Do you want to know how to wash your hair after applying coconut oil? Coconut oil is an excellent natural remedy for dry, frizzy hair but it’s important to know how to wash it out afterwards.
Since coconut oil is so thick and oily it can be difficult to remove with water and shampoo alone. The tips mentioned in this article will help you remove the excess oil from your hair and keep it looking shiny and healthy.
Coconut oil is a natural remedy recommended for people with dry, frizzy hair. It helps to restore the moisture balance of your locks and give them a healthy sheen.
The fatty acids and antioxidants in coconut oil also help to nourish the scalp, preventing hair loss and promoting healthy hair growth.
Hair oiling with coconut oil is a popular practice in India and is recommended in Ayurvedic hair care to keep the hair in good condition. Knowing how to remove the oil however is just as important as knowing how to apply it.
How to Your Wash Hair After Applying Coconut Oil
Why it’s Important to Remove Oil from Your Hair
When you use oils on your hair it’s important to remove them completely afterwards. This applies not only to coconut oil, but any natural oil including sunflower oil, olive oil castor oil, jojoba oil or Argan oil.
If you don’t remove all the oil from your hair, it could leave your hair looking dull or greasy, and since oil weighs the hair down, it can also make it appear lank or flat.
Whilst coconut oil is excellent for moisturising the hair and scalp, if not washed off properly it can block the pores and attract dirt. It may also start irritating the skin.
How to Wash Your Hair After Applying Coconut Oil
The best way to remove a coconut oil treatment from the hair is to start with a shampoo. For the first step it is recommended that you use the shampoo straight onto dry hair, and a clarifying shampoo like the OGX Charcoal Shampoo is best.
Be aware you may need to shampoo twice to remove all the oil.
The steps below will help you:
- Mix your shampoo with equal parts water before applying it to dry hair
- Be aware the shampoo won’t lather the way it does on wet hair
- Keep massaging the shampoo for 2-3 minutes into the hair and scalp
- Rinse with lukewarm water
- Shampoo your hair a second time (you may wish to use a milder shampoo for this step)
- Again massage the shampoo for 2-3 minutes
- Rinse with lukewarm water
- Apply a conditioner to help retain moisture in the hair
If you have used a lot of coconut oil on your hair, you may wish to absorb some of the oil in a paper towel before applying the shampoo. This might give better results when removing the coconut oil with shampoo.
If you find that shampoo alone won’t remove all of the oil from the hair, there are some excellent natural remedies that work well.
Natural Remedies to Remove Coconut Oil from Hair
Egg Wash
Eggs can be used as a hair cleanser because of the lecithin they contain. Lecithin helps to break down oils and fats. Since eggs also contain a high amount of protein they can be used as a natural two in one shampoo and conditioner for the hair!
To make an egg wash, whisk two eggs in a bowl. Apply the mixture to your hair and shampoo it off after 15 minutes. Egg white not only helps to remove excess oil from the hair strands, but also strengthens the hair, promotes growth, and reduces dandruff.
Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse
Vinegar is a natural antiseptic and exfoliant for the scalp. It helps to remove any residue or oil left on the hair shaft and strengthens the strands.
To make a vinegar rinse, mix a cup of vinegar with two cups of water. Rinse this mixture through your hair after shampooing and leave it on for 10 minutes before rinsing it off with water. Vinegar balances the pH levels of your hair, removing product buildup and leaving it clean, soft, shiny, and smooth.
BAKING SODA
Baking soda removes the buildup of oils, sebum, conditioners and other products that may be left on the hair. Since it’s so effective at stripping away this residue buildup, baking soda leaves the hair super shiny and clean.
To remove any excess oil from your hair, mix half a cup of baking soda with water and massage it into the scalp. Leave it on for about 5 minutes and then wash it out thoroughly with water. Baking Soda is excellent at removing all types of residue and buildup from the hair and leaves it soft and incredibly shiny.
ALOE VERA
Aloe vera is very efficient at cleaning the hair and removing any extra oil or hair care products.
After shampooing with water, mix aloe vera gel with a few drops of lemon juice and massage it into the hair. Leave it on for 20 minutes before rinsing it off. Aloe Vera is very hydrating for the hair, helping to prevent dryness. It also repairs damaged hair follicles and reduces dandruff buildup.
LEMONS
The citric acid found in lemon juice is a natural bleaching agent. It can not only remove oil from the hair, but also reduce your hair’s colour. If you want to lighten your hair colour slightly, lemon juice would be a good choice to help remove the coconut oil.
Apply the juice of two lemons to the hair, leave it on for 15 minutes and then rinse off. Lemon works well as a natural clarifying agent, and helps to remove product buildup from the hair. It also balances the pH levels of your hair, which improves the health and texture of the strands.
BAY LEAVES
Rinsing your hair with bay leaf water helps remove excess oil, and reduce any scalp inflammation.
Boil a handful of dried bay leaves in water for about 15 minutes. Wait until the water is cool before straining it and pouring it into a spray bottle. Spray the mixture onto your hair after shampooing, leave it on for 5 minutes, and then rinse it off with luke warm water. Bay leaves have excellent antiseptic properties that help to eliminate dandruff buildup and promote a healthy scalp.
BLACK TEA
A black tea hair rinse is recommended for greasy and oily hair. It’s good at breaking down excess oil, and can help to remove any coconut oil left on the strands.
Soak dried black tea bags in water for about 30 minutes. Remove the tea bags and apply the liquid to your hair after shampooing, leave it on for 15-20 minutes, and then rinse it off thoroughly with water. Black tea is excellent at removing excess oil from the hair without making it feel dry or brittle.
Related: Benefits of Black Tea for Hair
FULLER’S EARTH
Fuller’s Earth is a clay which is also known as Multani mitti. It can cleanse both the hair and skin since it is extremely absorbent whilst also being gentle. It can be used in natural hair masks to clean and detoxify the hair and scalp.
To remove lots of heavy oil, mix Fuller’s Earth with water and use it as a hair mask. Leave the mixture on for 15-20 minutes, rinse it off thoroughly, and then shampoo your hair. Fuller’s Earth has excellent absorbent properties that help to remove product buildup from the scalp and the hair, making it visibly more vibrant.
Beer
Beer helps to remove excess oil from your hair (while leaving it soft and shiny) and also adds volume. Since beer is rich in B vitamins it also nourishes the hair and keeps it strong. It also contains proteins, and sugars that strengthen the hair cuticles.
You could combine equal parts beer and apple cider vinegar. Pour it onto your hair after shampooing, leave it on for 2-3 minutes, and then rinse it off thoroughly with water.
WITCH HAZEL
Due to its astringent properties, witch hazel helps to remove excess oil from the hair and leaves it soft, shiny, and healthy-looking. You can either use witch hazel on your hair after the first shampoo, or use it as a conditioning rinse.
To make a conditioning rinse, mix witch hazel with water and apple cider vinegar. The proportion should be 1:1, and the mixture should be applied to your hair after shampooing and rinsed off after 5 minutes.
Using Dry Shampoo to Wash Hair After Applying Coconut Oil
If your hair still appears oily despite using a clarifying shampoo, and trying natural remedies, you can also try a dry shampoo.
Dry shampoos contain either starch or alcohol to absorb excess oil and grease on the hair. They can be an effective method of removing excess coconut oil from the hair after a treatment.
There are dry shampoos available that not only absorb grease and oil, but also help to improve hair health. OGX make a nutrient rich dry shampoo that contains vitamin B7 biotin, collagen and hydrolysed wheat protein to absorb oil and add volume. It is one of the best hair products for removing oil whilst making the hair appear fuller.
See my full review of the OGX Biotin and Collagen Shampoo
Tips for Using Coconut Oil Hair Masks
For best results, always apply coconut oil masks to wet hair after shampooing. Concentrate on the ends of your hair which tend to be the driest. Comb the mask evenly through your strands and cover your hair with a shower cap or plastic bag for at least half an hour before rinsing it off with warm water.
A good way to make sure that the mask is evenly distributed in your hair is by dividing it into small sections and applying the mask to each piece of hair. After rinsing it off, shampoo your hair using the recommendations in this post before deep conditioning or using any other leave-in treatment.
If you’re looking for a way to detangle dry and frizzy hair, coconut oil is an excellent ingredient to use in a homemade conditioning mask. Many people swear by this treatment because it eliminates knots without making the hair feel heavy or greasy.
In order to make a coconut oil mask I recommend using extra virgin coconut oil. It contains antioxidants and has a wide range of health benefits. It penetrates the hair shaft to make it stronger, improves its elasticity, enhances shine, prevents breakage, and leaves your scalp healthy by eliminating dandruff.
To prevent coconut oil masks from causing a mess in the bathroom, use a shower cap or plastic bag instead of a traditional towel to cover your hair.
Coconut oil masks that contain essential oils such as spearmint and lavender can also be used to reduce split ends and dandruff, and increase hair growth.
Related: 10 Best Coconut Oils to Use on Your Hair
Conclusion
When applying coconut oil to dry hair, it’s important that you know how to wash the oil out properly. If not washed away properly you risk leaving your hair looking dull or greasy and blocking pores which can result in irritation on the scalp. The methods mentioned above will help you remove all excess oil from your hair and leave it looking healthy and full of life.
This Post was All About How to Wash Your Hair After Applying Coconut Oil
Thank you for reading my post about how to wash your hair after applying coconut oil. If you have tried any of the recommendations in this post please leave me a comment below and let me know how you hot on. Coconut oil is excellent for any hair type but is especially recommended for high porosity hair, or dry, frizzy tresses. It contains lauric acid which helps to prevent the hair from splitting, and is the best oil to use to prevent protein loss (source).