My coconut craze phase has gone on for quite some time. I eat them several times a week and love consuming all parts of the coconut. At this point I’m a life long coconut fanatic…but I had yet to really test the long-term benefits of using coconut oil. For the past three months or so I starting using extra virgin coconut oil on my skin daily. It works wonders!
Coconut oil has been used since the dawn of history as food and medicine. In Polynesia, it is used cosmetically to maintain soft and smooth skin, and also medically to relieve stiffness of the joints, and rheumatism and back pain by rubbing on a specific area. Polynesians also mixed coconut oil with turmeric to treat sick newborns and apparently also massaged coconut oil on the abdomen on pregnant women to move a baby from breach in to normal position. In India, coconut oil has been used in their healing system Ayurveda for thousands of years as well. In Ayurveda, when used as food, coconut oil is known to nourish the body tissues, improve sexual health, improve intelligence, support respiratory and urinary systems, and calm Vata and Pitta. It is also applied to the scalp to improve length, shine, texture, and overall length of hairs. It is also applied topically on skin and wounds, and also heated with herbs which strengthens the healing properties and benefits of the herb.
Coconut oil is a saturated fat that mostly contains chain fatty acids which have amazing health giving benefits. The various fatty acids give coconut oil its immune boosting properties because they have anti-viral, anti-microbial, and anti-fungal qualities. Coconut oil actually contains no cholesterol and when consumed regularly can help to lower your cholesterol, stabilize blood sugar levels, and it doubles your body’s ability to use omega three fatty acids. Because of its amazing health benefits, and its fabulous ability to moisturize dry skin, and add luster to hair, coconut has been used in a wide array of beauty products including lip balm, shampoos, conditioners, face creams, lotions, body scrubs, and more. But the best part about coconut oil is that it can be used alone as a multi-purpose beauty aid.
Now for a few beauty remedies you can try at home. Make sure that you purchase extra virgin coconut oil to get the nutritional and beauty benefits. First off, you can actually use coconut oil as an all-body moisturizer, as it is safe to use on skin, hair, and scalp. As I said earlier, use directly on the skin can actually fade or prevent stretch marks, wrinkles, age spots, and acne if used consistently over time. It also will assist in improving any skin conditions such as keratosis–which involves rough skin and bumps on the back and other areas of the body. For dark under eye circles, you can increase circulation in the area by using a small amount of coconut oil to massage under the eyes and keep the skin from wrinkling. For a leave in conditioner, simply melt coconut oil, apply to scalp and leave hair in a shower cap over night. This is also an effective treatment for those with dandruff. To top all of this off, don’t forget you can eat it! Coconut oil is the best oil for cooking because it does not turn rancid like other oils. If you aren’t yet convinced that you must have some coconut oil in your life, check back for the next post which will feature ten ways coconut oil can be used for beauty. -XoXo Raw Girl