7 Reasons Why You Need to Stop Using Coconut Oil And Shea Butter On Your Hair
In Fall of 2015 I published an article on BlackDoctor.org, 10 Things Professional Hairstylists Want Us to Stop Doing to Our Hair, and it seems one of the stylist comments struck a major nerve. That person, Aeleise Jana, at the time a friend and newly acquired mentor. Her response..“Stop with the coconut oil and shea butter”…I'm sure your clutching your pearls and are wondering "how will my hair get moisture???'
She must be out of her mind, she hasn’t lost her mind! In fact she’s a professional natural hair stylist, a self professed “Curl Geek” who’s seen 100‘s 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 amongst the heaviest. They are so heavy in fact that they can create a barrier between your hair shaft and water. Aeleise say’s “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 or Shea to dry hair then co washing our using weaker sulfate free shampoos contributes to the experience of dry hair.”
3. They Cause Frizz
When hair is shampoo’d and sealed with either coconut oil or shea the hair is blocked from absorbing any moisture. According to Aeleise “Anything on top of that already closed cuticle seals water in and out.” In the case of coconut oil and shea butter we are sealing water out of the hair, thus not allowing it gain entrance to our hair strands. “
She furthers go on to explain “once the water stores in the hair evaporate, 4-7 days, the hair reaches out to the atmosphere for water (ie dry, rough, frizzy hair).”
4. They Do Not Moisturize the Hair
Water=Moisture Oil=Sealent
“There’s no need for oils (natural or petroleum based) on the hair but for sealing or lubrication. The scalp contains sebaceous glands that provide a protective layer for the scalp. Light oils that form a protective barrier around the hair strand are fine. What’s not ok is an absorbed oil (coconut oil and shea butter) that blocks water out of tree hair strand.”
You’re Using Way Too Much
You got coconut oil everywhere…it’s on your shirt, in your eye (and it’s burning), on your man. In fact you could caress your hands through your hair and use it to moisturize your entire body.
It isn’t necessary for your favorite shirt, eye or man to suffer through your coconut oil abuse.
5. You’re Using Way Too Much
You got coconut oil everywhere…it’s on your shirt, in your eye (and it’s burning), on your man. In fact you could caress your hands through your hair and use it to moisturize your entire body.
It isn’t necessary for your favorite shirt, eye or man to suffer through your coconut oil abuse.
6. They’re Not Water Soluble
Aeleise suggests “alternative ingredients like aloe vera, marshmallow root, jojoba oil, almond oil, etc that are water soluble or able to be easily removed with a light cleanser serve the hair better. Also a properly formulated lower ph conditioner does the job of closing the cuticle down over the water therefore sealing.”
7. They Cause Hair Build-Up
So your an avid user of coconut oil/shea butter and you use it religiously. Not only do you think this is the holy grail to your hair regimen you’re also pretty insistent about using sulfate free shampoos.
This is the beginning of an end to dry hair, frizzy limp hair. Gaining better insight and knowledge of your hair and your hair care will lead to healthier, simps hair care maintenance.
So what do you do now??? Before we can get into that there are some fundamental aspects for hair that you need to understand. For example the specifics on how our hair is actually absorbs moisture.
There are 3 ways that you can dive deeper:
- You can book and appointment
- You grab yourself of Wash Your Damn Hair
- You can join The Black Curl Magic Digital Salon
All of these resources can be found at blackcurlmagic.com