How long do you leave coconut oil in hair

Coconut oil is definitely a force to be reckoned with in the world of beauty and skincare. In the past decade or so it’s sky-rocketed from relative obscurity and is now seen as a go-to treatment for everything, from dental hygiene to dry skin to damaged hair. However, there’s still a bit of uncertainty circulating the product as many are unsure how best to use coconut oil which is why today I’m going to be addressing a common question – can you leave coconut oil in your hair overnight?

Why you should be leaving coconut oil in your hair longer

Coconut oil can offer your hair a more intense treatment the longer it is left in (within reason – don’t go leaving coconut oil in your hair for days!) especially if you’re looking to hydrate your hair.

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Coconut oil is definitely a force to be reckoned with in the world of beauty and skincare. In the past decade or so it’s sky-rocketed from relative obscurity and is now seen as a go-to treatment for everything, from dental hygiene to dry skin to damaged hair. However, there’s still a bit of uncertainty circulating the product as many are unsure how best to use coconut oil which is why today I’m going to be addressing a common question – can you leave coconut oil in your hair overnight?
Why you should be leaving coconut oil in your hair longer
1 – Oily skin, oily hair
2 – Too much protein
Always go for quality, not quantity!
What are the main coconut oil benefits for hair?
Can you leave coconut oil in your hair too long?
How long should I leave coconut oil in my hair before washing?
Can coconut oil damage your hair?
Do you put coconut oil on wet or dry hair?

You see, coconut oil contains what are known as medium chain fatty acids as well as plenty of amino acids. Now the word acid is a bit misleading as these nutrients help to strengthen and hydrate your hair, particularly if it’s damaged or lacking in protein, a key structural component. It also helps that coconut oil is rich in plenty of other vitamins and minerals, including antioxidant vitamin E, meaning that it can help to ward off free-radical damage and oxidative stress.

The longer you leave the oil in your hair, the more chance it has to soak up these wonderful nutrients! However, there are some cases where an overnight coconut oil hair mask might not be such a good idea so I’ve decided to discuss a couple of them below!

1 – Oily skin, oily hair

It should be common sense but, if you do suffer from oily hair or oily skin, an overnight coconut oil hair mask might not be for you. Adding more oil to your hair or skin, especially overnight, is unlikely to improve the problem and may only make things worse. If you have oily hair I’d recommend opting for a treatment like Dr Hauschka’s Hair Tonic which, rather than adding oil, can help to absorb excess oil from your hair and scalp, making your hair appear healthier and less greasy.

2 – Too much protein

This can be a confusing one, particularly since protein is more often than not associated with keeping fit and building muscle rather than with your hair. However, your hair is formed of a special type of protein called keratin but modern day stressors – namely thermal heat, pollutants and harsh chemicals – can play a role in diminishing the quality of your hair, causing you to lose protein. This, in turn, causes your hair to become weak and more prone to frizz and split ends.

Just as too little protein can damage your hair though, too much protein can often lead to a similar result as it can cause your hair to lose moisture, allowing it become brittle, stiff and dry. If your hair has too much protein, adding coconut oil into the mix can make the situation worse as it contains amino acids which can help to bolster your production of protein.

Always go for quality, not quantity!

As with everything, it’s never about how much you use but rather what you use. It doesn’t matter if you’re dousing your hair in coconut oil for 20 minutes or 7 hours, if you’re using poor quality, processed coconut oil then you’ll be at a disadvantage and you’ll be unable to make the most of the beneficial substance. That’s why I always recommend using a high-quality, organic coconut oil like Lucy Bee’s Extra Virgin Organic Raw Fairtrade Coconut Oil.

Unlike most high-street coconut oils, this oil is processed at very low temperatures and filtered to remove any impurities, leaving only the oil itself. This is chockfull of goodness as it has had none of its nutrients stripped away or removed. If you want to learn more about how to use coconut in your hair, I’d suggest reading Joanna from our Edinburgh West End Store’s blog, ‘How do you use coconut oil in your hair?’

What are the main coconut oil benefits for hair?

Is coconut oil good for hair? What does coconut oil do?

We have a lot of products that help us stay forever young and beautiful, and coconut oil for hair is one of them. However, with so many new and sometimes cheaper alternatives, is it still worth to include it into your beauty regimen? Let’s see!

A long time ago, when people used only natural substances, coconut oil was one of the most frequently used beauty products. Innovative unnatural mineral oils that appeared lately have nice effects too. However, most of them are short-term, as artificial components provide a cosmetic impact only and can’t help in deep repairing or nourishing. Coconut oil is a remedy for everything. You may rub it into your hair, on your skin, relationship, bank account – pour it over your entire life! All jokes aside, I really advise you to apply coconut oil for hair asap. And this is why.

The Top 10 Benefits of Coconut Oil for Hair

Most of us know that coconut oil has a lot of useful properties, but only a few people know what exactly the oil does.

– Coconut oil for hair growth. While it doesn’t influence the hair growth directly, it improves the overall health of your hair and this results in a longer length, as long hair is more prone to hair breakage. Use the oil and get your fabulous hair length back.

– Prevents hair loss. If you suffer from losing hair, you can use masks with coconut oil for hair regrowth. It contains lauric acid that helps bind the protein in hair and protects the roots. Note, this will not help in case you have serious hair loss problems. Seasonal hair shedding – yes, female and male pattern baldness – no.

– Oil helps to cure and repair colored hair. You can apply coconut oil to bleached hair to help it restore after dyeing. Coconut oil for damaged hair is a great at-home option to avoid overpaying for commercial masks and salon treatments.

– Use it as a sunscreen for your hair. Coconut oil contains microelements, which protect hair from UVA and UVB rays. Especially, in this case, it’s best to use coconut oil for dry hair to keep it protected.

– Coconut oil for curly hair is true salvation, as this hair type is usually dry and needs special care.

– You can use coconut oil for frizzy hair to nourish it and prevent split ends.

– Coconut oil for natural hair is also a great idea, maybe not as a treatment and extreme measure, but as a product to support and protect its health. Try applying a bit of coconut oil for hair straightening as a natural heat protectant.

– Also, coconut oil for thinning hair is a chance to saturate it with strength and useful components.

– One more secret weapon is using a mixture of lemon juice and coconut oil for gray hair to fight against premature pigment loss.

– Using coconut oil for hair styling is a wonderful hack. You may tame flyaways with it and apply it as a hair gel on natural hair.

5 Smart Ways to Apply Coconut Oil to Your Hair

Coconut oil is a good natural moisturizer that also has nourishing and antibacterial properties. If you do all things right, you will see how beneficial the usage of coconut oil in hair can be. Here is how to use coconut oil for hair:

– Conditioner. If you decide to use oil as a conditioner, all you need to do is wash the head with your favorite shampoo, then apply coconut oil from mid-shaft to ends, wait a few minutes and rinse it off.

– Scalp treatment. This oil has medicinal properties, including the antifungal effect, and resists dandruff. Apply coconut oil to the scalp, massage it in gently for 5-10 minutes and then proceed with your usual hair care routine.

– Post wash detangler. You can use warm coconut oil as a mask before bedtime and leave it overnight. Focus on the tips and don’t apply too much oil. This method has a cumulative effect and works amazingly for tangled hair.

– Pre-wash hair protector. Take one egg yolk and combine it with two tablespoons of coconut oil. Apply the mask to the hair, leave it for 20 minutes – 1 hour and then wash it off.

– Massage. The next mask strengthens the strands and maintains the hydro-lipid balance of the scalp. Mix three tablespoons of lemon juice and 50 ml of coconut oil. Apply the mixture to the hair and leave it on for 45 minutes. Then wash your hair with shampoo.

Coconut Oil for Hair: Before and After

Coconut oil does show great results when it comes to skin and hair care routine. But every body is different and unique. Therefore, you should decide for yourself whether you want to apply coconut oil daily or use it occasionally.

Types of Coconut Oil for Hair

There are different kinds of coconut oil. But how can we choose the best coconut oil for hair? Let’s figure out!

– Organic coconut oil — makes your hair elastic and shiny, can be used as a conditioner.

– Virgin coconut oil is derived from fresh coconuts and isn’t industrially refined, deodorized, hydrogenated or bleached, it does not contain any additives or preservatives and is a completely natural product. Another definition for this type is cold-pressed coconut oil.

– Refined or unrefined coconut oil? Refined oil is only suitable for external use. It improves the appearance of strands, restores them, and prevents dandruff. Also due to the high content of hyaluronic acid, the product moisturizes hair well. Unrefined oil contains vitamins of groups B, A, E, and C. They saturate the epidermis with ascorbic acid, protect from the harmful effects of the sun, and make your hair silky and shiny. It doesn’t contain any harmful additives, so people include it into their healthy diets.

– Extra virgin. It’s pretty much the same type as virgin oil; it’s extracted from fresh coconut meat. Its counterpart is pure coconut oil, which is made manually by cold pressing from the dried coconut kernel (the so-called “copra”), due to which it’s quite expensive and not so common.

– Fractionated coconut oil is a natural base oil that is easily absorbed into the skin and hair, which makes it the ideal oil for external use. Due to its light emollient effect, this oil creates a protective soothing and breathable layer, leaving no greasy residue. Fractionated coconut oil has excellent compatibility with all essential oils, it is colorless and odorless.

– Cooking coconut oil has a fully organic biostructure, contains lots of vitamins and microelements, so you can use it for cooking and for hair too!

Coconut Oil Products for Hair

Coconut oil is included in compositions of various hair masks, creams, shampoos, etc. A lot of women like, for example, a coconut oil spray for hair, as it is a simple and convenient way to improve your hair health and is suitable for most hair types – oily, thin, dry, normal, and dyed. You may DIY this moisturizing spray: mix 1-2 tablespoons of melted coconut oil, add 3 drops of lavender oil and a cup of filtered water (or rosewater), add several drops of Vitamin E, and shake everything.

Frequently Asked Questions About Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is a valuable product, given by nature. It’s very versatile and simple in use but still causes many questions. So let’s review the most popular ones.

Any Side Effects of Using Coconut Oil on Your Hair? No. The only negative effect can be caused by applying too much oil on the hair when it becomes greasy. Although coconut oil can also be bad for hair when you leave unrefined oil on the roots and scalp for too long – if it’s absorbed into the scalp, hair growth can slow down, and your hair will be getting greasy much faster.

How Much Coconut Oil for Hair to Use? Start with no more than a teaspoon. Then you’ll see.

Before or After Washing? It’s more beneficial to apply coconut oil before washing, as it penetrates the hair shaft, and accordingly promotes hydration and recovery. If you use it after washing your hair, you should “seal” the moisture in the hair. But better entrust this to a conditioner or mask, since pure oil can make some types of hair heavier and greasier.

Is Coconut Oil Right for Your Hair Type? Coconut oil is suitable for most types of hair. All you need to do is experiment with its amount and the components you can combine it with for maximum effect.

What Are the Best Hair Masks with Coconut Oil? You need to choose masks according to your hair type, but most effectively working masks contain such combinations of ingredients:

– castor oil and coconut oil

– tea tree oil and coconut oil

– egg and coconut oil

– aloe vera and coconut oil

Can You Leave Coconut Oil in Your Hair for Days? Yes, it’s safe. But remember that if you combine it with other ingredients it can have unpredictable side effects, such as dryness or else. So be careful.

How to Wash Out Coconut Oil from Hair? Oh yes, it may be a problem. Read here how to easily wash out different hair oils.

Coconut oil for hair is an ideal remedy. Be careful and choose a high-quality oil – the proper coconut oil is solid, white, and has a pleasant coconut flavor. It will help you restore the health, strength, and shine of your hair, and the effect will be noticeable right after the first application.

Featured Image: www.firestock.ru

Donna is a hairstylist with 8 years of experience. Ask her about any hair-related problem (haircuts, hairstyles, colorings, hair care) and get a pro advice!

Can you leave coconut oil in your hair too long?

Although coconut oil can also be bad for hair when you leave unrefined oil on the roots and scalp for too long – if it's absorbed into the scalp, hair growth can slow down, and your hair will be getting greasy much faster.

How long should I leave coconut oil in my hair before washing?

For a quick deep-conditioning hair treatment, apply your coconut oil before shampooing and conditioning your hair like you normally would. Simply leave it on for 30 minutes, then wash your hair like normal. Or, for an extra-hydrating hair mask, leave your coconut oil hair treatment on overnight.

Can coconut oil damage your hair?

Coconut oil can cause protein buildup for these hair types, blocking your hair from much-needed moisture which makes your hair even drier, stiffer, and less elastic. And less elasticity means more breakage when combing or styling.

Do you put coconut oil on wet or dry hair?

Use coconut oil in wet hair We recommend that you use the hair oil in wet hair as a finishing, nourishing treatment after washing your hair with shampoo and conditioner. By applying the coconut oil to wet hair, the hair gets an extra moisture boost and is left soft and shiny all day.