REDUCE TOXICITY ,GO GREEN! 

does coconut oil have moisturising properties? Nneka asks, if coconut oil fully penetrates the shaft then is it appropriate to use it as a sealant?

I'll answer these questions with a diagram. Moisturising in cosmetic research is not about adding water to hair but rather increasing or maintaining the hold of water. Water needs companions to be upgraded to a moisturiser

t does penetrate the hair but this does not stop it from coating the outside of the cuticle which it does. The amount of oil that can enter the hair is limited, so naturally most of the oil will sit on the surface. J Cosmet Sci,52(3):169-84 (2001).

2. Coconut oil has been used as a prewash treatment in half head tests where half the head is treated with oil and the other half isn't. The hair was combed post wash and there was significantly less damage/breakage on the coconut oil treated section (meaning much much less protein was collected from the comb). J Cosmet Sci., 50, 327-339 (1999)

So the debate will always rage on about whether oils are moisturising or not. I think that coconut oil is unique because much like water it can penetrate the hair. It's moisturising properties arise because it is an oil and therefore can help the hair hold on to the water. I don't think that coconut oil can be used on its own though, I think it needs some companions too......like water