Wonders of Coconut Oil.

My hair and body were slathered in coconut oil as a child whether I liked it or not. My mother and grand mother used to say, its good for you! Little did I know that many years later, I will be writing a blog post about the benefits of using it :-)

I love finding natural and all-purpose products for everyday situations and my latest re-discovery is coconut oil! It is affordable, readily available and in its natural, unrefined state offers a myriad of benefits! 

As far as topical application goes, coconut oil is antibacterial, anti-fungal and antimicrobial. It’s a great all-in-one product where just a little goes a long way.

While doing research, I learnt that coconut oil has so many benefits for beauty, general health and wellness, health problems, cooking, pets and other house hold uses. It really was quite an incredible list.

Since I haven't used it in all those capacities, I will only write about it from my personal experience.

Here are just a few beauty uses for virgin/unrefined coconut oil.

Face

Makeup Remover: Smooth on and gently massage about a quarter sized amount of coconut oil onto your face and wipe off with a warm washcloth. Not only will this get rid of even the most stubborn makeup but your face will feel clean and moisturized after.

Face Wash: Mix equal parts coconut oil with olive oil, almond oil, avocado oil and castor oil and use in place of soap when washing your face. Wet face, rub oil in and leave on for two minutes, rinse and pat dry. One teaspoon should be adequate.

Lip Balm: Keep a small amount of solid coconut oil in a sealed container for an easy and inexpensive lip balm. Rub a little bit onto your lips to keep them from being chapped. Also, keep in mind that coconut oil stays in its solid state below 76 degrees (Fahrenheit) and starts to melt at anything above that so it may not be a good choice to keep in your bag in the summer months.

Eye Cream: apply under the eyes to reduce puffiness, bags and wrinkles. Use on the lids in the evening.

Hair

Deep Conditioner: Apply coconut oil onto your hair as a deep conditioner and leave it in from anywhere between 30 minutes to overnight to minimize the look and feel of split ends and have smoother and softer hair.

Cradle Crap: Coconut oil will not only nourish your baby’s skin, but also helps eliminate cradle cap. Just rub a teaspoon onto scalp daily.

Dandruff: Coconut oil soaks into the scalp moisturizing dry skin and relieves symptoms of dandruff. It also helps to control oil secretion from the scalp, another leading cause of dandruff.

De-frizzer: Rub a little between your palms and either scrunch into hair (for curly hair) or finger comb in through from scalp to ends (for wavy/straight hair).

Body

Body Moisturizer: Slather on some coconut oil after your shower for softer skin.

Body Scrub: Mix it with sugar or sea salt and rub all over! Rinse off and your skin will be super soft! You can add in essential oils if you would like a specific smell.

Foot Treatment: If you have cracked heals or dry feet, spread coconut oil on clean feet and cover with socks for a soothing and moisturizing treatment.

Shaving Aid: Smooth on coconut oil for an easier shave that moisturizes your skin as well. This is perfect for those that have sensitive skin and can’t use or are irritated with other shaving creams.