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Do you ever get offended when someone says something ‘ bad ‘about one of your beloved products that you have been using forever!???  – I did this week, I’m so weird!, because truth be told what works for me may not work for everyone else. But I have heard the statement ‘I am no longer using coconut oil because it acts like a protein’ -in more of a negative light lately and well I have been thinking about it and I feel a little bad because, coconut oil is one of the best oils out there and protein literally saved my hair! – Biased much?

My opinion – Coconut oil acts like an oil and protein acts like a protein point blank! Maybe the reason people say coconut oil behaves like a protein is because coconut oil actually penetrates the hair strand just like a hydrolised protein molecule would but the verdict on the reasoning is still out. So I did some research, because there is some protein in coconut oil and in that case there might be some truth/confusion to that statement.

Coconut oil is a plant-based oil extracted from the kernel of the coconut with a high concentration of saturated fatty acids, lauric acid, capric acid and vitamins E and K. In its natural unprocessed state, coconut oil has a high moisture retaining capacity and does not breakdown or evaporate easily when it is applied to the hair and penetrates the hair shaft. This is highly beneficial to black hair that is challenged by its inability to consume and retain moisture. Coconut oil’s high concentration of fatty acids also nourishes your hair with protein that produces strong and long, soft and shiny hair.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/223100-coconut-oil-black-hair/#ixzz26OiPexTF

One of the main issues most naturals have with their hair is dryness, and anything that may contribute to dryness is an absolute no no. It is a fact that excessive protein can be drying, as well as using oil improperly can be drying. as a matter of fact, using anything the wrong way can lead to less than stellar results with your hair.

I think protein sensitivity is a bit of a myth,- I don’t see how anyone could be ‘sensitive; to the very thing that hair is made of to the extent where they avoid protein all together but that’s just me. The reason we do protein treatments is very simple, the intention is to correct the damage we have caused from, styling, over styling, general manipulation and natural wear and tear. There is no other way to repair the hair unless you literally add the basic components back to it that it is now missing from damage. –

With that said – how can we right the ‘wrongs’ of protein and coconut oil, here are some tips:

Apply oil only after your hair is properly moisturized – Even though coconut oil has moisturizing properties its still an oil and it is meant to seal and either block in or block out moisture. If you add oil to dry hair the result will be just that – Dry hair

For every protein treatment – you should have 3 -4 additional moisture treatments (balance babe, balance)- What does that mean? to illustrate: If I decided this week I intend to do an Aphogee protein treatment, then on the day of the treatment I would follow up with an intense moisture based deep condition. And on days after my protein treatment adding products to my hair that promote moisture, is a must! (water based leave in conditioners, regular conditioner, aloe vera juice, more co-washing less shampooing..you know the drill)

Determine if your hair is porous – Sometimes, its not what you put in your hair that causes dryness but its the structure of the hair that may need some attention. If your hair strand has ‘holes’ in it, it will act just like a strainer would when you want to separate the water from a can of corn (the water will flow right through) Research porosity and determine if that is the root of your issue, the only way to fix it is – protein! (go figure)

curl box

Don’t go ham on the protein when doing a treatment :– if you have eggs in your mix, you probably don’t need the mayo. Try using one or the other on each occasion of treatment!

I guess the point of this post is, don’t completely cut out something out of your routine until you are absolutely sure that you are using it in the correct manner.

Em