The Infamous Coconut Oil

I am a huge fan of using all natural things and believe the majority of what we need has been graciously provided right outside our front doors.  Nature is full of ingredients that have multiple purposes, not only for cooking and the inside of our bodies, but to help nourish our skin and hair as well.  One of my favorite of these is raw organic coconut oil that can be found at any local grocery store.

(I found this Artisana brand at Whole Foods)

I first started using the oil as a night time moisturizer after receiving a tip one day while getting a facial.  Susan, who had done many facials on me before, had recently added it to her nightly routine and loved the results. Using less than a dime size amount, I noticed that when stored at room temperature, the coconut oil immediately melted and became a liquid once it touch the heat of my skin.  So I started experimenting with other ideas and would mix half and half with my favorite smelling body lotion just to give it that extra touch of moisture and shine.  I soon came across a whole list of other ideas for this wonder oil and just had to share with my readers!

• Eye Make-Up Remover - this oil has anti aging/wrinkling properties. So go ahead, put some under your eyes, smooth over entire face and rub into you lips. Muah!
• Skin Soother - coconut oil is perfect for any type of irritant on the skin. Burns, scars, prevents blistering and peeling and is a great fill in to use on fresh tattoos until healed.
• Massage Oil - yup, edible massage oil. Or this is where I might add a few drops of my favorite scented lotion for an even more favorable smell.
• Oil Pulling - You might be wondering what this is exactly, just like I did at first.  Oil pulling is utilizing oils such as this to pull the negative bacteria and toxins out of the hard to reach crevices of our mouth that sometimes toothbrushes and floss just can't get to. These oils extract the negatives, allowing space for positive and healing minerals to be absorbed back into the body. This method has been known to help conditions like chronic fatigue, allergies, diabetes, PMS, migrane headaches, chronic skin problems and more.   To do this: put a spoonful of oil in your mouth for about 20 mins while you swish back and forth through teeth. Seem weird enough? But definitely worth trying!
• Cooking tool - I'm sure this seems to be the most obvious use.  If the thought of spooning it up and oil pulling leaves you a little naseaus, then try fitting it into your diet by replacing any cooking oil with coconut oil!
• Toothpaste - Mix equal parts coconut oil and baking soda until you reach a consistency you like. Store in refridgerator
• Pre Shave and After Shave - what an easy and affordable way to keep your skin smooth after a shave while not clogging your pores either.
• Hair Treatments - There are many ways to use coconut oil on your hair both wet and dry.  For all over hair & scalp treatment, take a small amount and rub into the scalp then begin working it down to your ends. Tie hair up in shower cap and let set for a bout 10 mins. Get in shower and shampoo/condition as usual. OR for wet hair, after you get out of the shower, take a very small amount in palms and rub into the ends of wet hair and let dry as ususal.  For more coarse hair, coconut oil is a great way to restore natural oil to the hair and can be used daily as a leave in conditioner on wet and dry hair alike. **TIP add just a small amount or few drops to your shampoo or conditioner for a daily softness that will help restore the hair shaft and produce strong shiny hair.