It’s a no-brainer that coconut oil is a health and beauty staple. It’s used to moisturize hair and skin, remove eye make-up, and even act as a beauty highlighter. But did you know it also makes for a great heat protectant?

As it’s a natural and relatively cheap product rich in saturated fats, coconut oil is exceptionally good at protecting hair during styling. There are a few things to keep in mind before we delve into how to use coconut oil as a heat protectant, however.

Who Should Try Coconut Oil As Heat Treatment?

Coconut oil’s ability to effectively moisturize and penetrate your hair is dependent on the porosity of your hair.

If your hair is of high porosity, use coconut oil as a heat protectant and you’ll see a great result. Low porosity hair (there are tests out there for discovering your hair’s porosity) won’t find coconut oil effective and will likely deal with build-up.

Discovering which type of hair you have will determine coconut oil’s effectiveness. Adding it to the wrong hair type will only leave it feeling brittle and dry the exact opposite of what you’re trying to achieve!

Why Choose Coconut Oil

Now that you’re certain coconut oil will work for your hair type, why choose it over other heat protectant alternatives? For starters, coconut oil is natural and extremely enriching for hair.

Comprised of many fatty acids like lauric acid, coconut oil can penetrate all layers of the hair shaft and strengthen it by bonding to proteins. 

In terms of styling, coconut oil is great because of its high smoke point. A smoke point is the heat to which oil can be burned safely before it starts emitting free radicals, which can be harmful for your health. At 350 F, coconut oil is ideal for curling and straightening.

Benefits of Using Coconut Oil Before Coloring Hair