coconut hair don't care

I have been feeling extra DIY lately...

My mottoes as of this week have been, "Why buy it when you can make it yourself?" and "Why take the expensive route when you can do it cheaply?" Not to say that I'm not a crafty person, but this week I've really been in the mood for it.

So, I've been wanting to buy/try a deep restorative hair mask. I have naturally curly/frizzy hair that I straighten and abuse like nobody's business. Plus my hair is halfway down my back (and I'm not the queen of getting a trim like I should) so you can imagine the split ends and damage. After hearing about the wonders of a coconut oil treatment I decided to give it a whirl.

I was a little unsure about coating my hair in oil...I'm usually trying to do the opposite (I'm notorious for skipping one hair washing day too many and then showering my hair in dry shampoo...oops). But I had time (and a new Cosmo mag to read) so I figured if it got a little too greasy I could salvage it. 

So here's what I did:

1) I started with organic virgin coconut oil. (I actually had this in my kitchen cabinet, but I believe it can be purchased at a heath food store) I ran hot water over the jar to soften it.

2) Once it became a liquid I applied it to my dry hair. I've heard different methods about applying it when it's dry vs. when it's wet, but since I hadn't showered yet I just applied it to my dry, just-brushed hair. I've also heard various amounts that you should add, but I used enough to coat my hair. From root to tip, my hair looked wet with oil (At this point I asked Dan what he would think of me if I let my hair get like that from not washing it...he just gave me "that face" haha).

3) Once my hair was saturated, I piled it up into a plastic processing cap, and turned on the blow dryer to warm up my scalp. This helps to open the cuticle of your hair and really let the oil go to work (so I've read). I only did this long enough to make my scalp feel warm to the touch.

4) I let it sit for a little over an hour. You can do a really intense overnight treatment, (which I intend to try sometime) but I planned to shower at night so this was my best option.

5) After the hour passed, I showered and shampooed twice. I could still feel a bit of the oily texture in the shower even after I shampooed once. Two times seemed to do the trick.

Unfortunately, I don't have an after-photo. But I will say this, my hair was DEFINITELY softer. Plus it really gave my hair a great shine. I'm excited to keep up with this regimen once a week and see the long term effects! Plus it was easy because with hair cap you can pretty much do anything while the oil sets (except going out in public, it's not exactly the latest in hair accessories ;)). And it sure beats spending loads of money on an expensive treatment! And I'm all about that!