Hi Mary - You can try using smaller amounts of coconut oil in your hair if you're having trouble shampooing it out. Are you using virgin coconut oil or regular coconut oil? I've never had a problem washing virgin coconut oil out of my hair. I've never used the highly processed regular coconut oils so I don't know how well those will rinse out - compared to using virgin coconut oil. I find virgin coconut oil naturally melts when exposed to warmer temperatures so using warm/hot water will help melt/rinse the excess oil from your hair. Remember that you need to keep some coconut oil in your hair to allow the oils to penetrate the hair shaft. This is why coconut oil is so effective as a hair conditioner and moisturizer. If you shampoo all the oil out of your hair, I don't think it will be as effective. I try to use coconut oil on my hair on a weekly basis and I try to schedule it on a weekend night. I use regular shampoo and rinse it out. Then I'll go to sleep and then shampoo my hair again in the morning to get the rest of the oil out. Hope this info will help you get more out of using coconut oil for your hair.

hi mary,
i agree with kevin - maybe you used too much coconut oil.
also - it is suprisingly easier to wash out the longer you leave it on! That means overnight is easier to wash out than just 30 minutes.

Another tip is to use conditioner to wash it out. I is MUCH easier to wash out VCO with conditioner than it is to wash it out with shampoo.

Glad you have found VCO! Now start eating it too!

Hello, I have been using extra virgin coconut oil to condition my hair for about a month now. I have thin African-American relaxed hair. I am so pleased. My hair is so soft and it has body and bounce. I condition my hair every Friday night for one hour under a heat cap. I also recommend taking biotin once a day to help from the inside out.

I have looked around all the grocery stores. I could not find coconut oil. I live in Ontario, Canada. If you the names of any store do let me know.
Reply: Have you tried looking in your local health food store or organic food store? These are the places that will usually carry virgin coconut oil. You can also get it online from a number of different places such as Amazon.com and other online health supplement stores. Here's a link for virgin coconut oil at Amazon.com if you want to compare prices. Good luck and I hope you enjoy the benefits of this healthy tropical oil. ~ Kevin

Another key I have found is when you decide to wash out the oil, you need to apply your shampoo to the hair BEFORE you get it wet. This helps to emulsify the oil and makes it much easier to get out. And of course- you do not need to add conditioner afterwards. I have found that doing it this way, you only have to shampoo it once good, and after you rinse, check texture of hair, and possibly shampoo very lightly a second time. Good shampoos I have found are organic ones such as Giovanni or Jason pure and natural. Hope this helps.

That's the secret! Apply your shampoo first to dry hair. Then rinse it out.

To the person in Ontario who couldn't find extra virgin oil in her grocery store, I suggest you try any health food store. I live in a small town in BC and there are two health food stores here that carry it. Lovely stuff.

I am over 60, with greying hair, and I love my coconut oil. W/o it my hair is dry and lifeless. With it, I'm happy with my hair.

PS: amazon.com doesn't ship most products to Canada (books, yes, coconut oil, no). Some products can be purchased from amazon.ca but not coconut oil.

I think ALL of the commercially bought lotions and conditioners I have bought contain things that are BAD for my skin and hair...It does not make sense that these companies know they are selling such unhealthy products, yet they do. Mineral oil, silicones and petroleum-based junk. If you have a Walmart nearby, look in the "Ethnic" section. There are very inexpensive jars of oils and creams, look at the ingredients list. Try to find one that is pure coconut oil. Also if greasiness is a problem, apply to the hair ends only. Kim

Guys, those of you who can't find coconut oil for hair, try a Punjabi, Indian or South Asian grocery stores in your city or whenever you travel to one of the bigger cities with ethnic population. Or some of the PC Loblaws, Walmarts, and No Frills in suburbs, etc. have them as well.

South Asians have been using coconut oil for hair for thousands of years now and you can actually find at least ten different brands of coconut oil in any Punjabi grocery store. An average Indian woman uses coconut oil or amla oil for hair regularly!

All you need is a clarifying shampoo- i use a Joico clarifying shampoo and i also shampoo with another one- i prefer Kerastase shampoo and conditioner in the green bottle. It's for strengthening.

Hey! I'm from Southern Ontario and I found mine in the organic/natural foods aisle in Fortinos. =]
Be aware that it won't be liquid like the other oils, but in a solid form, since it solidifies at ~24 degrees Celsius. I know that threw me off when I went to go buy it, had to look twice. ^-^;
Now that I'm using it I love it though! My hair is fine and split-end prone(especially in winter), and using a bit of coconut oil before bed and in the morning when I wake up really smooths things out and locks in the moisture! I love it to bits! =]

Where do I get Virgin Coconut Oil around South Africa?

Reply: If you can't find it at any local health food or organic stores, the only other option is to order it from an on-line internet store.

Things You Need:
Virgin coconut oil
Comb or brush
A gentle shampoo

Procedure:

1. Buy a good quality coconut oil from a health food store. Use a virgin coconut oil that is made from fresh coconut meat rather than a refined coconut oil that has been stripped off its beneficial nutrients.

2. Brush hair thoroughly and comb out all the tangles.

3. Scoop out some coconut oil into a cup. Put the cup in a pot with warm water to melt the oil gently.

4. Pour some of the warm oil into hands and massage scalp for a few minutes. Coat hair thoroughly with the rest of the coconut oil in the cup.

5. Put on a shower cap and leave for one hour for normal hair. If your hair is damaged leave it for two hours.

6. Wash out hair with a gentle shampoo. Hair may have to shampooed out twice to get all the oil out

7. Enjoy your bouncier, smooth, shinier hair with your family or friends !