Bump what ya heard! Coconut oil is NOT the best thing since sliced bread. Although an overwhelming amount of popular YouTube and Instagram bloggers/vloggers have stood behind the oil - alleging it’s the end all for dull, dry, and frizzy hair - Rachel Grante, Colour Director at Arthur Christine salon, nestled in Vienna, Virginia, says there’s a homogenous mixture of myths and facts about coconut oil in the world today.
So, in an effort to rediscover the true value behind the natural hair product, Grante is breaking down 3 major myths—because knowledge is power!
Myth #1: Coconut oil alone is a great way to moisturize your hair.
On the contrary. “While the use of coconut oil is a good starting point for moisturizing your coif, in order for your style to last, you’ll have to lock it in with a delivery system like Eco gel. While it may feel hard to the touch—causing you to think it’s dry, the gel works as a sealant, protecting your hair from the inside out. Not only will using a product like Bee 9, Miss Jessie’s Curl Pudding or a Shea Butter help seal your style for up to 2-3 weeks, it’ll prevent you from having to reapply daily—making sure you can make the most of your time.” said Grante. “Cream gives more of a whimsical curl. Gel gives more of a defined curl.”
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“Think of it like this. When you combine water and oil, the oil floats to the top. The same applies to your hair. Your scalp consists of little sebaceous glands, which produce an oily residue known as sebum. It is the sebum, secreted around the hair follicle that keeps it moist and soft. While using light oils to form a protective barrier around your strands is okay, when you use an absorbed oil like coconut oil or shea butter, it blocks water's ability to penetrate the hair's cuticle.”
Myth #2: Coconut tames frizz and defines your curls.
Wrong again. “Often times, women who look to popular beauty bloggers – who swear by slathering coconut oil through their strands, to achieve frizz-free, defined curls – and end up disappointed when they don’t receive the same results,” said Grante. “Because coconut oil does not define your natural curl pattern.”
“What they’re missing is, many times these bloggers’ natural texture and curl pattern is softer, more defined and bouncy. The coconut is also likely just one on the many products they used to achieve their look,” she said.
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“My recommendation is this: For kinky coarse hair, it’s all about technique. You can’t achieve those natural tendril curls (a slender curl or ringlet) from a simple wash ‘n go. To define curls, opt for a twist out or bantu knots. While you can use coconut oil as a leave-in to soften curls, an Eco-gel or shea butter - as I touched on before - will coat, seal and define your style.”
Myth #3: Coconut oil combats breakage.
If it were only that easy. According to Grante, “coconut oil alone, will not prevent breakage.” There’s layers to this ish… “it involves how you brush your hair, the products you use,” etc.
“If your hair is in a condition where it’s been over processed or fried, there’s really nothing you can do to retain your natural curl texture. You can either do a gradual cut out, the big chop, learn how to do a good blowout, wear a weave, or braids. But once it is burned, nothing, not even coconut [oil] will redefine your curl pattern.”
“A beautiful head of hair consists of eating a healthy diet, drinking a lot of water, taking vitamins or a fish oil supplement and investing in quality products, such as Brocato, smoothing and hydrating treatments or a repair me rinse. ” said Grante.
While coconut oil may not get you a healthy head of hair, Grante offered her opinion, that some people swear by it as a “skin moisturizer.”
