and unmanageable, and don't even get me started on the horrible buildup when I tried the fairly standard CWC and leave-in with coney products.

As far as other oils go; the only way you can tell if you like them is to try. If your hair doesn't like them, however, it's not the end of the world. Start off with a small amount on the ends; if your hair doesn't like it, wash it out. No problems, no disasters, the only inconvenience being either the wait time till your next wash or having to do an extra wash.

Also, never blindly trust anything anyone says to you, and it is important to try your own experiments/do your own research. I believe that that is a message this forum projects loud and clear, but if your experience is anything to go by, perhaps we need to try harder to communicate this to newbies.

squiggyflop
May 13th, 2011, 11:55 AM
lol when i first joined my hair HATED coconut oil, i could only use camellia oil, and now my hair HATES camellia oil and LOVES coconut oil.. i think it happened when my hair hit 36 inches. no idea why it changed..

lol i think people are still going to recommend coconut oil, its not as expensive as some other oils and not as messy. i used to hate when people would tell me to use coconut oil.. the tangles it used to cause me were awful. but im ok with it now, i understand that because it works for so many people and the inexpensiveness of the oil, combined with ease of use are all good reasons to recommend an oil to a newb

i apply it with a wood base BBB, not my fingers.

Intotouch
May 13th, 2011, 11:57 AM
Again,

I'm very sorry if people found the post aggressive or accusatory. That really really was not my intention. I was trying to fit in a title that captured what i wanted to say.

I wish that i had not mentioned any specific oil. That or entitled it "please stop recommending coconut oil to everyone because it really does not suit everyone and could lead to build up that is hard to remove" I had no intention of starting an argument. I am not angry with anyone.

I greatly appreciate all of the wonderful advice that i have received here and respect everyones right to love coconut oil.

Please excuse me for not being more respectful/nicer in tone and i will be careful to be more sensitive in the future.

Elenna
May 13th, 2011, 12:14 PM
I could write a book about oil experiments. Coconut oil was a disaster on my hair; it left my ends dry and frazzled resulting in velcro hair. Lighter oils like jojoba, almond, avocado, etc were ok but seemed to only coat not condition. Almond oil in particular seemed like silicon on my hair. What works for me is very counter-intuitive, the super heavy oils like castor, olive, shea butter, etc but only in very small amounts and "cut" with a lighter oil. These heavy oils have great conditioning properties for my fine hair. I guess my favorite oil is castor oil applied sparingly. I use shea butter as a leave in mostly.

Katze
May 13th, 2011, 12:21 PM
Haven't read the whole thread but as someone with 'problem' hair that just does not play nicely like other peoples' seems to, here are my two cents:

Oiling in general does not seem to work well for me, so I just don't do it.

With more than full-time work, a toddler, and trouble sleeping, oh yeah, and we've bought a house, too, I don't have the energy to spend loads of time researching exotic oils, nor the time to test every single oil on my hair. Oiling has not worked well for me, so I don't do it. I do use coconut oil mixed with conditioner and shea butter (Fox's conditioning cream) and so does my DH, also a fine-haired wavy.

Otherwise, leave-ins work better for me.

I often wonder at all the people going out and finding exotic and rare oils just to put on their hair. It would be nice to have the luxury of being able to test every single thing, but I figure, leave-ins work (I use Nature's Gate Awapuhi and Goth Rosary conditioners as leave-ins) so why fix it if it ain't broke?

I also notice that the OP has fine hair, too. Many fine hair people have trouble with oils, to which I with my long struggle to make my hair look halfway decent would say, why not just use conditioner?

Annibelle
May 13th, 2011, 02:49 PM
All I've tried so far is coconut oil, and it's been good for me-- but I think I need to cut back, because I think it's overmoisturizing my hair. I'll definitely keep using it on the ends, though, because they seem much better. I'm sorry coconut didn't work for you. :{ I'm trying jojoba next...

Carolyn
May 13th, 2011, 03:11 PM
I think people are just giving their best recommendations when asked. It's a "this worked for me and maybe you would like it too" thing. It's all given with good intentions.

I've discovered that clear oils work for me. I'd been using various yellow oils such as olive and avocado. My hair was taking on brassy and strawberry blonde/reddish tone. I hated it. After some brain storming with a couple of knowledgeable LHC'ers, I realized the yellow oils could be the cause or part of the cause. This discovery happened to coincide with getting a new water softening and filter system. After changing to clear oils and the new and much better water, my hair has been great. I have been maintaining my beloved ashy blonde tones for 3-4 months between colorings. I will never know exactly which contributed more to my brassiess. I'm just glad the problem is solved.

At this time I am using coconut and camellia oils. I would consider another clear oil but I don't have one on hand at the moment.

annieangel149
May 13th, 2011, 03:28 PM
Again,

I'm very sorry if people found the post aggressive or accusatory. That really really was not my intention. I was trying to fit in a title that captured what i wanted to say.

I wish that i had not mentioned any specific oil. That or entitled it "please stop recommending coconut oil to everyone because it really does not suit everyone and could lead to build up that is hard to remove" I had no intention of starting an argument. I am not angry with anyone.

I greatly appreciate all of the wonderful advice that i have received here and respect everyones right to love coconut oil.

Please excuse me for not being more respectful/nicer in tone and i will be careful to be more sensitive in the future.


i think because this is such a long thread now, some peeps here have not seen your apology :)

hugs to you :smooch:

annieangel149
May 13th, 2011, 03:33 PM
i have only tried sweet almond, coconut and grapeseed oil!

coconut and sweet almond oil are great but only work when i apply to dry hair,leave it overnight and wash out the next day. It doesnt work if i apply to wet hair after a wash!
And my hair doesnt like grapeseed oil!

Firefox7275
May 13th, 2011, 03:35 PM
Again,

I'm very sorry if people found the post aggressive or accusatory. That really really was not my intention. I was trying to fit in a title that captured what i wanted to say.

I wish that i had not mentioned any specific oil. That or entitled it "please stop recommending coconut oil to everyone because it really does not suit everyone and could lead to build up that is hard to remove" I had no intention of starting an argument. I am not angry with anyone.

I greatly appreciate all of the wonderful advice that i have received here and respect everyones right to love coconut oil.

Please excuse me for not being more respectful/nicer in tone and i will be careful to be more sensitive in the future.

There are different ways to use oils: as a pre-wash treatments, as part of a deep condition, as a leave in on wet or dry hair, mixed with shampoo. Coconut is frequently recommended for good reason, because research has shown that it can be absorbed into the hair and because many LHCers have had success with it using one method of application or another. Ditto any other oil you can care to mention! It might be you chose the wrong oil for your hair or it might be you didn't haven't yet found the right application method. :shrug:

Just keep reading LHC thoroughly because all the symptoms of failure - such as crunchy hair - are described here right alongside the successes. It's well worth revisiting advice like Ursula's Standard Newbie Advice (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=39) and the article on oiling (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=71). :)

jeanniet
May 13th, 2011, 06:18 PM
Again,

I'm very sorry if people found the post aggressive or accusatory. That really really was not my intention. I was trying to fit in a title that captured what i wanted to say.

I wish that i had not mentioned any specific oil. That or entitled it "please stop recommending coconut oil to everyone because it really does not suit everyone and could lead to build up that is hard to remove" I had no intention of starting an argument. I am not angry with anyone.

I greatly appreciate all of the wonderful advice that i have received here and respect everyones right to love coconut oil.

Please excuse me for not being more respectful/nicer in tone and i will be careful to be more sensitive in the future.
I think by now if you've read all our responses you know that pretty much all of us have been in your shoes as far as disastrous experiences go. You just have to shrug it off and keep looking and trying things out. At some point you will find the right things for you, and it may be things often recommended here, and may not. Then you can make your own recommendations!

dmarie16
July 2nd, 2011, 01:07 AM
Best to buy edible virgin oils then if your hair don't like them, you can eat them yourself!!!!:yumm: Oil does a body good!!!! Lol!

Mommyof4
July 2nd, 2011, 01:23 AM
I have thick, coarse, wavy hair and coconut oil is wonderful for my hair. It defrizzes my hair without weighing down my waves/curls. My mom's hair is really fine and it weighed her hair down too much, but I recommended she do an apple cider vinegar and water rinse, and her hair was like new. No one thing works for everyone. I had a friend give me a mineral oil telling me it was the best thing she had ever used. It took me a week to wash out, even with sls shampoo and lemon juice. I totally understand your frustration! :)

lindaweb
July 2nd, 2011, 01:48 AM
my hair isn't thick but i use shampoo and conditioner with coconut oil in it and it comes out lovely and soft and very manageable.

IanB
July 2nd, 2011, 02:46 AM
Well, that awful phrase "at the end of the day" it's all down to personal experience, trial and error, experimentation on what's best for you. If you don't try, you don't know! :)

Rosetta
July 2nd, 2011, 03:02 AM
For me, I can only use any oil only as pre-wash (which for me is pre-shampoo) - leave any in and my hair looks and feels like it hasn't been washed for years ;) But as pre-wash, I do like coconut oil the best (not least because of the smell) :)

Nev
July 2nd, 2011, 03:52 AM
Has anyone here had good results with avocado oil? i'm totally new to oils, so i bought avocado oil first to try it out. i only put a little on my ends, like twice a week. i have noticed some improvement on my hair, its much smoother.

Ashenputtel
July 2nd, 2011, 11:21 AM
I also can't use coconut oil, it gives me crunchy dry hair.

McFearless
July 2nd, 2011, 11:45 AM
Coconut oil doesn't seem to do a thing for my hair. It was okay for a while. I only use it on my skin now. It definately doesn't work for everyone. Olive oil does the trick now. It makes my hair soft. I really want to try other oils but access to them is limited for me.

Cleopatra18
July 2nd, 2011, 12:22 PM
rice bran oil sits on top of my hair and does nothing.

NativeGirl
July 2nd, 2011, 12:33 PM
Castor oil and olive oil. They both make my hair incredibly greasy and crunchy.
I now use Proclaim's Natural 7 Oil from Sally Beauty. It makes my hair so soft, and shiny...I have to fight the urge to constantly run my fingers through my hair. :)

Neneka
July 2nd, 2011, 12:38 PM
I have recently experimented with heavy oiling but it just doesn't work. After I wash it away my hair feels very dry. I have tried olive oil, coconut, jojoba, castor oil and apricot kernel oil. It seems like I need only light oiling.

spidermom
July 2nd, 2011, 02:01 PM
That seems a little unreasonable. When I give advice, I can only speak from personal experience or from observation.
Personal experience: Coconut oil all the way! Woo-Hoo! Great stuff.
Personal observation: Some hair does not respond well to coconut oil.

jesis
July 2nd, 2011, 02:41 PM
Coconut oil made my hair tangle like crazy, my roots were always oily and my ends dry, and it never looked healthy at all! I use Camellia oil now, I've found that it's much better for those of us with curly hair!

Mamakash
July 2nd, 2011, 04:36 PM
I found the benefits of coconut oil to be cumulative. It seemed to make my end crunchy a day after washing it out, but softened by day two or three. A few weeks later it seemed to have thickened my hair. Sometimes it's drying, sometimes moisturizing. I don't like it all the time, but I do like it as a pre wash treatment.

CurlAhead
July 2nd, 2011, 06:49 PM
I have thick hair, and I thought I could get away with the problems caused by coconut-oil for some people. Well, I WAS WRONG! It is the same for me. :( Olive-oil works a little better if I apply it on the ends. Haven't tried any other oils. (Except for Castor Oil, ehh, no thanks!! :D )

ccmso12
July 2nd, 2011, 06:55 PM
Only tried oliveoil . . .makes my hair 'snappy'--not so good. Will be trying some fancu morocan oil getting from my stylist friend--will let you know how it goes.

QueenJoey
July 2nd, 2011, 07:06 PM
I thought my coconut oil from CVS was drying out my hair. Then I looked at the ingredients list...and the first thing on the list is petroleum! Then coconut oil, then fragrance. I was so mad at myself that I hadn't checked before I bought. Just came home from buying the pure organic stuff from my local health food store, and hopefully this stuff will be better when it doesn't have all that other awful stuff in it.

By the way, the bad one I got is called Blue Magic. I got it at CVS, but it's also at Walmart. I think it's any place with an ethnic hair care section, which is where I found it. :(

julliams
July 2nd, 2011, 07:38 PM
I'm sorry it didn't work for you, but if you found something that did wonders for your own hair, would you not recommend it to others? Seems like a fairly normal friendly thing to do...

I think the general message at LHC is trial and error. Try stuff out one at a time and see what your hair likes. I've even had certain things (like an ACV rinse) that has been a disaster first time around, then I've tried it months later and loved it. Weather can play a big part in how my hair looks from week to week.

GoatLady
July 2nd, 2011, 08:30 PM
I've only used two, coconut oil and EVOO. The coconut oil seemed to work fine but I'm a beekeeper and when I wear coconut oil in the yard I have bees all up in my grill. LOL So I tried EVOO. Big mistake. I did a deep conditioning back on Tuesday and STILL haven't managed to get all the excess oil out of my hair. Yes, I made the mistake of oiling my scalp. Good thing it's hot here so my hair can be up and not look quite so awful. :rolleyes:

heartgoesboom
July 2nd, 2011, 10:18 PM
i only read half the posts so far, but why does coconut oil cause crunchy ends? when i first started using it, it made my hair soft... then recently, crunchy so i moved on to olive oil and my hair just soaks it right up. *ok, i'll go back to reading the rest of the posts*

Darkhorse1
July 2nd, 2011, 10:26 PM
My hair HATED coconut oil, but I wouldn't have known if I hadn't tried. I found olive oil met my needs the best, and I was happy that I found out ways to help my own hair via this website.

Nothing here is a gospel fix for hair. Just many people have had high success rates with coconut oil. I didnt, and there are others who didn't either.

I don't think it matters if your hair is fine or thicker in strands, not everything that one uses will work for another. Just like the cones that some people don't use. I use them and my hair loves them--my lifestyle requires more slip to my hair and I don't have any problem using them. However, some don't like how cones (meaning silicones, dimethicones that are found in conditioners/shampoos) make their hair feel, so they eliminated them from their routine. Makes sense to me :)






My first three months following advice from this wonderful forum were fantastic! My hair was in better condition than it had been for decades. Then i started to experiment with oils. I read a lot of peoples reviews of oils, especially coconut oil, and having such great experiences from the other advice on here i dived headlong into it, trusting all that i read.

As i mentioned on another thread coconut oil is awful for my hair. It leaves it tangly, sticky and snappy at the ends. Because i read so many fabulous reviews of this oil i decided that this sudden rubbish condition meant that i had used it wrong. It couldn't possibly be causing this. So i tried less on damp hair. Then in an SMT. Then eventually i decided to believe my eyes and that coconut oil does not soak into/improve my hair but rather the opposite! It wrecks my hair and leaves it with build up that is slow to remove. So before i venture into new oils (I have tried only olive oil, almond oil and rapeseed oil) i wanted to post this in case there are other oils that i should worry about/need to strand test before trying.

Please stop recommending coconut oil to all and sundry! It does bad things to some peoples hair. My hair is fine, thin and curly.

krissykins
July 2nd, 2011, 11:12 PM
i only read half the posts so far, but why does coconut oil cause crunchy ends? when i first started using it, it made my hair soft... then recently, crunchy so i moved on to olive oil and my hair just soaks it right up. *ok, i'll go back to reading the rest of the posts*

Coconut oil tends to make hair crunchy because it prevents protein loss. Sometimes people will experience protein overload from this because the hair is retaining more protein than it needs.

Toadstool
July 3rd, 2011, 01:39 AM
Coconut oil tends to make hair crunchy because it prevents protein loss. Sometimes people will experience protein overload from this because the hair is retaining more protein than it needs.
That's interesting, and annoying!. I kept using coconut oil daily, thinking the crunch was dryness.

I have tried lots of different things since LHC (coconut oil, SLS free shampoo, cone free conditioners), and personally I have found that my hair looks and feels better using traditional washing and conditioning methods. I never really used heat, so my biggest problem has been dye damage. My hairdresser told me it didn't damage my hair, so I was glad to have my impressions that it did confirmed here. Other than that, washing and conditioning with tresemme shampoo and conditioner works for me.:)

LyraS
July 3rd, 2011, 02:08 AM
I use coconut oil in my hair from time to time, and even though sometimes it makes my ends crunchy, the way it feels after a shower is amazing. It feels so soft and smooth. So what i usually do is soak my head the night before and shower in the morning so i don't have to go out with oily hair.
I'm sorry the oil didn't work for you though. I have tried castor oil and olive oil as well though and i get the same results (the crunchiness). I know alot of people who uses coconut oil and it works for them.
But you just have to experiment and find out which is the right one for you.

Peashy
July 3rd, 2011, 07:12 AM
I too have fine hair and have tried EVOO and coconut oil and I think both have been far too heavy for my hair. Infact, ever since I put down the dryer and straightners I haven't come across ANYTHING that isn't too heavy for my hair. Next in line for trial is going to be aloe vera gel which then I can use in other deep treatments too and maybe some of the camellia oil. It's really frustrating spending money on things to find they don't work - I was especially upset with coconut oil as I just LOVE the smell of it! Hopefully we'll both find something that works soon :)

BTW, I didn't find the initial post negative at all, I kind of read it with a bit of a sarcastic / jokey undertone to it because your hair was being a bit rebellious to quite a universal favourite and you were desperate to find something other than coconut oil mentioned which is often the 'starting' oil (at least in my experience trying to find new hints and tips). Then again I often completely miss the point in a lot of things :shrug:

ArienEllariel
July 3rd, 2011, 07:14 AM
CO seems fine with my hair, it's the EVOO that my hair seems to hate.

missoj
July 10th, 2011, 01:10 PM
Everything doesn't work for everybody. I used coconut oil and it really defined my curl nicely but I don't use it any more because I prefer castor oil which aids my hair growth better.

Sweet Beat
August 2nd, 2011, 07:37 AM
Hm... It seems to be horrible stories for any oil. (Except possibly Camellia oil if I go for what I've seen in the thread, but I don't know where to find that)) I'm planning to buy some oil, maybe go for EVOO. My hair is a bit crunchy without any oil, even if I not very often eat fish. But i thought that was my thick hair strands. But maybe it is, because my hair liked egg treatment. Maybe I should go for coconut oil. I don't know :(

monichella
August 2nd, 2011, 07:45 AM
the worse oil I used is sesam oil. It smells so much, horrible for my nose! X/

Sweetie
August 2nd, 2011, 07:46 AM
Coconut oil literally saved my hair when at the beach! Anyway it's a bit heavy, so I use it only when i need a strong protection. For every other use, I think Argan Oil it's the best of all. ùI must admit that as a leave in I use a drop of Argan Oil and a drop of karitè beurre.
It works great for me - but every head is different!

CastaDiva
August 2nd, 2011, 07:49 AM
Shea butter, or melted shea is just awful on my hair. Sticky and tangly hair, no matter how small amount I use:(

ddiana1979
August 2nd, 2011, 12:20 PM
I almost always use Nightblooming's Triple Moon Anointing Oil (http://www.etsy.com/listing/77527916/triple-moon-hair-anointing-oil-4oz-full?ref=sr_list_3&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=triple+moon+anointing+oil&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade). I also like camellia oil and argan oil. Regardless, I apply about 4 drops when my hair is still damp.

Heavy oiling hasn't worked out so well for me, unfortunately. :( I think EVOO was the worst experiment. It was really, really hard to get out.

No one oil is going to work for everyone though.

ETA: Sweet_Beat, I got my camellia oil on Amazon.com, for a pretty decent price. I got the argan from them too.

spidermom
August 2nd, 2011, 12:30 PM
Remember to read the labels of any oils that you try. A lot of times, the front of the jar or bottle will say (for example) "coconut oil", but if you read the back of the jar, it will say "petrolatum etc etc etc" and the amount of coconut oil in it is relatively small.

dragonchickx
August 2nd, 2011, 12:37 PM
WOw that is crazy how much our hair differs!!
Olive oil is so far my favorite!!! my hair loves it. it feel very soft and smooth even when the oil is put heavily on my ends and mid sections of hair.. It seems to absorb very well and washes out so that just the right amount of shine and moister is left in my ends!! Plus it makes my hair incredibly shinny.. Wonder if coconut oil would be damaging to my hair than?

Khiwanean
August 2nd, 2011, 12:41 PM
Just wanted to add my two cents that my hair is very fine and very thin and it loves coconut oil. I apply so much that it would probably scare off classic length members :D then when I wash it off I put a tad on my damp hair and my hair dried and looks thicker and fuller. It has to be the coconut oil because any days I don't put it on damp my hair looks meh as usual.

It works for most, just not for all :) Trial and error. I didn't know if it would work for me since it's not the top favorite amongst fine thinnies. But it is my favorite.My hair loves coconut oil too. It drinks it in like coconut oil is the tastiest stuff ever. I use a lot more than most people here do. However, my hair only likes it when dry. Coconut oil on my hair when its wet makes for waxy stuff.

I can't say I've tried enough oils to really have an extraordinarily bad experience with any of them. I don't care for the smell of EVOO. It doesn't do horrible things to my hair though.

I'll still recommend coconut oil to others, but I understand if it doesn't end up working for them. There is a little bit of troubleshooting to be done when trying out oils: have you tried on both wet and dry hair? are you using too much or too little? Coconut oil specifically may work differently depending on whether you're using the refined or unrefined stuff. But in the end, coconut oil isn't for everyone. Oil in general isn't for everyone. But you won't know until you try. And we don't know if you've tried and it didn't work for you unless you say so.

GRU
August 2nd, 2011, 01:10 PM
I almost always use Nightblooming's Triple Moon Anointing Oil (http://www.etsy.com/listing/77527916/triple-moon-hair-anointing-oil-4oz-full?ref=sr_list_3&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=triple+moon+anointing+oil&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade). I also like camellia oil and argan oil. Regardless, I apply about 4 drops when my hair is still damp.

I just have to chuckle a little when I see things like this.... it's a reminder that while we all have 'hair' it does NOT mean we all have the SAME hair! I remember at the Chicago meet last month, I poured a PUDDLE of Triple Moon into the palm of my hand about three times... and I remember young&reckless looking on in wonder at how I could possibly put THAT much oil on my hair and STILL not look greasy! :lol:

Makes one wonder if all the times we say, "X product/technique doesn't work for me" if it's because of the product/technique or the amount/way we're doing it that is the problem for our hair. Obviously, though, there isn't one single Holy Grail Product that works for every head of hair..... we're all unique in our own way!

jitzgrrl
August 2nd, 2011, 02:49 PM
Olive Oil is the worst for my hair! Even when I just run my hands through my hair and inadvertently get a tiny amount of kitchen oil in there, it's limp and stringy for literally two weeks. I eventually resort to diatomaceous earth shaken on my scalp to suck up the oil, then multiple shampooings to get the DE out. Coconut oil is nice sometimes, but often makes my hair a bit crunchy (protein-y?). Jojoba is what I've settled on for the daily oiling on my tender ends.

Othala
August 2nd, 2011, 02:54 PM
Argan oil.....what a disaster. Also pretty bad.....olive oil.

long gone
August 2nd, 2011, 03:29 PM
I have been really surprised how specific everyone's hair is about what it likes and what it doesn't like. There has to be something to this. Evoo and castor-my hair loves. Coconut is awful on my hair. I just read the blood type diet and it was pretty specific on oils you could and couldn't use for your type. Has anybody tried that?

archel
August 2nd, 2011, 04:16 PM
It really is so specific to the individual. Shea butter/oil is awful for my hair in any form or amount. Olive is wonderful, coconut/palm is wonderful, argan is sometimes not quite moisturizing enough. Castor is great on my scalp overnight, but only on wash nights. All these realizations have come from experimentation, which is the only way you can figure out what works best.

Susana
August 2nd, 2011, 11:13 PM
I love coconut oil. And VOO. And Grapeseed. And apricot.....that is all I have tried I believe. I particularly love to do heavy coconut oil oilings for a few days nbefore I wash my hair ( I keep it braided since I literally soak it in like 1/4 cup - I re-oil it everyday when I do this deep conditioning). I don't really like to use oil on wet hair. After it is washed and dried I will add a small drop to avoid tangles and add shine.

Honestly, if people are scared that their hair might get cunchy and not realize it was from the new oil, the best thing to do ir to not change anything in your routine and add the new oil, that way any result that you get you KNOW it was the new addition to the routine :)

I like that people recommend what works for them and others say what does not. I tried WO and NWSO. neither worked for me (maybe the incredibly stone hard water here) but after I stopped my hair went back to normal. so thank God, no harm no foul. I know the members that recommend it are happy with their result and I can't blame them for that.

Thank you for letting us know that coconut oil can leave your hair quiet unhappy I hope that you will have better results in the future :) \let us know how it goes :):)

gthlvrmx
August 2nd, 2011, 11:22 PM
mineral oil -_- That stuff was NOT meant for hair.

Heatherzilla
August 3rd, 2011, 04:13 AM
Coconut oil worked wonders for me until I started to henndigo. Now my hair likes olive oil more. Those are the only two I've tried so I don't know what else would work well.

Anyone else found that henna/indigo changed what their hair liked?

NotInPortland
August 3rd, 2011, 06:01 AM
Coconut oil works great on my fine thin hair so it's not just thick haired people that an use it. The only other oil I've tried so far is olive so I'll say that it was my worst. It wasn't awful or anything but I really don't feel it did anything for my hair except make it look greasy.

CurlyNaomi
August 3rd, 2011, 08:13 AM
I hate most of the oils I tried... argan, jojoba, hempseed, avocado, coconut, rosehip... my hair only like castor, olive and grapeseed oil :)

dolphin
August 16th, 2011, 06:09 PM
My hair wasn't too pleased with coconut oil either. It made the ends really crunchy while my scalp was an oil slick even though I washed it out as thoroughly as possible. I think it just doesn't suit my hair type that well. I haven't tried other oils yet, hopefully they work out better.

tigereye
August 18th, 2011, 01:45 PM
My hair doesn't get on well with the heavier oils like castor oil. I haven't tried coconut oil yet, but I think it might be too heavy too. My hair does seem to get on well with olive oil, and sunflower oil (like the cheapskate it is :p) and my scalp likes a drop or two of tea tree in the mix too. Castor oil was definitely worst though.

And I was wondering, has anyone left their hair oiled for more than a day? I'm out cycling 100 miles for charity tomorrow and Saturday, and plan to keep my hair in a well oiled (olive, sunflower and tea tree) braid the whole time. Wash day was meant to be tomorrow, but I can easy put it off for a little (or big) hair pampering. I just wanted to know if anyone ever tried it.

Khiwanean
August 18th, 2011, 01:58 PM
I really haven't tried all that many oils - only coconut and EVOO. Of the two, I like coconut better. The EVOO wasn't bad per se, it made my hair a little more shiny and slippery, but it's also much easier for me to overuse and get the greasies from and it just doesn't soak into my hair.

GRU
August 18th, 2011, 02:19 PM
And I was wondering, has anyone left their hair oiled for more than a day?

I think you'll find plenty of LHCers who keep their hair oiled for a week at a time!

I've gone 2-3 days before, but I have to wash at least that often b/c of my seborrheic dermatitis.

Gvnagitlvgei
August 18th, 2011, 04:02 PM
It's not that recommending coconut oil is the problem, it's just that it doesn't work for your hair. Everything is on an individual basis. Shrugs.

vendethiel
August 18th, 2011, 08:55 PM
Coconut oil doesn't work in my hair, either. I think it is just too heavy. However, my sister thinks it's the best stuff ever.

xoerincolleen
August 18th, 2011, 09:20 PM
EVOO didn't work too well for me...I have yet to try coconut oil. I can't bring myself to spend $8.50 on the tub at the grocery store. (Miser.) I use an oil blend that I got as a gift, it works wonders!

redcelticcurls
August 18th, 2011, 09:27 PM
Coconut oil tends to make hair crunchy because it prevents protein loss. Sometimes people will experience protein overload from this because the hair is retaining more protein than it needs.


Yes. This.

My hair reacts poorly to many things that help keep strands thick or help with protein. Coconut oil, henna, panthenol, all 'good' things that get to proteiny on me.

Keratin though, love that. And mango oil, and castor oil.

justgreen
August 18th, 2011, 10:10 PM
Coconut oil does terrible things to my hair too! I think it's better suited for the thick-haired. My hair is too wimpy for it. Camellia oil works better because it's so light-weight.

I also wasted a lot of money on products other people here swear by: a ficcare, Aubrey Organics conditioners, any conditioner without cones, hair sticks...:)


My birthday is in October, if you want to find a new home for that wasted Ficcare....:p

Lady Neeva
July 30th, 2012, 06:37 PM
Every oil known to history. This might seem an hyperbole, but I've tried the general kinds and that made my greasy scalp greasier than it was originally.

MrsGuther
July 30th, 2012, 06:49 PM
Olive oil makes my hair shed so badly. I got this coconut oil conditioner recently and it made my hair super greasy and it just looked like I hadn't washed it in a year. Yuck. Never again!!!

Anywhere
July 30th, 2012, 06:59 PM
Coconut oil: my hair doesn't care for coconut oil, the ends get crunchy, but the length and my scalp like it. My scalp *loves* it. It also makes my face break out though.

EVOO: My hair and scalp both love evoo. makes my ends and length soft. The smell is too strong for me for some reason though, and it's easy for me to overdo it.

Mineral Oil (er, baby oil..): my hair doesn't act much different, maybe a bit more moisturized, gets rid of my frizzies. I hate the smell of my baby oil though and it's not enough of a change to make me enjoy it.

Castor oil: My hair/scalp like castor oil, it's up there next to EVOO on my hair's favorite oils. It's heavy but if I use just the right amount my hair looks good.

so of the few I've tried, I like them in this order: EVOO, castor, coconut (only because it helps my scalp and has an ok smell), and mineral oil.



Recently though I haven't really been using oils. I've mostly just been using my Nightblooming's Panacea. My hair really likes the panacea, I can use a lot and not get greasy looking, my hair loves it. I don't put it on my scalp often, but I did put it on a weird scaly patch and it seemed to fix it up for the time being. IIRC it has coconut oil in it, but mixed with the other stuff my hair doesn't seem to mind.

dwell_in_safety
July 30th, 2012, 07:04 PM
Olive oil was a failure for me. It left my hair sticky and clumpy for a whole week afterward. With coconut oil, even if I over oil and can't get it all washed out in one go, I know that within a day the excess will be sucked up by my hair, at least. Olive oil was just gross lol.

ratgirldjh
July 30th, 2012, 07:10 PM
I'm not sure any more. VCO worked amazing for me for several years and then suddenly dry crispy hair. Same with olive oil. None are bad enough though to really be worst - I can still use them - it is just that I prefer to just use either castor oil or mineral oil. I only use castor oil on my scalp though.

Miss Maisie
July 30th, 2012, 07:11 PM
Mineral oil was the worst for me. UGH.

KristiLe
July 30th, 2012, 07:12 PM
Worst so far for me is apricot oil. I've tried it several times leaving it on for different lengths of time but it always makes my hair look/feel so much worse...VERY straw-like and tangly.

door72067
July 30th, 2012, 07:19 PM
my hair HATES coconut anything so I've never even bothered trying straight coconut oil

I do, however, get lovely results with baby oil

Elessaelle
July 30th, 2012, 07:56 PM
My hair also hates coconut oil, it makes my ends crunchy and even after washing it out, my hair was dry and brittle. I've been trying for 2 weeks to get my hair to return to normal condition :(

swearnsue
July 30th, 2012, 08:13 PM
My favorite oil is a mixture of olive, coconut and castor oils as a deep treatment. I think the worst would be straight castor oil because I would have to shampoo and rinse 3 times to get it out.

OrganicJewel
July 30th, 2012, 08:15 PM
my hair loves coconut oil. As a matter of fact my hair so far has loved every oil. My hair is thirsty and loves soaking up oils. The oil that hasn't done anything for my hair is mineral oil, but it doesn't do anything "bad" to my hair either. I haven't tried camellia, but I really want to.

Daily I use coconut oil on damp hair and then seal it with almond oil when it's dry.

earthnut
July 30th, 2012, 08:27 PM
My hair doesn't love coconut oil on dry hair, as a leave in, but it loves it as a deep conditioning.

My hair hasn't met an oil it hated (though I haven't tried a huge amount).

I use coconut oil for deep treatments and olive oil as a sealer.

sharonluvscats
July 30th, 2012, 09:52 PM
Another head of hair that hates coconut oil. I tried using it various ways for a month. It left me ends crunchy, made me shed like crazy, and dried out my ends when washed out. I like Olive oil but only on my ends. It makes me scalp itch.

catamonica
July 30th, 2012, 11:14 PM
I haven't tried coconut oil. But I have used olive oil & water. In a spray bottle before I shampoo. And two capfuls to my shampoo & conditioner. And in my face cream. Olive oil is great!

Silverbrumby
July 30th, 2012, 11:16 PM
I'm still looking for the magic hair fairy to tell me what I should do with my hair. So far the bunning and not brushing has been the best thing I've done for my hair. Also biotin, silk pillow case, less stress.

Oils... hit and miss with me.

insilentharmony
July 31st, 2012, 01:13 AM
I just started using coconut oil after using sweet almond oil for about four months. The sweet almond oil eventually improved the dry areas of my hair but didn't do much else. However, the coconut oil made my hair soft, silky, and smooth...but also caused the absolute worst shedding I've ever experienced. It really freaks me out when I see so much hair falling out, so you can be sure that coconut oil is never going near my scalp again! I'm considering still putting it on the ends of my hair since I like it better than the sweet almond oil but definitely not the scalp.

elthia
July 31st, 2012, 02:15 AM
My hair loves coconut oil, however olive oil was the biggest fail except for honey and SMT's. Every time I use honey, even microwaved, whether in a rinse or in a SMT, the next week split end city.

Milui Elenath
July 31st, 2012, 02:22 AM
Coconut oil was also no good for me. Massive shedding and I just don't shed that much that I even worry about it usually. Also my hair feels fine at first and then just gets rougher and strangely drier but oily.

For me it's the only oil that my hair hasn't liked. Olive is by far my favourite, I've also used jojoba, sweet almond and wheatgerm. My skin doesn't like coconut oil either so the only thing it's good for in my house is cooking or making toothpaste out of. :D

Katleen
July 31st, 2012, 02:39 AM
I first tried jojoba oil, which didn't do much for my hair. I still use it as a carrier oil in my mister bottle. Coconut oil, my hair hates it. Makes my ends crunchy, my lengths dry and brittle, and it gave my hair a greenish color!! I now use it for cooking!

My hair really likes EVOO, makes it soft and shiny, but I really hate smelling like salad dressing :-)

Vampyria
July 31st, 2012, 02:46 AM
Olive oil. I just couldn't wash it out. I even used SLES and SLS shampoo back then. And it was recommended everywhere. Coconut oil is magic for me. Avocado is not bad either.

Isilme
July 31st, 2012, 02:48 AM
My hair just doesn't like oils. Jojoba was the worst, it made my hair crunchy.

DancingQueen
July 31st, 2012, 02:50 AM
I am going to have to say castor oil. I bought it because everyone said it would make my hair grow faster. It didn't, although it did do an amazing job by taking care of frizz, adding shine and even extra volume. However, it also made my hair shed like crazy, even more than it usually do (and that is a lot!). I lost almost 1 cm in thickness in 6 months!!! :(

MinderMutsig
July 31st, 2012, 03:13 AM
mineral oil -_- That stuff was NOT meant for hair. This!

It's probably the worst stuff I ever put in my hair. Left it feeling nasty and coated and dry. Not to mention how finicky it is. Three drops? Not effective whatsoever. Four drops? Nope. Five drops? Still nothing. Six drops? Have fun on your next three washes because it's never coming out.

I can use coconut oil but only as a pre-wash treatment. As a leave-in or for daily oiling it makes my hair crunchy and erm... unsoft. :o As a pre-wash treatment I drench my hair to the point where it looks like I just stepped out of the shower and leave it so soak for at least an hour to overnight. This helped my hair enormously. It's much stronger these days.

As a post-wash leave-in and for daily oiling I chance things up every now and then. I really love argan oil for it's effect but I'm not crazy about the smell so I don't use it every time. I also use a body oil made from almond, grapeseed and jojoba oil with some essential oils. Makes my hair smell devine, like ylang ylang or whatever other scent I have at that time.

Other oils I like are almond, walnut, grapeseed, jojoba and avocado although I use the avocado very rarely because I'm afraid that bright green stuff will stain my blond hair. :p

SilverDoe
July 31st, 2012, 03:26 AM
Coconut oil plus aloe vera powder pre wash treatment = lovey bouncy shiny hair after washing, easy to wash out.
Coconut oil with no aloe vera, or after washing = stringy crunchy mess that will never wash out. :suspect:

Trial & error. Camellia oil is my favorite, as I can use it on freshly washed hair. Really light & amazing on my face as well.

You would need a disclaimer & warning on every single advice, review & product with your reasoning. Perhaps make a mental note to apply it yourself in the future.
Of course a product will work differently on each individual. It didn't work for you? that's fine, do share it. But your tone & logic concerning this I find very odd.

AnnaB
July 31st, 2012, 03:29 AM
my favourite are pure argan oil (doesnt smell great but its good) and castor oil (which also helps hair growth)

I didnt like Jojoba or Avocado oil though.

millyaulait
July 31st, 2012, 03:35 AM
I've never had much luck with *any* oils.

No matter how little I use it still manages to make my hair flat, or greasy looking, etc.

I just use Mineral Oil on my ends after a wash and that's it!

I can't wear my hair down because the ends still look yucky but at least they're softer. :p

kdaniels8811
July 31st, 2012, 04:40 AM
I have fine thin wavy hair and coconut oil works great for me. Not all things work for everyone. I do not feel a warning in the title of the message was appropriate. You have to figure out what works for you. There is a bunch of stuff here that failed miserably on my hair. So I tried different options until I found the routine my hair loves.

FrannyG
July 31st, 2012, 04:49 AM
I love coconut oil for a lot of reasons, but everyone is different, and as we all know there is no such thing as one-size-fits-all haircare.

I really wanted to like mineral oil after reading the thread on it. However, it gave my hair the weirdest texture. Yes, it was shiny and tangle-free, but my hair felt like doll's hair. I just didn't like it.

Neneka
July 31st, 2012, 05:22 AM
EVOO is not for me. It's too heavy.

I use coconut oil. It's good and I love the scent but I am sure some other oil would work better. I am going to use it and then try some camellia oil.

Tota
July 31st, 2012, 05:26 AM
I can't really decide which one was worse for me - castor or coconut oil. This doesn't mean I gave up on them though. I'll try them again at some other point of my long hair journey. One of the many things I learned here is that hair-needs can change and you have to adapt ;)

Othala
July 31st, 2012, 06:00 AM
Worst = EVOO and Castor oil

Best = Camellia oil and Sesame oil

PolarCathy
August 4th, 2012, 11:49 PM
So far, worst: mineral oil

Best: castor oil

ClassicalBlonde
August 4th, 2012, 11:55 PM
For me the best oil is EVOO, although coconut oil comes very close. The worst oil I've tried was jojoba. It was just so heavy.

greywolf
August 5th, 2012, 12:08 AM
I never had a problem with coconut oil before. Though, we used to buy the actual coconut and then heat it to get the oil out. Maybe that works better? Now I'm worried if the jar of coconut oil I bought is not going to work.

alexis917
August 5th, 2012, 12:17 AM
Coconut oil left my hair so greasy and heavy feeling! And tangly too. And this is off topic, but I tried rinsing my hair with an egg like some people suggest. I think it was the protein? But my hair turned out so waxy, so horribly tangled, and disgustingly...crunchy. Never. Again.

ApatheticFairy
August 5th, 2012, 12:21 AM
My hair hates coconut oil, but loves nightblooming's panacea. x.x Weird stuff. It also got CRUNCHY with EVOO. x.x

goldloli
August 5th, 2012, 06:24 AM
I do know what you mean. I used to be on a natural, hippy sort of board where people were just raving about using baking soda/ACV in lieu of shampoo and conditioner. I was like, heck yeah! Save the planet and have beautiful hair and save a few dollars and get to brag forever after about how I stuck it to Proctor and Gamble and quit buying their commercialized plastic Barbie-fied crapola? Sign me up!

Well, baking soda and my hair don't get along, evidently. Despite weeks of trial and troubleshooting, my hair managed to become both greasy and straw-dry at the same time. (seems that a BS concentration that was strong enough to clean my scalp would leave my hair completely stripped, and a BS concentration that was sufficiently diluted to not fry the hair wasn't enough to actually clean the gunk off my scalp.)

It was just plain nasty. Every wash was worse than the last. The "no-poo" gurus said, "keep at it, it tooootally works, you just have to give it more time!"

Finally, I went running back to the old trusty pantene and posted a sort of pissy thread about it-- because I'm gracious like that :p -- and I got like ten pages of responses that said "yeah, I really hated no-poo too." lol.

HAHAHA so much this!!!

I came from a product board and also a 'eco no poo' board.
It was all co-wash, no sulphate fan club or spending stupid amounts of money on wen... If it didn't work for you, then you were obvi doing it wrong and should stick with it. If your scalp was itchy from it then it's a derm problem and you should stick with it and see a dermatologist for a scalp condition. If your hair is flat then you aren't massaging properly, can't possibly be that all the conditioners are weighing down hair :rolleyes:

It was very cliquey too, I'd been on there forever and tried all the products so I wasn't victim to it, but people would pass over good advice in favour of a well known posters suggestion. Sometimes n00bs wouldn't even get replies, especially if they stated they liked products that were not on the 'approved' list.

I hate coconut oil (including vatika) for my hair, i tried to stick with it and it caused 2 inches of crunchy ends that got tangled and damaged and eventually had to be trimmed off... I blame it on the protein retaining qualities of the oil.

Generally LHC is very good at understanding ymmv and that all kinds of hair care methods work for some. That's why there are different nw/so, cwc, cone friendly threads. I have never seen a coconut oil hate thread, maybe there should be a uses for coconut oil if it doesn't work for you thread it's very good for firming up my legs!!!

Amber_Maiden
August 5th, 2012, 06:27 AM
My hair hates plain coconut oil.

pocketfulla
August 5th, 2012, 06:33 AM
Never tried coconut before and probably won't because I'm too lazy. :p Olive oil works fine but haven't used it in ages because it just takes too long and I have to use too much shampoo (which I hate). My hair is very thick and it takes half an hour to wash all the oil out, get out of the shower and find a big patch I missed and get back in and wash it again.

Dang3rousB3auty
August 6th, 2012, 03:04 AM
Coconut oil works for tons of people that is why people recommend it to a lot of people. Nothing ever works for everyone. It's just not possible. I personally love coconut oil. I apply to dry hair and sleep with it over night. I like the smell and it washes out of my hair easily. You just have to experiment with oils and see which one works best for you.

kdaniels8811
August 6th, 2012, 04:35 AM
What she said!

spookyghost
August 6th, 2012, 04:35 AM
Another coconut oil hater here! Which makes me sad because I really wanted my hair to like it. So many people have great luck with it and it seemed to be their holy grail of oils and my hair just rebelled-big time. I did use the good stuff but since I dont use it I cant remember what that was. Whatever everyone on here suggests to use is what I used. I also didnt like the smell. Alot of people love the smell and it kinda disgusted me. I tried using it on my body and it did make my skin soft but I just couldnt take the smell. I ended up throwing it away.

moon2dove
August 6th, 2012, 12:17 PM
My hair also rebels if I use coconut oil !

I don't think anyone should stop advising coconut oil, as it is trial and error as with other oils suggested :)

MinderMutsig
August 6th, 2012, 12:58 PM
Another coconut oil hater here! Which makes me sad because I really wanted my hair to like it. So many people have great luck with it and it seemed to be their holy grail of oils and my hair just rebelled-big time. I did use the good stuff but since I dont use it I cant remember what that was. Whatever everyone on here suggests to use is what I used. I also didnt like the smell. Alot of people love the smell and it kinda disgusted me. I tried using it on my body and it did make my skin soft but I just couldnt take the smell. I ended up throwing it away. You're not alone in that. I absolutely hate the smell of coconut oil. I do use it but only as a pre-wash treatment. It didn't work for my hair as a leave-in or for daily oiling and I can't say I'm sad about that but I keep using it for pre-wash oiling because it prevents protein loss from washing. Or so they say, I don't really notice a difference either way but it can't hurt. :o

white.chocolate
August 6th, 2012, 01:47 PM
I'm surprised to see here the many people who hate coconut oil, especially as it is one of the most recommended oils on this site! I'm personally OK with coconut oil. It doesn't work as best as other oils, jojoba oil for instance, because it doesn't leave my hair as smooth. I got those crunchy ends every time during winter and the cooler months. I stopped using coconut oil because I simply prefer other oils and I got tired of the sweet (though delicious) scent.

I also must admit that mineral isn't one of the best (or just one of the good) oils I've tried so far. It was OK at the beginning, but perhaps because that was when the weather was still cold and I was at the time battling static hair. A few weeks ago, summer, I went on a trip out of town, and I didn't bring oil (nice). The only oil I had with me was baby oil, so I ended up using it after every wash. It made my hair somewhat static. It was quite disappointing because mineral oil was one of the oils I would want to use from time to time.

I also do not like EVOO. It's too heavy.

I also agree with the above posters in that the oils that work best (or least) depends on the person's hair.

beautifulending
August 6th, 2012, 02:44 PM
Argan oil did nothing but build up on my hair and scalp and was a pain to get off.:mad: I love coconut oil it is the only oil I use.

Embrace1913
August 6th, 2012, 08:45 PM
I think coconut oil is great in the right amount. But I absolutely LOVE olive oil! I love to use it after co-washing. I use it over my leave-in conditioner to lock in the moisture. But only a little bit though. Sometimes I even use it on my face as I tend to have very dry skin.

The worst oil I've ever tried was castor oil. It was very sticky and heavy and it just didn't work out right. It just sat on top of my hair and never penetrated. Tons of folks swear by castor oil, but I ended up giving away my huge bottle to a friend because I couldn't find any use for it. . .

Hollyfire3
August 6th, 2012, 09:49 PM
I don't think coconut oil should no longer be recomended, it works wonders for some. Now, my hair hates it, it is dry, thick and wurly but coconut oil makes my hair feel brittle and on protein overload (I think the oil traps in protein). I even tried the trick of using coconut oil before dying my hair like I do, and it actually resulted in MORE splits and a bit of end breakage that I normally have none of....not cool. So, I say those who want to try coconut oil, try it, but it may not work out, then again, it may be perfect for your hair.
My hair LOVES olive oil, I can make a spray of olive oil and water and detangle with it, I can use olive oil in DTs and as a leave in, its moisturizing and not at all heavy for my hair, so its awsome!

OakTreeGirl
August 7th, 2012, 12:17 AM
I have learned that if you do not use sulfate shampoos, olive oil does not work. If you wash out with shampoo, olive oil can condition your hair nicely. But if you don't, then it just leaves your hair one big greasy mess.

loveisdivine
August 7th, 2012, 02:23 AM
For me cocnut oil does not work if I put it on the ends and leave it there. Be it dry or damp ends. It just makes them crunchy.

However the other day a plastered my dry hair in coconut oil, wrapped my head in cling film and left it for an hour, then rinsed out. My hair was wonderfully soft afterwards :) I think a lot of it is about finding an oil and a method that work.

DarkCurls
August 7th, 2012, 02:49 AM
I have learned that if you do not use sulfate shampoos, olive oil does not work. If you wash out with shampoo, olive oil can condition your hair nicely. But if you don't, then it just leaves your hair one big greasy mess.

Really? :p I don't use shampoo, but CO-wash, even with oil in my hair, and I don't get greasiness. My hair is so dry, and it gets even dryer with shampoo. It doesn't feel more conditioned with olive oil than without (I've tried and tried and tried), but it certainly doesn't feel greasy. At the moment I only use olive oil to smooth down frizzies and detangle my hair for braiding, and on the ends, for which it works wonders (until it soaks in), but I was hoping for more. Deep EVOO treatments haven't done anything for me either way.
I'm going to try coconut oil this week -- just have to get my hands on a pot -- so I'll see then. But my hair seems to dislike protein, so I'm a bit wary of it actually. I hope it doesn't turn out like something else that was very recommended and did absolutely nothing for my hair: SMTs. Oh well. If it doesn't work I can always use it on my dry elbows or something.

Theobroma
August 7th, 2012, 05:35 AM
I have learned that if you do not use sulfate shampoos, olive oil does not work. If you wash out with shampoo, olive oil can condition your hair nicely. But if you don't, then it just leaves your hair one big greasy mess.

I wash with African Black Soap -- not a sulphate in sight anywhere in the ingredients list -- and olive oil works wonderfully for me. Soft, tangle-free, entirely non-greasy hair.

CurlyCurves
August 8th, 2012, 04:18 PM
I have bad experiences with oils.