Maximize the benefits of your coconut oil hair mask

June 2, 2021

My recipe for the easiest hair mask ever!

Coconut oil seems to be like the jack of all trades in the oil world; from being a healthy cooking oil and an amazing additive into our diets to keeping our skin moisturized and our hair strong. Some may even say that coconut oil has many superpowers.

In my house, coconut oil serves two main purposes: a healthy additive into my dog’s food (yup, you can even feed it to your fur babies!) and a nourishing mask for my hair.

At this point, I’ve probably done hundreds of coconut oil hair masks and, through trial and error, have figured out to most efficient and beneficial way to apply it and wash it out.

It’s actually really simple, there are just a few key things to keep in mind:

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But first, how does coconut oil benefit hair?

Coconut oil is jam-packed with nutrients and acts as a protective cover for your hair –think of it as a sealant. It seals moisture in, protecting hair from damage. This added moisture keeps your hair healthy and can help to reduce frizz. In the long run, this mask will help your hair retain moisture, which will help reduce breakage.

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Okay now let’s get to the good stuff.

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Step 1: Where to get coconut oil

You’re going to need unrefined cold-pressed coconut oil, which you can find in the "health” section of most grocery stores. Make sure you buy extra virgin coconut oil and try to get an organic one if you can – these will be the least processed.

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Step 2: Preparing the mask

Depending on what climate you live in or what season it is, your coconut oil may be rock solid, liquidy, or a mushy mess. In order to work the oil into your hair, you’ll want to warm it up. You can do this a few ways. The easiest is to rub the oil in between your hands to warm it up and then apply it directly to the hair. However, if your oil is too solid, you’ll need a little bit of extra help. Two go-to methods are to heat the oil up over the stove or to put it in the oven for a few minutes.

My favourite way to heat up the oil (and the fastest, in my opinion) is to boil some water in the kettle. Once the water is hot, pour it into a bowl. In a smaller bowl (make sure it’s not plastic bowl, otherwise it will melt!) add the coconut oil and then put the smaller bowl into the bigger bowl that is filled with the boiling water. In a few short minutes, you’ll have a nice warm liquidy oil to massage all over your head.

Note: DO NOT heat the oil up in the microwave!!! I’m not sure about the science behind it, but the microwave does suck out some of the nutrients in the oil.

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Step 3: Applying the mask

Before you begin applying the hair mask, make sure you change into an old t-shirt or cover your shoulders with a towel in order to avoid getting oil on your clothes.

Then I like to have a plastic bag (or a towel) and a hair clip nearby so I can wrap my hair up once I’m done applying the mask.

The application is super simple. Make sure your hair is dry (remember water and oil don’t mix), start with the ends and work your way up to the roots. Make sure that your entire head is covered. Once that is done, give yourself a nice head massage to stimulate the blood flow and moisturize your scalp.

In order to make sure that I’m not dripping oil everywhere while I have my mask in, I like to tie a plastic bag around my head.

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How long should you leave it in your hair?

Short answer: the longer, the better! For a deep treatment, you can leave the mask on overnight (make sure you lay a towel out on your pillow just in case). But if that’s not your jam, I always make sure that I have my mask on for at least one hour before washing it out.

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Step 4: Washing out the mask

Okay, here’s that part that you want to make sure you do correctly in order to avoid having oily hair after washing it. THE KEY is to shampoo your hair BEFORE you get in the shower. Take your shampoo and rub it all over your scalp and your ends. Give it a good lather. Then get in the shower, rinse, shampoo one more time, condition, and voila no oily hair.

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How often should you do a coconut oil hair mask?

This depends on how dry your hair is. If you feel like your hair needs all the moisture it can get, try doing this mask once per week. If your hair is healthy, but you do heat-style your hair often, my suggestion would be to use the mask once every two weeks. If your hair is healthy and you would simply like to use this mask to help keep your hair in great shape, once per month is the sweet spot! Again, these are by no means rules, they are just my suggestions!

Here is a vlog about how I use coconut oil in my haircare routine!

That’s all there is to it!

If you enjoy hair-related videos, here is a blog post explaining My 7 BEST tips for hair growth!

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Know yourself, know your body & until next time!

Mags

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