I cannot think of a single natural product that deserves more praise than my all time favorite fruit: coconut.
Did you know coconut can help you burn fat? That it contains fatty acids with powerful medicinal properties? While I could also go on for hours about the health benefits of actually consuming this holy grail of fruits, this post is actually about the incredible versatility of coconut oil, particularly as part of your beauty regime.
1. Makeup Remover
Now this is probably my favorite and most utilized use for coconut oil. At room temperature, coconut oil is a solid but will melt when coming to contact with your hands so you can rub this straight onto your face and into your eyes (as I do). Following this step, wipe off any excess oil with a warm wet washcloth or a gentle neutral face wash like Neutrogena’s Fresh Foaming Cleanser (totally cheap and totally effective). Extra tip: super easy to move into a baby jam jar for travel purposes!
2. Moisturizer, even SPF?!?
Whether for your face or body, coconut oil absorbs quickly and leaves little residue. It can even be used as a sunscreen, protecting up to 20% of ultraviolet rays while smelling great and giving your skin a nice oily glow.
3. Lip Balm
This one follows from #2 but is so perfect for priming your lips for a smooth lipstick application! If you want to get super creative, you can actually even create a natural lip tint by combining coconut oil and beetroot. If you’ve ever cooked with beetroot you already know the validity of this (pink fingers for days anyone?)
4. Shaving cream
Brilliant for shaving as it has the double effect of moisturizing simultaneously. Talk about efficiency!
5. Hair conditioner
Ever since I dyed my hair it’s been a constant stress to keep my locks moisturized and reduce splitting in the ends (see previous post on my obsession with Ouai hair oil). Rub a spoonful of coconut oil into your hands and run through the bottom half to reduce tangles and prevent further damage.
6. Homemade exfoliator
Combine with ground coffee beans or organic coconut sugar to create your very own exfoliator to reduce and prevent in-grown hairs (not to mention it smells amazing!). Personally, I love a little DIY spa day whether it’s all by myself for some me time or inviting the girls over, this is sure to be a crowd pleaser and comes at a fraction of the price of anything retail.
*7. Want to try: Sulfate-free shampoo
This one is on my list of things I neeed to try. In theory if you combine with apple cider vinegar you’ve created a non-harsh shampoo that helps keep colored hair intact not to mention reduces brassyness – every girls worst nightmare.
**8. Not sure about trying, but should: Oil pulling
And this is on my list of things I absolutely can’t bring myself to try…oil pulling is basically swishing a tablespoon of oil in your mouth first thing in the morning for 10-20 minutes followed by a rinse with sea salt. It’s supposed to do wonders to fight bacteria, improve gum health and even boost your immune system and I definitely have some friends who swear by it (fyi they have super white teeth) but I’m still not completely ready for this quite yet. If you’ve tried or try after reading this, please let me know what you think!
And that’s it for this week’s weekly pick!
xxx
F