How To DIY The Best Coconut Oil Hair Mask

In a perfect world, every day would be a good hair day. Our hair would be shiny, strong, and healthy without a forty minute haircare routine. No matter the weather, it’d be easy to style; no matter the season, it’d stay supple and moisturized. For now, effortless hair is a pure fantasy, but the closest we’ve come to overnight salon quality is with the power of a coconut oil hair mask.

Coconut oil is the holy grail of haircare: It contains lauric acid, a type of fatty acid that permeates the hair shaft to support growth and moisturize dry spots. “I like using coconut oil because it helps to grow hair healthier, thicker, and longer,” says Richy Kandasamy, colorist and R+Co collective member. “The vitamins and the fatty acids help nourish the scalp and penetrate through the cuticles. Because coconut oil is so thin, it serves as a lubrication for your follicles and growth system. Coconut oil additionally smooths cuticles on your split ends, [and] controls frizz when in humid weather or if you have breakage.”

In DIY hair masks—and professional products like leave-ins—coconut oil is a key ingredient for nourished, healthy hair. A thirty-minute coconut oil hair mask can restore moisture; an overnight one can protect hair for weeks to come. There’s not much of a price tag, either. The ingredients for a homemade hair mask can be found in most grocery stores.

Don’t be intimidated by the extra elbow grease “DIY” can imply. We’ve found coconut oil hair masks that use less than five ingredients and can be whipped up in as many minutes. Whether you want to encourage hair growth, protect against breakage, or boost shine, the right coconut oil hair mask can restore it to perfect hair day glory. As Kandasamy says: “It heals while it treats and adds shine at the same time.”

BY MADGE MARIL AND HALIE LESAVAGE