8 Coconut Oil Conditioner and Moisturizer Recipes!

Using coconut oil as an ingredient in your homemade deep conditioner or moisturizer can do wonders for strengthening your tresses and minimizing breakage.  Not convinced?  Well, coconut oil has been shown to penetrate the hair and reduce keratin loss (abstract #1).  Additionally, it has demonstrated an ability to minimize damage by hygral fatigue (i.e., stress on the hair strand due to water uptake and eventual evaporation).  (Check out abstract #2.)

Below are some recipes for conditioners and moisturizers involving coconut oil.  Give them a try and see what works for you!

MY WHIPPED MANGO SHEA HAIR CREME

Ingredients:
1/4 cup shea butter
1/4 cup melted mango butter
1 tbsp coconut oil (penetrates and protects the strands against combing/styling breakage)
2 tbsp olive oil (moisturizing; possibly penetrates the strands)
3 tbsp avocado oil (moisturizing; possibly penetrates the strands)
2 tbsp grapeseed oil (to protect against moisture loss; sealing oil)
few drops of lemon essential oil (optional, for added fragrance)

Instructions:
Break the shea butter into small pieces and place in a bowl.  Using a hand mixer, whip the shea butter until fluffy and the chunks are gone.  (If your shea butter is too hard, melt it only slightly to soften it a bit.)  Add in melted mango butter and whip.  Finally, add in the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly with the hand mixer.  Finito!

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MY CHEAP STRENGTHENING CONDITIONER

Ingredients:
2 parts inexpensive conditioner (e.g., Suave, V05, etc.)
1 part coconut oil

Directions:
Mix ingredients in bowl. After shampooing, massage all conditioner into hair and leave on for 30 minutes before thoroughly rinsing.

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CHICORO'S PROTEIN PRE-TREATMENT

Recipe source: Chicoro's YouTube Channel

Ingredients:
1/3 teaspoon each (cysteine, cystine, methionine)
300 grams or 1 block of soft tofu
1/4 cup of aloe vera gel (water based/moisture)
1/4 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon to 1/4 cup of oil (for lubrication)
melted coconut oil

Directions:
Dissolve amino acids in water and mix with the tofu. Add aloe vera and oil and blend. Apply to dry hair that is to be washed. Cover hair. Leave on for 30 mintues. Add coconut oil. Leave on for 10 minutes. Wash andd condition and detangle and style as usual.

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THE BRAUN SUGAR'S COCONUT BANANA DEEP CONDITIONER

Ingredients:
1/4 cup coconut milk
2 bananas
2 tbsps coconut oil
1 tsp honey

Directions:
Combine all ingredients together in a food processor or blender.
Blend until extra smooth.  Make sure that there are no banana lumps.  (They are hard to remove later.)

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MY AVOCADO DETANGLING CONDITIONER

Ingredients & Materials: 
blender,
overripe avocado,
extra virgin olive oil,
extra virgin coconut oil,
unrefined shea butter,
apple cider vinegar (optional),
bowl,
mixing spoon

Instructions:
Cut up one avocado, mash with a mixing spoon, and put in blender. Add about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of unrefined shea butter to blender. (No need to melt the shea butter ahead of time.) Finally add approximately 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) to blender and 2 tbsp of extra virgin coconut oil. If you wish, add 2-3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (ACV) to blender. (The ACV will aid in the blending process and adjusting pH.) Blend all the ingredients thoroughly and continue to add EVOO until the mixture reaches your desired consistency. When done, pour mixture into a bowl and apply to hair as a detangling deep conditioner. NOTE: It is important to blend the ingredients well to eliminate avocado bits that stick to the hair. If necessary, sieve the mixture before applying.

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MY SIMPLE DETANGLER RECIPE

Ingredients:
4 tbsp coconut oil
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp melted shea butter (optional, but makes the process much easier)

Directions:
All you need for this detangler are coconut oil, olive oil, and melted shea butter. Apply this mixture to dry or damp hair, allow it to set, and then proceed to finger detangle. (Leaving coconut oil on dry hair overnight has been demonstrated to reduce combing damage.)

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MY MULTI-OIL WHIPPED SHEA BUTTER (WINTER EDITION)

Ingredients:
½ cup shea butter
2 tbsp coconut oil (penetrates and protects the strands against combing/styling breakage)
2 tbsp olive oil (moisturizing; possibly penetrates the strands)
2 tbsp avocado oil (moisturizing; possibly penetrates the strands)
1 tbsp grapeseed oil (to protect against moisture loss; sealing oil)
1 tbsp castor oil (primarily for sheen and sealing)
few drops of jasmine essential oil (optional, for fragrance)

Instructions:
Break the shea butter into small pieces and place in a bowl.  Using a hand mixer, whip the shea butter until fluffy and the chunks are gone.  (If your shea butter is too hard, melt it only slightly to soften it a bit.)  Add in the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly with the hand mixer.  Finito!

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MY CASTOR AND COCONUT MOISTURIZING MIST

Ingredients:
2 oz distilled water
2 tsp extra virgin coconut oil
1 tsp castor oil
a few drops of essential oil (e.g., lavender, jasmine, orange)

Directions:
Pour all ingredients into a spray bottle, and shake vigorously to blend.  Store in a refrigerator until ready for use.  Shake before each use.  SHELF LIFE: ~2 weeks.