There are several bases that work best with additional ingredients that you add to cater to your specific hair type—the ones I like best are olive oil and coconut oil. Coconut oil is slightly more expensive but, in my opinion, works better. Coconut oil not only gets rid of the frizz, but can also address breakage and split ends. According to some studies it also reduces protein loss. It is also a powerful agent in treating dandruff. It fights the fungus that causes your scalp to produce the dry flakes that are associated in severe cases of dandruff. It is oil that not only makes your hair look better, but actually penetrates the shaft and nourishes your scalp.

      Okay, you have the base—coconut oil. Buy it as virgin or extra virgin, and organic if you can. Look at the label to make sure it is unrefined. You do not have to refrigerate it; just keep it in a cool and dry place. It keeps for about two years. Once you have purchased your coconut oil, now you have to choose what to add to it.

      You can add essential oils to the coconut oil. And use that overnight or as a prewash. If you choose to leave it in overnight, be sure to wrap your hair up in a towel or use a shower cap because as it is oil it will stain your clothes and your bedding. The different kinds of essential oils that work well with coconut are the following. Peppermint oil works nicely for dried or damaged hair, the scent is invigorating, as peppermint is used in aromatherapy. It also stimulates growth. Lemon works well for greasy hair, though be warned that it may lighten your hair if you expose your hair to heat and light during the process. For that super shine and body lavender is a good addition to the coconut oil and it also an extremely relaxing scent.

      You can find coconut oil in most grocery stores. In order to make the essential oil prewash, you need to melt the oil. You can do this on the stove top in a saucepan. Open the lid, place the bottle into a small or medium sized pan, and pour water until it reaches about halfway up the bottle. Turn the heat on medium. Heat until the oil has softened (on a side note, keep an eye on the stove so it doesn’t boil over or dilute the oil). You need one cup of coconut oil and a half (or a full teaspoon if you’d like the aromatherapy effects as much as the treatment effects) of the essential oil that you have chosen.

      Mix that together in a small plastic bowl, and let the mixture cool enough so that it won’t burn your skin while you while you apply it. And I suggest applying it in the bathtub or the shower so you don’t make a mess. Leave it in for at least a half an hour (though longer is better if you have the time), if you want to make this more effective—wrap your hair up in a warm towel. Rinse in the shower using lukewarm water. Shampoo and condition as usual. This is the coconut essential oil treatment.