Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Coconut Milk Treatment For Hair

     Some might say I’m a bit of a nerd, and heck they very well could be right. However, that’s not the way I want to see it. I have always had a problem with salesmen due to the fact that I always feel like they are not listening to my needs that need to be met, they aren’t always being truthful and honest, as well as the fact they don’t always know much about the product being sold. I like having knowledge and being educated. I want to know what the ingredients are, what they do, and the benefits I will be receiving. It’s as simple as that.

     A friend and I discussed Coconut Milk for Hair (which is today’s main point) the other day. Both her and her mom gave it a try and loved the end results! My question to you is DO YOU want any of these things: shiny, soft, stronger, healthy, longer, thicker hair?
     Before I go any further, let me clarify something . . . Please DO NOT think that this will take over any of your daily and weekly shampoos/conditions. This is just an added treatment to help you achieve the things I listed in the paragraph above.
     Hair is mostly made up of 90% Keratinized proteins, yet you need to have a proper balance of moisture and protein for optimal healthy hair. Hair becomes very brittle and dry if you over use protein. If you have continual protein treatments make sure that your shampoo and conditioner don’t have too much protein in them to prevent dry and brittle hair.
     With that being said, Coconut Milk is high in protein but the benefits you can receive from it are amazing (but remember, don’t overdo it). In addition it has a nutrient and fiber content. Coconut milk, also, holds an anti-frizz property that is best observed when applied on a consistent basis – coconut oil.
  
     And thus begins the adventure . . .
     I have done this before it’s just been a while. After seeing how eager and excited my friend was about this treatment I made a rushed trip to the grocery store. To my surprise, once I made it home, I had accidently walked out with CREAM of coconut milk, which is NOT the same as Coconut Milk. Learn from my mistake. Do NOT put this on your head. (Imagine grainy, camel snot slithering down your face. Or perhaps new born baby spit-up, only thicker. That is exactly what it was like for me.)
Needless to say I made a midnight run to Wal-Mart for the correct can.
Items that are used in this process:



Towel to wrap around shoulders
Clip to keep towel in place
Plastic Cap to keep hair and dripping controlled
Cotton balls
Coconut Milk (do NOT get low fat coconut milk)
-           You are going to want to put the Coconut Milk on dry hair (I personally washed my hair the night before and used minimal product) 
 -          Brush hair to rid of any tangles, waves, or curls:

-          Once your hair is placed over the sink you have an optional step you may choose to do:

     Put the can of coconut milk in refrigerator to chill for a while. After it has chilled carefully remove the can and open. The pure coconut milk (oil) will have floated to the top. Apply the creamy oil base first before saturating the rest  of your hair with the rest of the milk and then wrap your hair in a warm towel and let sit for at least 20 minutes
-           Whether you choose to separate the milk or not you may then saturate your hair with the room temperature coconut milk by either pouring it from the can directly onto the hair or else proceed the slower way by putting it in a spray bottle.
-          The trickiest part is putting on the shower cap, without flinging the milk all over the bathroom and yourself! Good luck! ;)
-          I, personally, like to place cotton balls under the cap all around my hair line, to keep it from dripping and running down my face.



-          After it is on for the desired amount of time (1 ½ to 2 hours), you’ll do a single shampoo followed by your daily conditioner.

My end results:


   If you are very much pleased with the result you are given, you may choose to use this recipe I’m about to give you. It allows you to dilute the protein a bit so that you have the option to do it every 3rd shampoo without over using protein. (as an added bonus your hair will receive other condition results.)

¼ cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons of one of the desired addition ingredients I have listed
¼ cup conditioner

Additional Ingredients include the following natural options:
Oil - coconut oil, castor oil, lavender, rosemary, lemon, geranium, cedarwood, thyme, and clary sage essential oils.
Honey – is packed with vitamins and minerals such as: magnesium, potassium, calcium, sulphur, iron, zinc, and vitamins B1, B2, B3.Aloe Vera

I hope that you have learned something new and can’t wait to hear your feedback!
Written by: Alison Boman