by Shelli of Hairscapades
A couple of weeks ago, I was messing around on YouTube and came across this two part series on using coconut milk as a hair treatment. I was immediately intrigued for two reasons.
- I love me some coconut oil! DON’T NOBODY better say nothin’ bad about COCONUT OIL. ‘Cuz that’s when Bonita goes OFF!! *teehee*
- The YouTuber’s hair is RIDIC!! I mean, long as all get out and so healthy looking without a broken strand visible to the naked eye (whereas I have a ton from a rough, dry winter)!
Now, I know her hair is not curly, kinky, or coily. However, I have always believed that we can learn things from a variety of sources, different textures and ethnicities as many of the practices that promote healthy hair are the same, regardless of race/texture/hair type (i.e. moisture, protein, protection). Given the benefits of coconut oil and how great it works for me, I figured coconut milk (which has coconut oil in it) might be just as awesome.
via BeautyKLove
Part I: Extracting Coconut Milk
Part II: Applying Coconut Milk
Now, though I love the idea of using fresh coconut milk, ain’t nobody got time for that. So, I broke out a can of coconut milk that I had in the cabinet. I had picked up a couple of cans a long time ago for a post-wash avocado/coconut milk/honey deep conditioner that didn’t work out too well. Nevertheless, I was ready to put it to a new use! Before starting, I decided to research a little more to see if I could find naturals who had used coconut milk with success and I just so happened to come across these posts by my virtual curlfriend, Petra/Emily CottonTop: Coconut Milk Deep Condition and Results – Coconut Milk Pre-Poo.
In the posts, Petra shares a pre-poo recipe:
The recipe
Coconut Milk – 4 tablespoons
Honey -2 tablespoon
3 of Your Favorite oils – 1 tablespoon each
… and with her awesome results. I was sold!
So, I whipped up a batch of coconut milk with Vatika Oil and EVOO, using only two tablespoons of oil instead of three. I heated the mix and applied to my dry dirty hair. Then I donned a plastic cap and my thermal heat turban for about an hour. I will say that the application process was messy and a bit sticky. But, my wash process went very smoothly and my hair felt stronger, moisturized and my twists were so plump, juicy and shiny!
So, this past weekend, I made a coconut milk pre-poo again with the leftovers from the prior week. This time, I added some Aubrey Honeysuckle Rose conditioner (I was hoping that it would thicken the mix but it didn’t really) and applied and massaged plain, warmed coconut milk into my scalp too. Though the application process was still a little messy (I think I’ll use a small dye applicator bottle in the future), I had great results again. So, I really think this will become a staple in my regimen! I will keep an eye on my hair to make certain that the coconut milk doesn’t begin to make it feel hard or brittle (due to the protein content). If it does, I will reduce the frequency of the treatment.
Finally, I don’t use much coconut milk for the treatment and it seems it’s only good to keep in the fridge for a maximum of about two weeks. Needless to say, I was worried about spoilage and wasting it. Fortunately for me, I discovered that it can be frozen into ice cubes to form convenient “serving sizes” for future use!!!
So yeah, all engines are a go! Coconut milk pre-poo treatments are my new boo! Time will tell if it results in strands as long, seemingly perfectly uniform in length, and unbroken as that YouTuber!! One can only hope ;)!!
Do you use coconut milk in your regimen? If so, what’s your recipe and process? How often do you use it? What benefits to you see from using it?
