Last Updated on April 10, 2023 by Verna Meachum

Is coconut oil for curly hair good or bad? It’s one of those miracle products that seem to be able to do anything. You can use it as cooking oil, lip balm, and even as a moisturizer for your skin.

But does it work for curly hair? As with everything else, there are many misconceptions about this product, so we’re here to bust some myths.

Coconut oil can be an amazing moisturizer for your curly hair but there are a few circumstances where it may not work well with your strands. It is important to know what these circumstances are before you start using this product on your tresses!

There have been debates about the effect of coconut oil on hair. After using coconut oil, many have reported experiencing dullness, dryness, and brittleness.

We believe that this excellent ingredient has a lot of misinterpretation and misuse.

In today’s blog, we will discuss coconut oil in detail, its science, and how we can get the maximum benefits out of it.

We will also address misconceptions about other ingredients derived from raw coconut oil as well as the reason behind the negative effects of using it.

History of Oils

Natural Oils and butter have been used since ancient times. They are known for their conditioning properties.

Plant-sourced emollients like mustard oil, coconut oil, and shea butter were the top choices for dry, brittle, and damaged hairs.

They have multiple positive aspects and advantages for hair care.

They offer:

• Ease in wet and dry combing
• Reduce fiber to fiber friction
• Provide hydrophobic coating at the cuticular surface
• Impart shine
• They are sustainable and environmentally friendly

Coconut oil is one of the world’s first emollients, and it has been used by people for hundreds of years as a conditioner for their hair. You may notice it in a variety of skin and hair care products by simply looking at the ingredients list of various products.

It is also used as a carbon feedstock to manufacture various chemicals, surfactants, emollients, and other actives.

In these terms, it is probably the second most demanded source of carbon in the personal care industry (the 1st being palm oil).

This is important to note, as coconut oil is widely used in cosmetics, toiletries, and the personal hygiene industry.

The Science of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is extracted from wet or dry coconut kernels. Various extraction techniques are used in the industry, which has an impact properties on the end product.

The dried kernel accounts for almost 60% of its mass, and this oil has its distinct taste, color, and odor.

Coconut oil resembles palm oil in terms of its chemical composition. Oil is a glycerol ester of long-chain fatty acids, and the chemical composition varies from plant to plant.

Coconut oil has high saturated fatty acid accounting for approximately 80% of the total composition.

Its fatty-acid composition shows that lauric acid is the most abundant component, which comprises 12 carbon units with a straight saturated chain length.

The relatively higher levels of saturated fatty acids raise the melting point of coconut oil (24 oC), which contributes to the sensorial properties and texture of the product.

The presence of all saturated carbon centers indicates greater resistance to oxidation in coconut oil. That’s why coconut oil has a long shelf life and does not autoxidize when stored, which is reflected in emulsion (cream, lotion, or pomade) stability.

Benefits of Coconut Oil for Hair: A literature review

Coconut oil has a long traditional history in hair and skincare.

Cosmetic researchers have recently investigated its effectiveness and advantages through cutting-edge and modern analytical methods.

Any consumer has a clear goal: natural-looking hair that is simple to style and manage daily. Water alone will not suffice to achieve this, as any natural oil, butter, or haircare product is needed to accomplish this.

The key features for oil applications are designed to:

• Preserve and protect hair mechanical strength, especially against chemical treatments
• Ease of combing
• Improve hair hydrophobicity and water retention
• Enhance hair shine

Let’s review some literature that was published in detail that specifically studied the benefits of coconut oil.

Protein Loss and Water Retention

Rele & Mohile studied the role of coconut oil in preventing protein loss and water from hair fibers. They published two research papers in the Journal of Society of Cosmetic Chemists, JSCC, 1999 & 2003.

The results demonstrated that coconut oil is efficient in preserving the integrity of hair fibers. They examined its benefits for all types of hairs with different ethnic backgrounds and natural and chemically or thermally treated hairs.

In all cases, coconut oil showed superiority for hair conditioning.

In the second report, they compared coconut oil against mineral oil and sunflower oil.

Once again, they found coconut oil was better in improving hair quality even under harsh chemical treatments.

They argued that high lauric acid content helps the penetration of coconut oil droplets through cuticle layers, which prevent excessive swelling during washing and bleaching treatments.

Mineral oil, being a large molecular hydrocarbon, and sunflower oil, being an oleic acid (C18:1), having relatively large molecular structures are unable to penetrate hair fibers.

Mass Spectrometric Proof of Penetration

Further studies were conducted by famous hair scientist YK Kamath, who employed the highly precise mass spectrometric technique to demonstrate coconut oil penetration.

The findings concur with those published previously, demonstrating the mechanism of its penetration.

The spectroscopic data showed that mineral oil could not penetrate the hair fiber, while coconut oil, having a smaller molecular size of lauric acid, could penetrate the hair fiber.

In summary, the scientific studies found:

• Coconut Oil preserves the protein structure of the hair

• It prevents protein loss during chemical and thermal treatments, thus preserving the mechanical strength of hair

• Improves hair moisturization by minimizing water loss

• It is effective both as pre-treatment and post-treatment (though results show pre-treatment is more beneficial)

There are also reports highlighting protection against UV radiation with the use of coconut oil.

Skincare benefits have also been documented in the literature, however, that is beyond this article’s scope.

Popular Myth and Misunderstanding about Coconut oil and Its Derivatives

The positive and beneficial effects of coconut oil are proven scientifically.

There are, however, several concerns regarding coconut oil for hair in blogs, and social media.

Consumers have also shared their experiences about coconut oil in online forums and have expressed their disappointment with using coconut oil.

To be honest, some of their reports are genuine and understandable; however, it has nothing to do with coconut oil. It has more to do with how you apply coconut oil and under the circumstances you used it.

We’ll come back to address that a little later, but first, what is the mystery, myth, and misunderstanding about coconut oil?

Coconut sensitivity

 “Coconut sensitivity” is a term used by bloggers. The claim is that all chemicals having “lauric” or “laurate” or even “laureth” can induce similar adverse results and should be avoided.

I reached out to my Hair Scientist friend, who has a PhD in Organic Chemistry and Physical Organic Chemistry, to get his professional opinion, and he said that this is not true and is just not scientifically correct.

Read on to learn more about what he shared with me.

Green Active with a Long Trusted History

First, we know that coconut oil is a green eco-friendly natural ingredient. Just like other oils and butter, it is gentle and mild.

Dermatological studies have not shown any allergic or adverse effects upon applying the oil on the skin or scalp surface.

Also, coconut oil has a long, trusted history (thousands of years), and consumers worldwide trust natural products. Consumers want sustainable, environmentally friendly actives that are gentle to the skin.

Misconceptions about Lauric Acid Derivatives

Coconut oil is extensively used as a feedstock for the synthesis of various chemicals.

It is second in demand as a carbon chain source, which is used to manufacture other ingredients.

Lauric acid ester is a light molecular ester that is commonly added in personal care formulation for emollience.

Others like laurates are used as emulsifiers in preparing creams and lotions.

Sorbitan laurate is an excellent example of a preferred emulsifier with good moisturizing properties besides emulsification.

Lauryl and Laureth: Coconut Derivatives

“Lauryl” & “Laureth” are chemical family derivatives from coconut oil. They are multiple ingredients with this term utilized in various formulations.

For example, we find these ingredients in shampoo formulations, like sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate, as both are popular surfactant, cleansing agents.

Both are synthesized using a 12-carbon chain obtained from palm kernel oil or coconut oil with the sulfonation process.

However, this does not mean they are the same and equivalent to their starting material, i.e. coconut oil.

The chemical modification (sulfonation) gives us a new molecule with significantly different physical and chemical properties.

For example, we cannot clean our hands using coconut oil. It will not remove dirt or greasy stuff from our hands, skin, and hair, whereas lauryl and laureth are the cleansing agent.

Also, coconut oil does not generate any foam in the water, while these cleansing agents produce significant foam volume in water solution.

Therefore, this is a misconception that every ingredient having lauric acid, lauryl, or laureth can induce coconut sensitivity, as they are different chemicals and have different properties. 

What Could Go Wrong with Using Coconut Oil?

It’s important to address the misconception and misunderstanding because we must substantiate our narrative scientifically.

The fact is that no single active (oil, butter, or any other chemical conditioner) can possibly cater to the demands of every single client.

Simply put, we like what we like. We prefer a certain brand, class, or type of product over another.

I like Shea butter for my hair while you may like Mango butter for your hair.

Scientifically, it has more to do with our;

• Type of hair
• Its current condition or history
• How we use these oils or butter

We understand that some people may have had adverse or negative effects after applying coconut oil to their hair.

Let’s take a look at some of the possible reasons for the negative effects of coconut oil on hair.

Applying too much

Some consumers use oils as a treatment mask and apply too much oil to their hair and or scalp with a sense that “more is better.”

However, the golden rule is always that “Less is more.”

To ensure that the oil is evenly distributed, some finger work is required.

Outside weather conditions

The effect of outside temperature and humidity level is a well-known issue in the curly hair community.

Coconut oil has a melting point of 24-25 oC, and it solidifies during winter. Applying coconut oil to hair during winter conditions is tricky.

Coconut oil would melt on the skin as our body temperature (37 oC) is higher than its melting point; however, it may not be the case for hair.

Coconut oil may solidify in small flakes or pellets if applied too much under winter conditions. These tiny solid flakes can make our hair look unappealing, dull, and rigid.

Hair texture and history

Different ethnic backgrounds have different types of hair.

European, Asian, and African hair differ in their diameter, texture, and surface properties.

Also, chemically treated hairs are dry, difficult to comb, and at times damaged compared to natural or virgin hair due to the loss of the cuticular layer, which means that this would alter the hair’s response to different hair conditioning products.

For excessively damaged and dry hair, coconut oil is an excellent remedy; however, we must remember that damaged hair has large-sized pores.

Hence, coconut oil penetrates easily and, in large amounts, and can overload the concentration of oil inside the hair fiber.

Also, too much oil inside the hair would leave no space for water molecules and will result in hair feeling more dried — this is a potential reason why consumers may have experienced negative results with coconut oil.

How Should We Apply Coconut Oil?

Follow these steps to get the most of this magical natural ingredient:

• Analyze your hair condition beforehand
• Don’t use oil every day; it might be too much for your hair
• Once a week is a maximum for natural hair; we recommend once every two weeks only
• Try to figure it out carefully, use trial and error
• For extremely damaged hair, mix it with other humectant formulations; you need a mixture of oil and humectant
• Always use mild and gentle clarifying shampoo to remove any build-up.
• Coconut oil can be used as a leave-in or treatment mask; however, do it only when your hair REQUIRES it. Remember, too much oil can make hair look dull.

If your hair struggles with raw coconut oil, we recommend using a coconut oil mask, such as these below.

Using these masks instead of using raw natural oil may work better for your hair because emulsions contain tiny droplets of oil dispersed in the water phase, which offers a balanced formulation with uniform application across the hair shaft.

Carol’s Daughter Coco Creme Curl Quenching Deep Moisture Hair Mask 

OGX Extra Strength Damage Remedy + Coconut Miracle Oil Hair Mask

Remember, your hair requires a multi-dimensional hair care strategy, it should include emollient, humectant, and conditioning polymer.

Summary

Coconut oil is an excellent natural hair conditioner.

It is one of the few natural oils scientifically proven to improve hair fibers’ quality for every type of hair. However, you need to figure out how and when to use it.

Don’t be scared of it; remember it is natural and time tested with proven efficacy and results.

Explore it, try mixing it with different other oils and humectants; this may enhance your hair quality and offer you even better hair manageability.

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