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By Jc of The Natural Haven

It can take a long time to search and find your perfect staple conditioner and becoming a product junkie is very easy especially in the first two years of being natural. This is a trial and error process and you can end up with many products in the ‘do not work’ section. You could choose to re-purpose them as a softening cream for shaving your legs (seriously!) or you could choose to discard them. However, before you choose the discard option, you could try to fix the conditioner using products that are easily found. This would help you to use the product up instead of letting it gather dust in a corner and can reduce the pain of disappointment if the product was purchased as a splurge. Here are a few tips and tricks.

1. Not moisturizing enough: Honey or glycerin fix.

If a conditioner that you bought is not moisturising enough, humectants such as honey or glycerin may help fix this. The ideal process is to place the conditioner you want to use into a separate jar and then add 2 tablespoons of honey or 1-2 teaspoons of glycerin.  You can add both honey and glycerin but be aware that if you keep it on the hair for long it can be overly softening (some will not mind this but others will). If this does not fix the conditioner and you still have more, then attempt to add a penetrating oil (for example coconut oil or olive oil) in addition the next time. Moisture is not just about water and humectants, oils also have a key role in enabling the water to be trapped within the hair shaft.

2. Not enough slip: Coconut oil, jojoba or olive oil fix

If the conditioner  does not have enough slip (i.e hair strands do not easily separate when coated with conditioner and combed ), the ideal fix is a light oil that flows easily. Melted coconut oil, jojoba oil (which is a liquid wax) and olive oil are good options. The amount you add depends on how much slip you would like. As a general guide 1-2 teaspoons added to a portion that you intend to use should suffice. You can test the slip by applying a small amount of the mixed up conditioner to your hair and seeing how well the strands separate when finger combed. Add more oil (teaspoon wise) to the mix and test again until you get to your ideal level.

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By Audrey Sivasothy, author of The Science of Black Hair: A Comprehensive Guide to Textured Hair Care

Coconut oil has many benefits for black and textured hair types. Over the years, considerable coconut oil research has been conducted to better understand the oil and its benefits in hair care. Recent research points to coconut oil’s benefits as both a sealant and hair protein reconstructor of sorts. These protein reconstructor benefits are especially interesting in black hair care applications. Solid at room temperature, coconut oil has been used for generations by women of color in those tropical paradises around the world where coconuts are indigenous and grow freely. If their hair is any testament to the powers of coconut oil in hair care, then coconut oil had me at hello.

Touted early on as a nutritional power food, coconut oil enthusiasts quickly began to look into some of the other benefits of coconut oil. This article will give a brief summary of current coconut oil research findings and discuss implications for black hair care.

How Coconut Oil Benefits the Hair

Coconut oil is a very unique hair oil. This versatile, low molecular weight oil is able to leverage its traditional oil status to seal the hair, but complements this sealing capacity with a strong affinity for hair proteins not found in other hair oils. Because moisturization and hydration are characteristics of water, coconut oil cannot rightfully be called a moisturizer in and of itself. It does however greatly support the moisturization of the hair fiber in ways that other oils cannot and have fallen short.

Coconut oil benefits black hair in two important ways. First, coconut oil’s hydrophobic oil characteristics allow it to inhibit the penetration of water from the surrounding air and environment. Second, coconut oil is able to bind to the natural protein structure of the hair. This helps the hair retain its natural moisture content and reinforces the hair fiber, making it stronger.

Coconut Oil as a Sealant

Rele and Mohile, scientists at Marico Industries, found that while wet hair is able to absorb trace amounts of coconut oil residue into the hair fiber, coconut oil is only able to act on the surface of dried hair with no penetration into the hair fiber. In its sealant capacity, coconut oil acts as other oils. It simply coats and conditions the outer cuticle layer enhancing shine and increasing the hair fiber’s pliability. It also reduces friction and static electricity between the hair fibers.

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By Jc of The Natural Haven

Ayurveda is a traditional Indian medicinal system. The emphasis is on utilising natural plants and fruits as well as living in harmony with nature. From Breakink New Ground;

Ayurveda (which means “Science of Life”) is an intricate system of traditional medicine native to India. It is a complete approach to health care designed to promote a lifestyle rather than an occasional treatment. Ayurveda maintains the art of living in harmony with nature by restoring balance to the individual, resulting in self-healing, good health and longevity. Mind, body and spirit need to be addressed both individually and in unison to ensure overall health.


According to ayurveda, the five fundamental elements that make up the universe – space, air, fire, water and earth – also make up the human physiology. Your mind and body type is called your dosha. Each of the three doshas – Vata, Pitta and Kapha – are a combination of two elements. Vata dosha is made up of space and air. Pitta dosha is a combination of fire and water. Kapha dosha is made up of water and earth. We each have all three of the dosha in our physiology, just in different proportions, so your dosha is unique and personal; it is like your fingerprint.


Ayurvedic approach to hair care
In Ayurveda, hair is considered to be a by-product of bone formation. The tissue responsible for building bones is also responsible for the growth of hair. There are three Ayurvedic hair types – Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Vata hair tends to be thin, dry, frizzy and prone to split ends. Pitta hair is fine and prone to premature thinning or graying. Kapha hair is usually very thick and oily.


For specific treatment of the hair, a variety of herbs are used in cleansing, conditioning and even hair coloring. Regular scalp massages done with infused oils are promoted, as well as overnight oil conditioning.

Many women with natural hair who are seeking  natural ingredients are often drawn to Ayurveda for this reason. Here is a scientific look into some of the Ayurvedic  oils and herbs.

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By Jc of The Natural Haven

How long does it take for an oil to penetrate hair?

In scientific studies, the method used was a copy of the traditional Indian women’s technique where coconut oil is applied to hair the night before the wash (Journal of Cosmetic Science pg 169-184,2001). This overnight time period is useful as oils do require much more time than water to penetrate hair. Water is very small in size and can therefore easily pass under or even through the cuticle. Oils on the other hand need to twist and bend (the scientific term is reptate) in order to slide underneath the cuticle.

Which oils penetrate hair?

The only oil proven to penetrate hair so far is coconut oil. Scientists do suggest that due to its composition, olive oil may also penetrate hair but there are currently no studies that fully confirm that. Many more oils and butters may also penetrate hair (Journal of Cosmetic Science, pg 169-184, 2001). The suggestion is that saturated and monounsaturated oils are more compact in size and therefore can maneuver around and through the cuticle (for example avocado oil, castor oil, shea butter and even ordinary edible milk fat butter). However oils rich in polyunsaturated oils tend to be larger and therefore cannot manoeuvre around or through the cuticle easily (for example sunflower oil, soybean oil and corn oil).

How can you remove a penetrating oil from hair?

If you used coconut oil or a similar penetrating oil and did not like it, how can you get rid of it? There are no studies on this but logic implies that the same path that the oil used to get into hair is the same path that it can use to get out. If you want to get rid of a penetrating oil, simply stop using it and wash your hair as normal using shampoo or soap which can dissolve the oil on the surface. The amount of oil that can be taken up by the hair is very little so I would guess that you will be close to 99% free of the oil within 2-3 washes.

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Oils such as coconut oil are known to penetrate hair while others such as sunflower oil simply form a coating on the top of hair. I have noticed a trend of women choosing penetrating oils over those that do not and therefore the question arises, are penetrating oils really better for your hair?

The Advantage of Penetrating Oils

Penetrating oils are good especially during the washing stage of hair. Coconut oil applied to dry hair before washing (allowing a few hours for the oil to penetrate) will prevent the hair from taking up a lot of water. This action helps hair control its expansion and using coconut after the wash can in addition prevent minor breakage and protein loss which comes from cuticle chipping. The analogy I usually give is a rubber band, how many times can you stretch it before it eventually breaks? During washing, hair takes up and releases water which causes the cuticle to lift slightly and then contract back down. Repeat this process several times and eventually some of the cuticle will chip. This is known as hygral fatigue and penetrating oils such as coconut oil are known to prevent this type of damage (Journal of Cosmetic Science pg 169-184,2001).

The Advantage of Coating Oils (i.e non penetrating)

Now, when it comes to moisture, oils that do not penetrate hair are really superior. Oils that can form a film over hair can effectively create a barrier to prevent water that has been taken up by the hair from evaporating quickly. This is the reason why a coating oil like mineral oil which forms a thin even film over the hair is much more effective as a ‘sealant’ than coconut oil ( International Journal of Cosmetic Science, pg135-145, 2007). Penetrating oils naturally will get under the cuticle and therefore do not create an even barrier. Therefore oils which tend to coat hair, in the same way natural sebum does are the better moisturisers.

Ladies, do you use both penetrating and non-penetrating oils? What is your favorite oil to use?

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