Sunday 9 March 2014

Coconut Oil - Beauty Uses



So I thought what perfect way to start off my blog than by writing about something I truly love, and that is.......Coconut Oil!

I love coconuts, I love coconut products but what I'm writing about here is something that is actually an edible food product and what I class as a multi use beauty product and that is coconut oil.

You can purchase coconut oil from health food shops like Holland & Barrat and there is also tons of different brands. I have seen some people rave about a brand called 'Nutiva' but I personally haven't tried that so can't really comment on it, I buy mine online and always use the same brand which is 'Biona - Organic Virgin Coconut Oil' and for the 400g jar it normally cost around 6/8 pounds, now that may seem quite expensive for something that isn't even lets say a genuine beauty product but I have been using this for more than 3 years now and I believe that it's worth every penny you spend on it and that 400g jar will probably last you a good few months too.

Coconut oil comes in a jar in a solid state and stays that way in room temperature unless you live somewhere that has very hot weather, when you scoop some out of the jar it will slowly begin to melt in your hands.

So what do I use this holy grail product for? lets see...

Moisturising - You can use Coconut oil as a safe and natural skin moisturiser either as a full body moisturiser or just on certain parts, it leaves your skin incredibly soft and hydrated not to mention smelling amazing. I don't apply as much to my face as the rest of my body though as I feel it leaves me looking too oily so that would be something to watch out for if you are prone to oily skin.

What I normally do is put around a spoonful of oil into a small container and then place it in a sink of hot water so that the oil melts whilst I take my shower, I then slightly pat myself dry and apply the now liquid oil all over my body giving it a few minutes to soak into the skin.

Hair Treatment - I starting using coconut oil as a hair treatment because my hair had become dry and damaged over the years due to heat style's and dyes etc, My hair is in a much better condition now (thanks to the C/O in my opinion) but I still use coconut oil as a deep conditioning treatment roughly one a fortnight to keep my hair looking soft and shiny.

To use as a deep conditioner/mask for your hair melt the oil in the same way I described above and then massage into your hair with your fingertips, if you have oily hair then it would probably be best to keep clear of your scalp and roots and instead concentrate on the ends of your hair. After applying the oil let it sit in your hair for 20+ minutes, I normally use a shower cap and leave the oil in for an hour or more but this is up to you, after the wait time shampoo your hair twice making sure all trace of the oil is gone and then condition and style as normal afterwards.

Hair Smoother/Defrizzer -  Coconut Oil can also be used to tame and smooth frizzy hair.

Melt the tiniest (you don't need a lot at all here) amount of oil in the palm of your hand, and then apply with your fingers to wet, freshly washed hair before styling to help combat frizz, you can also use a tiny bit of oil to smooth down flyaways on already styled hair.

Lip Balm - I rarely get dry/cracked lips but I find applying a small amount of coconut oil as a lip balm during winter helps to keep my lips very smooth.

Nails/Cuticle Treatment - I keep my nails and cuticles healthy by massaging them with coconut oil (I do this with the same oil as I'm applying as moisturiser when I have just showered).

There is so much more things you can use this oil for, that's why I refer to it as my holy grail product :) you can find out lots more information and many more uses for coconut oil by researching the Internet, I only posted the few above that I have actually used it for myself.

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