Coconut Oil Dried Out My Thick, Curly Hair

As someone with super-dry, curly hair, I have to be careful about what I put on my strands. I’ve tried a lot of different products over the years—and I mean a lot. It was only through this trial-and-error experience that I learned which ingredients don’t work for my specific hair type. Some of them made sense (things like drying silicones), but others totally surprised me. One such ingredient was coconut oil.

I’ve read so many great things about the benefits coconut oil offers your hair, so I would constantly seek out products with this ingredient. I always noticed, though, that after using something with it, my hair would feel extremely dry and lack definition over time. Naturally, I was super frustrated by this since I’d recently decided to curate a silicone-free haircare routine. Silicones were often the culprit when my hair was feeling extra dry, but then, I realized something else must be causing it too. Finally, I realized there was a common thread among my products, and it was always the addition of coconut oil.