View Full Version : Coconut oil made my hair worse?
LuciousLox
September 24th, 2011, 11:49 PM
I bought "Barlean's" extra virgin organic coconut oil, to use as an overnight treatment on my extremely damaged hair. However, when I washed it out the next day - my hair was worse than ever! It was even more dry, and just flaking off into little pieces at the slightest touch.
Jojoba oil worked so well on my hair, bu supposedly it doesn't even penetrate your hair :confused:
So why would coconut oil, (which supposedly does penetrate your hair,) make my hair worse? Has anyone else had this experience with a hair oil? Should I give it another try?
Lianna
September 24th, 2011, 11:55 PM
Not everyone does well with coconut oil. I personally get dry, hard to the touch, tangly hair. My hair feels great when not on coconut oil, not even too tangly for fine hair.
You can give it another try, I would say as a pre-shampoo treatment but you've already washed it...I'm inclined to say that coconut oil won't work for you at all because of that. My hair personally takes 3 sulfate washes to clean all the coconut oil. There's other oils around, no need to worry. If you must try one that is "penetrating", avocado and olive also penetrate.
Reviews on general coconut oil from LHC: http://reviews.longhaircommunity.com/showproduct.php/product/221/cat/6
ETA: In my particular case, CO wasn't the best to remove oil, if anyone was thinking about this so much given advice here. It wasn't like my hair was greasy... the bad symptoms stayed a few days. And I did give coconut oil "a chance"...several actually, even buying different brands.
ktani
September 25th, 2011, 04:54 AM
Coconut oil does not do well used over certain coatings, the same way more conditioner on hair with build-up on it can make the hair worse.
If you want to try it again as a prewash treatment, try clarifying your hair first.
infinity_girl
September 25th, 2011, 04:58 AM
Coconut oil makes my hair so so greasy and the only way to completely remove it seems to be shampoo and then my hair is so much drier than before.
What is your hair like naturally (i.e. texture/thickness)?
alyanna
September 25th, 2011, 07:32 AM
For me, coconut oil is tricky. But I've figured out how to use to maximize its benefits.
It just builds up on my hair quickly. My hair turns out beautifully after the first, say 4 applications. And these are very light applications, on the ends only. After that, I have to clarify. If I don't, I get dry, "crunchy", tangly ends.
bunzfan
September 25th, 2011, 07:34 AM
Have you tried EVOO that makes my hair far nicer the coconut oil does.
Lianna
September 25th, 2011, 08:39 AM
Ktani reminded me of a process called "oil rinsing" I learned in the Long Hair Care Forum (http://www.longhaircareforum.com/) a while ago. People would oil their hair in the shower, after shampoo and before condition. Perhaps it's an option you could try.
I'm not a fan of this particular oil but I'm all for people trying it. :)
ktani
September 25th, 2011, 09:20 AM
Ktani reminded me of a process called "oil rinsing" I learned in the Long Hair Care Forum (http://www.longhaircareforum.com/) a while ago. People would oil their hair in the shower, after shampoo and before condition. Perhaps it's an option you could try.
I'm not a fan of this particular oil but I'm all for people trying it. :)
I have never heard of that, so I looked it up, http://www.blackhairinformation.com/hair-treatments-and-recipes/oil-rinsing-the-holy-grail-of-black-hair-care/
The OP already tried using coconut oil as a prewash and shampooing did not help.
If there is build-up on the hair, the oil is still being used over residue that her shampoo is not removing.
The advantage of oil rinsing would be in the conditioner used afterward helping to remove excess oil, ETA: which is the same as conditioner washing an oil treatment out.
spidermom
September 25th, 2011, 09:40 AM
It could be that your hair is so damaged that it can't absorb any oil. Whatever oil binds to may be missing. When I had damaged hair, oil made it feel much worse.
Now that all the damage has been cut away, my hair benefits from pre-wash coconut oilings.
QMacrocarpa
September 25th, 2011, 09:44 AM
If jojoba oil works for you, I'd use it (in fact, I do use it!).
ktani
September 25th, 2011, 09:47 AM
According to research on coconut oil used as a prewash it also has a beneficial effect on damaged hair, from chemical bleaching and UV.
ETA: and even hair treated with boiled water for 2 hours
Lianna
September 25th, 2011, 10:39 AM
The advantage of oil rinsing would be in the conditioner used afterward helping to remove excess oil, ETA: which is the same as conditioner washing an oil treatment out.
Yes, that's why I recommended. Some people can't use coconut oil in one way but can in another, I was trying to come up with different ways to use it. :)
ETA: I was thinking about spidermom's post and could it also be that porous hair absorbs too much oil leaving it crunchy.
ktani
September 25th, 2011, 10:52 AM
Yes, that's why I recommended. Some people can't use coconut oil in one way but can in another, I was trying to come up with different ways to use it. :)
ETA: I was thinking about spidermom's post and could it also be that porous hair absorbs too much oil leaving it crunchy.
No, I do not believe so at all. When the hair is clarified first and well, too much coconut oil does not produce a crunchy result. That only happens when it is used over residue from certain coatings.
spidermom
September 25th, 2011, 10:59 AM
Come to think of it, I don't think I knew about clarifying the first few times I tried and hated oil.
ktani
September 25th, 2011, 11:17 AM
The crunchy result can happen with a number of oils used over residue on the hair. It depends on the properties of the oil and the coatings present on the hair (usually conditioner but certain other oil and product residue can cause it too).
The oil further restricts moisture being able to access hair and the crunch is the sound hair can make hair when it has become very dry.
Lianna
September 25th, 2011, 11:17 AM
No, I do not believe so at all. When the hair is clarified first and well, too much coconut oil does not produce a crunchy result. That only happens when it is used over residue from certain coatings.
Interesting, I was making an analogy in my head between hair dye and coconut oil, since porous hair absorbs too much of things, but I guess it would just come right out aswell!
When I was just shampooing (no conditioner or leave-ins) coconut was still too much for my hair. :( In my defense I was sick and shampoo was the only thing I was able to do in the shower. My hair hates most "leave-in" type products.
Thinking of porous hair made me hair about low porosity hair...could it be that coconut oil just sits on top of it, creating build-up type issues?
ktani
September 25th, 2011, 11:22 AM
Interesting, I was making an analogy in my head between hair dye and coconut oil, since porous hair absorbs too much of things, but I guess it would just come right out aswell!
When I was just shampooing (no conditioner or leave-ins) coconut was still too much for my hair. :( In my defense I was sick and shampoo was the only thing I was able to do in the shower. My hair hates most "leave-in" type products.
Thinking of porous hair made me hair about low porosity hair...could it be that coconut oil just sits on top of it, creating build-up type issues?
Your shampoo may have contained coatings too. Many shampoos these days contain certain polymers, botanicals and conditioner ingredients that cause build-up.
Coconut oil can leave a result on the hair that on clarified hair will show up as excess oil. That can be removed with shampoo or washed out with conditioner but it does not produce a crunchy result on its own.
Lianna
September 25th, 2011, 11:34 AM
ktani, if coconut oil is used after a proper clarifying shampoo (that really harsh stuff D: ) it will never produce a crunchy feeling?
I'd be willing to buy it to try, but I'm fairly certain that I don't have build-up from my sulfate shampoo (at the moment I have three different ones in my bathroom) which I already use everyday.
Perhaps fine hair could be an issue too? Like any bit of coconut oil would produce build-up (from the oil itself).
Ashenputtel
September 25th, 2011, 11:42 AM
I can't use coconut oil on its own, I make a balm out of it with mango butter and glycerin.
It makes my hair crunchy and dry feeling too.
ktani
September 25th, 2011, 11:44 AM
ktani, if coconut oil is used after a proper clarifying shampoo (that really harsh stuff D: ) it will never produce a crunchy feeling?
I'd be willing to buy it to try, but I'm fairly certain that I don't have build-up from my sulfate shampoo (at the moment I have three different ones in my bathroom) which I already use everyday.
Perhaps fine hair could be an issue too? Like any bit of coconut oil would produce build-up (from the oil itself).
I cannot give you a guarantee because it will also depend on what if anything you use on your hair afterward (as well as what is in your shampoo and whatever residue may be on your hair from anything else). What I am saying is that coconut oil on its own does not produce a crunchy hair result.
ETA: There are variables that only you know may come into this.
Lianna
September 25th, 2011, 11:47 AM
Sorry to bug you so much, ktani. I've always admired coconut oil and could never use it sucessfully, and I really wanted to try it (on its own). I think it's worth a try after the clarifying shampoo. Thank you so much.
ktani
September 25th, 2011, 11:49 AM
Sorry to bug you so much, ktani. I've always admired coconut oil and could never use it sucessfully, and I really wanted to try it (on its own). I think it's worth a try. Thank you so much.
You are not bugging me at all. I was struggling to be as specific as I could with what information you gave me. I admire your thinking and approach to this. There is just not a simple answer to your question.
ETA: And you are very welcome!
If I sounded frustrated, it was with myself not you in trying to be both helpful and accurate.
BlazingHeart
September 25th, 2011, 12:51 PM
The beauty of experimentation is that you figure out what works for your hair and what doesn't. Then you stick to what works.
You can try other ways of using coconut oil, as others have suggested, but if you don't like the results you get that way...no reason to keep using it on your hair! It works nicely on the skin. (It's actually the only moisturizer I use on my super-sensitive, dry skin, except on my feet where I use something that has mineral oil in it because it's the only thing that keeps them moist)
LuciousLox
September 25th, 2011, 01:10 PM
Thank you for your responses :)
From all the reviews I've read in the past, it sounded like Coconut oil was miraculous on everyone's hair. Now, I see it might not be for everyone...
I'm going to try some other oils for my hair now. Avocado will probably be next ;) And I'll stock up on more jojoba oil as well.
At least I found some really good uses for my coconut oil.
I've been putting it on my tummy to help avoid stretch marks, (because I'm 7 months pregnant.) I've also been applying it to my thighs because I heard it helps get rid of cellulite if you eat it... So I'm experimenting if it does anything to cellulite if applied topically ;)
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