When I was a little girl in India, we had coconut trees on our property and ever so often a man would come by, climb up the tree and bring down some coconuts. It was fun to watch, and little did I know then that it would play such an important role in helping me care for my family.
These days my son and I have an expensive habit of drinking fresh coconut water. Whole Foods makes an easy to drink fresh coconut where you just peel off the lid. It’s way easier than me exhaustively trying to crack open one coconut that we share (if I’m lucky). With Whole Foods prices though it’s turned into quite an expensive habit, times two.
Many moons ago I did a major cleansing throughout my home of chemicals which included medication, cleaning products and personal care products. Learning about natural substitutes led me back to coconut oil, my childhood friend.
The nourishing benefits of coconut oil come from from its rich composition of medium chain fatty acid and vitamin E. The combination of its anti-microbial properties and vitamins and minerals make it a fantastic replacement to your store-bought skin and hair care products which often does more harm than good.
There are numerous internal benefits such as weight loss and heart health, which is why coconut oil should be a staple in your pantry. In Ayurvedic medicine coconut oil is known as maha medhya, nourishment for the brain. There is so much to share on the internal uses and benefits that its deserving of a separate blog or even blogs.
Purchase several of the smallest jars of organic unrefined coconut oil. This way you can ensure that your always using product that’s fresh, whether for cooking or other uses.
The only downside to coconut oil I can think of is that its comedogenic, meaning it can clog your pores. I’m not sure if that’s the case for everyone but it is for me. As long as you stay consistent with regularly exfoliating your skin this is only a slight inconvenience.
Here are six amazing uses of coconut oil to benefit your skin and hair.
Abhyanga Massage
If you only choose to try one of the uses from this list, I would highly recommend the Abhyanga massage. A head to toe massage with warm oil. Here’s a video to help demonstrate how to perform a daily self-abhyanga massage. Just replace the oil she mentions with warm coconut oil.
Oil Cleansing
Nothing to it really. Generously apply coconut oil over face and wipe off with a cotton pad. It’s a gentle way to remove makeup and cleanse your skin. You can also use it as eye-makeup remover.
Exfoliation
Add coconut oil to your cleansing grains to help to gently exfoliate the dead skin cells and clean out your pores while supplying nutrients to your skin. The best part about making your own cleansing grains is you can tailor it what your skin needs right now. Here’s a link to the hippy homemaker, The miracle of Facial Cleansing Grains, where she describes the benefits of each ingredient so you can design your own. If you don’t want to get too elaborate to start out, just use oatmeal. From there maybe you can develop what your skin needs.
Moisturizer
When I’m home which is most of the time, I like to use it as a moisturizer on my face. It’s a little too oily to wear out but at home I don’t mind. I like knowing I have a layer of protection between my skin and the environment while supplying vitamin E and other nutrients to my skin. Being that its anti-microbial your also keeping pesky acne at bay.
Lips
More than just providing intense moisture for your lips the medium chain fatty acids including capric, caprylic and lauric acid have anti-microbial properties to provide protection from pathogens entering through your cracked lips. As an added feature it makes for a beautiful gloss to wear out.
Scalp and Hair Treatment
This was such a common treatment when I was a child in India. Coconut oil massaged into the scalp treats dandruff, increases blood flow and promotes hair growth. Coconut oil is easily absorbed into the hair shaft and helps to strengthen the hair and leave you with lustrous locks. Make this a part of your weekly regimen. Apply 30-minutes to an hour before you wash your hair. Try an ayurvedic or Aveda shampoo and conditioner for even better results.
If you’re a coconut lover like myself stay tuned as I have a lot more to write about. I like to think of this blog as an introduction to some of the beauty benefits of this miracle oil.
