Coconut juice as conditioner....

**rymorg2** · January 1st, 2009, 03:25 PM

I have been on the search for an all natural conditioner alternative. Tried AO condishes, other natural condishes, nothing really does well. Oils do ok, but I can't use them on my hair damp for the most part. So in my search I had read here about coconut milk soaks. Instead of the milk though, my dh brought me home some coconut juice/water.

I had tried it once with no success. Today I decided to use it again. OMG it WORKED!!!!! Here's what I did.

I put 8 oz of the coconut water in an applicator bottle and left the rest of the can in the fridge. I warmed the bottle under the shower for a few mins. I squeezed 6 oz. over my dry hair and left it in a little while. I used my DW twice to cleanse since I had some leftover color on my scalp (fun, fun) and my hair was a bit dry so I applied the remaining 2 oz. over my hair again, left in a minute or two, rinsed, and followed with a distilled water rinse.

The first thing I noticed was how wavy my hair was after I scrunched out most of the water. I always wrap my hair in a flour sack towel like I'm plopping whether I plan on wearing it wavy or not. When I took it down it was extremely wavy! The only way it gets that way is if I have lots of moisture so I know the coconut water has the moisture my hair needs. After awhile it looked a little stringy but I let it continue to dry....by the time it was completely dry it was very very soft, even down to my dry crunchy ends that are already calling me to cut them even though I'm in the no cutting challenge for 09.

Coconut water is a definate addition to my arsenal. It feels really good to have found an all natural alternative to my conditioner. The only ingredient listed on the can is Young coconut juice!!!!!!

eta I am wondering if the fact that it's lighter weight than coconut oil, milk or cream is why it worked so well....I get greasy i I overdo the oil (which is easy for me to do) but since this is more liquid maybe it's easier to use more without weighing down my fine copious amounts of hair.

**rymorg2** · January 1st, 2009, 03:46 PM

btw, here's a link with info on coconut water/juice....

http://coconutboard.nic.in/tendnutr.htm

The juice I used was the tender juice.

**ktani** · January 1st, 2009, 03:53 PM

It sounds great and it is the perfect pH IMO, for healthy hair, supported by this, on the acid mantle.

".... demonstrated that skin with pH values below 5.0 is in a better condition than skin with pH values above 5.0 .... shown by measuring the biophysical parameters of barrier function, moisturization and scaling."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18489300

**ktani** · January 1st, 2009, 05:16 PM

The iron content of the coconut water would make it incompatible for use in a honey lightening recipe. The iron would reduce the peroxide level of the recipe.

**logica_divina** · January 2nd, 2009, 05:26 AM

Is coconut juice/water the same thing as coconut milk/cream?
I used the milk several times as a pre wash moisture soak and I absolutely love it!

**rymorg2** · January 2nd, 2009, 05:39 AM

Originally Posted by logica_divina

Is coconut juice/water the same thing as coconut milk/cream?
I used the milk several times as a pre wash moisture soak and I absolutely love it!

No, the coconut juice/water are thinner than the milk, and the cream is even different from the milk. The juice is literally the water part of the coconut.

Here is a blurb from wikipedia about it.

Coconut water is the clear liquid inside young coconuts (fruits of the coconut palm), not to be confused with coconut milk. As the fruit matures, the coconut water gradually is replaced by the coconut meat and air. A very young coconut has very little meat, and the meat is very tender, almost a gel. Coconut water has long been a popular drink in the tropics, especially in Tropical Asia and Trinidad and Tobago, where it is available fresh or bottled. It is naturally fat-free and low in food energy (16.7 calories or 70 kilojoules per 100 grams).

**ktani** · January 2nd, 2009, 06:51 AM

The text I put in bold is fascinating to me. The information is actually in the first link in this thread, but I missed it. I wanted more details when I found the information with further reading, on my own.

"Coconut Water: .... the watery fluid contained within immature nuts. .... 5-month old nut will yield about two glassfuls. .... is clear, colorless and contains about two tablespoons of sugar along with vitamins and minerals. It is so pure and sterile that in World War II both American and Japanese doctors found that in emergencies they could use the coconut water in place of sterile glucose for I.V. solutions. ....
http://faculty.ucc.edu/biology-ombre...conut_palm.htm

It is still used for that when needed in certain countries.

"Medical resources routinely used for intravenous hydration .... resuscitation of critically ill patients .... limited in remote regions of the world. .... faced with these shortages, physicians have had to improvise with the available resources .... We report the successful use of coconut water as a short-term intravenous hydration ...."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10674546

**ktani** · January 2nd, 2009, 07:08 AM

Coconut water as a sports drink. This is not new, just new to me, lol and perhaps to others. I think it is good to know that there are so many uses for coconut water, in addition to it being a tastey beverage, a hair conditioner and a food and drink recipe enhancer.

From the Food and Agriculture Organization of The United Nations
1998
"Players in the world's $1,000 million market for "sports beverages" may find themselves facing an unexpected new competitor: coconut water."
http://www.fao.org/AG/magazine/9810/spot3.htm

2007
"How to bottle coconut water" if you want to do it yourself.
http://www.fao.org/ag/magazine/0701sp1.htm