Recently I published a piece here on BlackDoctor.org, 10 Things Professional Hairstylists Want Us to Stop Doing to Our Hair, and it seems one of the stylists struck a major nerve. Professional hairstylist Aeleise Jana said she would like y’all to “Stop with the coconut oil and shea butter.”
“Stop with the coconut oil and shea butter,” she said. Has this chick has lost her mind?!
Nope, she hasn’t lost her mind! In fact, she’s a professional natural hairstylist, a self-professed “Curl Geek” whose seen 100s of clients who’ve shared a few things in common. They’ve complained of dry frizzy hair and they were using coconut oil and shea butter like nobody’s business.
I asked Aeleise to share her professional knowledge on why she wants us all to stop with coconut oil and shea butter and here are the 7 reasons why.
1. They’re heavy.
In the realm of oils and butters coconut and shea are among the heaviest. They are so heavy, in fact, that they can create a barrier between your hair shaft and water. Aeleise says, “Shea butter and coconut oil used the way most consumers do suffocates the hair and scalp. Moisture = water. Oil= sealant. If you don’t clarify the oil layer off of the hair and allow water to get into the cuticle you’re moisturizing dry hair.”
2. They lead to dry hair.
I’m sure you think that sheen from your oil/butter you see on your hair gives you the impression that it’s moisturized. However, according to Aeleise, “Water evaporates in 4-7 days from hair so adding coconut oil or shea butter to dry hair then co-washing or using weaker sulfate- free shampoos contributes to the experience of dry hair.”
MUST READ: Where Are Your Edges? 5 Reasons They’ve Gone Missing On You