Is Coconut Milk Shampoo Good for Curly Hair?

While there are plenty of shampoos in the market that claim to be natural and best suited for curly hair, not all guarantee the best results. Fortunately, coconut milk not only does wonders to the skin but is also beneficial for the hair.

Coconut milk shampoo is noted for its excellent profile of proteins and vitamins, which has made it an ingredient of choice in most hair products. However, is coconut milk shampoo good for curly hair?

The good news is that coconut oil shampoos are especially perfect for those that want to attain soft, healthy, glossy, and easy-to-maintain curly hair.

With that said, check out this article to know more about coconut oil shampoos and whether they are really beneficial for curly hair.

What is Coconut Milk, and Where Does it Come From?

Coconut milk shampoo

Coconut milk comes from coconut, a fruit found on the palm tree. To produce coconut milk, the meat of the coconut is either pressed or dried.

Coconut milk contains protein, carbohydrates, fat, ash, and water. Coconut milk is available in the market, but you can also prepare it at home.

Common Problems People with Curly Hair Encounter

To better understand how coconut milk shampoos help with curly hair, let’s first look at the common issues people with curly hair encounter.

Lacks Enough Moisture

The unique “S” shape of curly hair means that it’s more prone to drying because its form acts as a natural “barrier” against moisture and natural oils.

This means that distributing moisture and your scalp’s natural oils evenly along your strands is significantly more difficult than if you had straight or wavy hair. As a result, your hair will be more prone to damages like breakages and thinning.

Prone to Breakage

Once your hair lacks moisture, it will cause more damages like breakages.

In fact, you risk damaging your curly locks with even simple everyday routines like brushing them. This is why bringing back moisture with products is essential.

Additionally, curly hair is also more prone to tangling, making it more susceptible to breakage.

More Likely to Frizz

Curly hair is more likely to frizz than straight or wavy hair. This is because the dryness makes up the hair’s cuticle lift, resulting in frizziness.

Looks Duller and Limp

Due to lacking the natural oils in your scalp, it is not evenly distributed along your curly tresses, which can cause a more limp and dull hair look than you’d like.

This is because it’s more difficult for curly hair to absorb the nutrients they need to stay healthy and vibrant. Using coconut milk shampoos can give your curly tresses that much-needed boost and shine.

To know if your hair is damaged, check out 6 Common Signs of Damaged Hair

Benefits of Using Coconut Shampoo for Curly Hair

There are so many benefits that come with using coconut oil for your curls.

Strengthens the Hair Cuticle

Coconut milk contains lauric acid that has excellent benefits for the hair. Lauric acid is a medium-chain/long-chain that deeply penetrates the hair strands.

As a result, this strengthens the cuticle and prevents your hair from breaking during tension.

Prevents Dandruff

Lauric acid has antibacterial properties, making it good at killing viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Hence, it gives coconut milk its antiviral, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial properties that protect the scalp against infections.

A coconut shampoo has anti-inflammatory properties that can help with dandruff and prevent a dry and itchy scalp.

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Nourishes the Hair and Restores Dry Scalp and Hair

Do you suffer from dry curly hair when the moisture in the airdrops?

If so, applying coconut milk can help nourish your curly hair and your scalp as well. Coconut milk has excellent moisturizing effects, thanks to its natural fatty acid profile.

It is also protective against hair damage because of its straight linear chain and low molecular weight. Therefore, it can restore dry hair and scalp and help smooth your frizzy strands without weighing down your hair or making your curls feel greasy.

This can make detangling the knots of your curly hair a painless and straightforward process.

Makes Hair More Manageable

Coconut milk restores hair health and makes it more manageable

Wet curly hair can be difficult and painful to detangle. However, you can say goodbye to this issue by incorporating coconut milk shampoo into your natural hair regime. Coconut oil is rich in fat, and this makes it a sure way to soften hair.

It loosens your curls and renders your hair more manageable to detangle. Also, it reduces frizz, and this contributes to healthy curls.

High Protein Profile

One of the benefits of coconut milk is its high protein profile that can help keep your curly hair strong. 95% of hair comprises your hair’s protein known as keratin, which can be boosted by the proteins you consume.

Applying coconut shampoo is an easy and less costly way to give your hair this essential nutrient. It is an excellent alternative to the expensive protein treatments offered in salons.

The protein in coconut oil shampoo is effective for rebuilding the structure of your bristle curls, especially if they have suffered damage from color treatment. Besides applying it topically, you can also benefit from coconut milk by drinking it.

Packed with Essential Vitamins and Minerals

Other than protein, coconut milk is also high in other essential minerals and vitamins that can help restore your hair’s health and natural shine. This is because coconut milk shampoos contain Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and vitamins B-1, B-3, B-5, and B-6.

These micronutrients can potentially impact the overall appearance and condition of your hair by making it healthy, strong, and moisturized. They can also add life to dry and lifeless curly hair.

For instance, Vitamin E strengthens the hair and increases its natural shine. It is also packed with minerals like iron, magnesium, sodium, manganese, phosphorus, and calcium selenium, all of which are great for your hair.

Slows Down Hair Loss

Coconut oil is noted for preventing hair loss by strengthening the hair cuticle. As a result, it prevents damage and breakage of your hair strands, which can be caused by water or harmful substances. Breakage can also occur when detangling wet or dry curly hair.

By applying a coconut milk shampoo, you will experience a reduced rate of hair loss. The milk protein can help strengthen damaged or weak curls and give your hair a boost of moisture. Most users also claim that it is an effective cure for bald spots.

Side Effects of Coconut Milk and Cautions

As impressive as coconut milk is for curly hair, you still need to conduct a skin allergy test before using it, especially since it can result in side effects like skin irritation, itchiness, and redness.

You can also develop a rash if you’re sensitive to coconut milk, so make sure you test it out before using it on your hair and scalp.

Why Use Coconut Milk Shampoos and Not Just Natural Ingredients?

While DIY hair shampoos are typically better since you know exactly what you’re putting into the mixture, especially, coconut milk shampoos make it easier for you to give your curly hair that much-needed boost in nutrients and moisture.

However, with DIY hair shampoos, you need to make the mixtures every time, which can be too much of a hassle when you don’t have the time to measure everything carefully. It can also be tougher to get all the ingredients, not to mention more expensive as well.

Coconut milk shampoos ensure that your curly locks maintain their healthy condition by infusing your hair with essential vitamins and nutrients every time you wash your hair. Lastly, regardless of how busy you are, you will always have time to wash your hair.

How to Make Your Own Coconut Milk Shampoo at Home

Instead of handmade coconut milk shampoos, we are able to make handmade hair masks for the Pre-pooing process to enhance the actual shampoo process at home.

Ingredients:

½ cup canned or fresh coconut milk
1 tsp. Vitamin E oil
½ cup of liquid castile soap (this is optional)
Optional- You can add 10-11 drops of essential oils, including rosemary, lavender, cedarwood, and thyme. Tea tree oil is necessary if you suffer from dandruff.
Peppermint essential oil (40-50 drops) to soothe the scalp

Method:

Place all the ingredients in a plastic bottle. Then, shake the bottle until all ingredients combine well. You should note that coconut milk only lasts about 4 to 6 days. For this reason, it is recommended to refrigerate for one week or freeze.

For proper storage of your coconut oil shampoo, place in ice cube trays and freeze. This will make your shampoo last long and easy to use.

Application:

Divide the curls into even sections of about 4-8 for easy application.
If you have a dye applicator bottle, use it to apply the shampoo solution to your scalp. Otherwise, you can use your fingertips or cotton ball. Take about 1 minute to massage the oil in the scalp until it is well absorbed.
Apply the solution to the length of your hair and use a smoothing motion to saturate it.
Let it sit for about 15 to 20 minutes before you can rinse your hair clean.
Follow the rinse with a conditioner. Applying conditioner after shampoo is good for maintaining the health of your curly hair.

How Often Should One Use Coconut Milk Shampoo?

Coconut milk will help moisturize dry hair and make your curly hair more manageable. Therefore, you can use this superfood in your weekly hair regime to make your wash-days less stressful.

You can use it as much as you like, even every day, to attain healthier, softer, and glossier curls.

Conclusion

The primary benefit of using coconut milk shampoo for curly hair is that it can smooth your errant strands, encourage growth, add shine to damaged strands, and prevent hair loss. It is infused with essential oils and frizz-reducing ingredients to hydrate your hair.

A quality coconut milk shampoo is worth considering if you want to nourish your damaged and frizzy strands without weighing down your hair.

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