Sunday, 14 July 2013

Summer care for dry hair.

Hello everyone, I hope you are enjoying the glorious weather we are having!

Today I'm going to share my coconut oil hair mask with you.

As you probably all know, it is extremely important to look after your hair all year round but during the summer months is when I pay extra care and attention to my hair. A lot of sun exposure can take its toll on you hair, causing it to become dry and brittle. I find using this coconut oil mask at least once every 2 weeks is very beneficial for my hair.

Why is coconut oil so good for your hair?
  • It stimulates hair growth, improves strength and flexibility by working deep into the follicles.
  • It can help to fight dandruff and provides relief from dryness on the scalp.
  • It adds shine, softens and moisturises dry hair.
  • Preserves hair's natural proteins, which helps repair damage such as breakage and split ends.

Coconut oil is also good for your skin and is known to have health benefits (but I'll save that for another post!)


What you will need:
  • pure/organic virgin coconut oil (available in all supermarkets and Boots)
  • wide tooth comb
  • shower cap or plastic bag (optional)
  • bowl
  • tablespoon
  • towel


Directions:

  1. Start with dry hair. 
  2. Using a wide tooth comb, gently comb through your hair to get rid of any knots.
  3. Part your hair down the middle and then part the top and bottom sections of you hair and tie or clip each section up. (you should have four sections of hair in total.)
  4. Place a little coconut oil in a bowl and heat in the microwave until it has mostly melted and is of a runny consistency. (If your hair is long and thick, start with a tablespoon and add more to the bowl as you work through the sections of your hair. If you have fine or short hair, start with half a tablespoon - you can always add more, a little oil goes a long way.)
  5. Starting with one quarter of your hair, apply the oil onto the ends of your hair and work your way up to your scalp or vice versa. Add more oil when needed, your hair should be completely saturated with the oil. Repeat this step on the other sections of your hair.
  6. Once the oil is distributed, comb the oil through your hair from roots to ends.
  7. Place your hair in a loose bun or clip and cover with a shower cap.
  8. Leave on for 30 minutes to an hour.
  9. Shampoo you hair twice and make sure you work the shampoo thoroughly through your hair before rinsing.
  10. Apply a leave-in conditioner (this is optional) and style your hair as normal. If you are using heat appliances, don't forget to use heat protection spray on your hair.
et voilĂ , you should now have soft, shiny, manageable hair! 
 
(Pictures taken with Canon A3300is)

I hope you enjoyed this post and found it helpful!

Please remember, I am not a professional hairdresser. I try my best to research everything before I try it out for myself. I have been doing this routine for a number of years and find that it works for me. If you have any questions, leave them in the comments section and I will answer them as best as I can.

Do you have any 'holy grail' hair masks that you use regularly? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Natasha Carly x
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