10 Amazing Coconut Milk Benefits For Hair, Face And Skin

With its creamy texture and natural sweetness, coconut milk tastes like it should be bad for you. And yet, it's anything but that. Coconut milk, also known as nariyal ka doodh in Hindi, is often considered a ‘miracle liquid' as “it may help protect the body from infections,” says Dr. Rahul Nagar, Dermatologist, Max Hospitals. And did you know: Coconut milk isn't actually “milk” at all? It is a liquid that is naturally found inside mature coconuts, stored within the coconut ‘meat'. When you crack open a fresh coconut, the liquid that leaks out is coconut water. But when you blend the coconut ‘meat' and strain it, the result is a thicker coconut ‘milk'. So, what's the difference? As a coconut matures, more of the water inside is replaced with coconut meat. So mature coconuts tend to be better producers of coconut milk, while younger coconuts are the best producers of coconut water. This milk can actually work wonders for your skin, hair and even overall health. Coconut water is higher in sugar and certain electrolytes, while “coconut milk is higher in healthy saturated fatty acids”, says Dr. Mukta Vasishta, H.O.D. Nutrition and Dietetics, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. It can be consumed as is or as a substitute for milk. Dr. Mukta adds, “Coconut milk is highly recommended for patients who are lactose intolerant. And contrary to popular belief, coconut milk helps increase HDL levels (good cholesterol) and decrease LDL levels (bad cholesterol). It also improves blood pressure, and helps prevent cardiac arrhythmia due to its potassium content.
 
Coconut milk is packed with vitamins C, E, B1, B3, B5, and B6 as well as iron, selenium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. Dr. Rahul Nagar, Max Hospitals says, “Coconut milk contains good concentration of lauric acid, a medium chain fatty acid (MCFA) which gets converted to monolaurin in the body, a compound with antiviral and antibacterial properties”.“Lauric acid is also found in mother's milk and is known to promote brain development, bone health and immunity”, says Dr. Mukta Vasishta. Just like Dick Gregory rightly put, “Coconut milk is the only thing on this planet that comes identically to mother's milk”.

Here Are 10 amazing coconut milk benefits for hair, face and skin.

Coconut Milk for Hair1. Restores Dry, Damaged Hair
Dr. Rahul Nagar, says, “Because of its excellent moisturising properties, coconut milk can be used as a scalp tonic for dry, itchy and irritated scalp. A gentle massage for 5 minutes with home-made coconut milk followed by a hot towel can have a good nourishing effect”. This is particularly beneficial for restoring dry, damaged and brittle hair, as well as split ends.2. Promotes Hair Growth
Coconut milk contains all the essential nutrients required for healthy hair, boosting your hair follicles and promoting hair growth. Apply coconut milk on your hair and massage for 3 to 5 minutes. Shampoo as usual, after 20 minutes.3. Conditions Hair
You can either wash your hair with equal amounts of coconut milk and shampoo, or use coconut milk as a leave-in conditioner. This adds volume to your hair, makes it less greasy and promotes longer, thicker hair (with that shine you've always wanted).