It’s hard to go into a beauty cabinet these days and not find coconut oil. It’s been praised by beauty brands, editors and bloggers alike as a trusty makeup remover, moisturizer, hair mask, shaving cream, teeth whitener and all over beauty savior. But… is it?
Is coconut oil good or bad for dry hair?
Whenever your hair is dry, it basically is thirsty and needs a drink. Well, as we all know, oil and water don’t mix. The oil actually repels water and either pushes it out of the hair or stops it from getting into the hair.
Coconut oil can cause protein build up, 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. Therefore, using coconut oil as a hair mask can actually make your hair drier, brittle and more damaged than it was before!
The reason coconut oil seems like it works is because it seeps into every tiny hole in your hair shaft and disguises the real problem to act as a quick-fix; this won’t help your hair in the long-run (similar effect with drugstore products like Pantene).
Coconut oil for your face
Coconut oil contains high levels of lauric acid. Lauric acid is shown to reduce inflammation from acne which is where the claims of coconut oil bettering your skin came from. It is also an antibacterial agent and full of vitamin E.
However, coconut oil has one of the highest comedogenic ratings, which means it can be a big problem for sensitive or blemish-prone skin. Basically, coconut oil is very thick and it can’t penetrate your pores. So it actually suffocates your skin and clogs your pores because it just sits on top of your skin.
Now before I let you go, I want to make one thing clear–coconut oil is loaded with tons of rich fatty acids and has many beneficial properties for your health. Since hair doesn’t have the ability to digest or metabolize coconut oil like the digestive system does, coconut oil can offer the most benefits when consumed. Healthy hair starts on the inside, and incorporating coconut oil into your diet may lead to stronger, healthier and shiner hair. As for skincare, coconut oil is a great moisturizer for the neck down. It is similar to how you wouldn’t use a body lotion on your face. Your facial moisturizer should be hydrating but light enough to not clog your pores.
Londynvs 