Coconut oil for shiny locks
Ask any elderly lady the secret of their hair care, and they will swear by the humble coconut oil and its gazillion benefits. For thousands of years, we have witnessed Bengali beauties apply coconut oil as the prime ingredient for hair nourishment. But have we ever wondered why this favouritism?
First is obviously its widespread availability, but that alone cannot be a factor. If we delve a bit into science, we learn that coconut oil is the richest natural source of lauric acid — a naturally occurring ingredient supportive of hormone and cellular health.
Moreover, coconut oil's special properties allow it to penetrate the hair cells in ways that other natural oils cannot, helping to prevent protein loss and providing relatively amazing results in the shortest time possible.
The western world has not been left far behind either. Once they learned the benefits of the amazing ingredient and what wonders it does to locks and curls, they immediately adopted in into their hair care regimen, especially those who favour the organic way.
But does it mean that coconut oil application has no rules or guidelines? Not at all!
This is where science probes in further and provides the perfect solution for the utmost benefit.
HOW TO SAFELY USE COCONUT OIL FOR THE HAIR
The best application process for coconut oils in general is directly on the hair rather than the scalp. However, for those who are suffering from dandruff caused by fungal infections, it is better to be applied on the scalp as the benefits precede the negative effects.
A popular word of caution is that few people may be allergic to coconut oil in large quantities and to avoid such circumstances it is always recommended to use the oil in small amounts.
Your grandma would be able to provide numerous narratives on this account. Most of which would include hair packs made of ingredients like yoghurt, honey, Indian gooseberry, fenugreek, etc. — but the prime ingredient of the hair packs would always be coconut oil.
The science behind it explains everything. Coconut oil helps to bind all the ingredients together, easily seeping into the hair-shaft and providing for the many benefits of the total component.
So, yes. If it is hair health you want to discuss, there is no better alternative than coconut oil after all!
- LS Desk
Comments