I see more and more people online chatting about the benefits of Coconut oil for the body. I have found that I have fallen in love more and more while I travel. Having just a backpack full of stuff for a year long trip is hard, especially for a female traveler. I find that I have items that are multi-purpose. For example, having a long-sleeved denim shirt that can function as a layer in cold weather, and as a shield against the harsh sun. In my quest to bring the amount of stuff down in my backpack, I have stumbled upon coconut oil as the ultimate savior. I list below the different ways in which I use coconut oil while travelling. Because of its multi-purpose quality, I am able to have a toiletries bag that is absolutely tiny and contains only four items – coconut oil, sunscreen, deodorant, and eye drops (for my Lasik-induced dry eyes).
1. Face cream – I use coconut oil as a face cream especially when we are travelling to countries that are really dry and hot, or really cold and dry. Either way, your skin needs more humidity and moisture in order to stay supple and coconut oil provides that.
2. Body cream – Coconut oil works really well for me as a body cream. I know others complain that it makes their skin way too oily, but I have dry skin in general, so after a bout with coconut oil, my skin feels normal and happy. I use it as a general body cream after I shower – it helps lock in the moisture and gives my skin the multivitamins it needs.
3. Shaving cream – Coconut oil works surprisingly well when you need to shave. Just put a bit of coconut oil on the part of your skin that needs to be shaved, and you will notice that the razor blade glides over your skin like over melted butter.
4. Hair conditioner – Like most East Indian women, I put coconut oil in my hair as a leave-in conditioner. I leave it in there for a day or two and then I shampoo my hair normally. It causes my dry and frizzy hair to calm down and be softer and silkier to the touch.
5. Lip balm – I use coconut oil like a lip balm when I feel that my lips are way too dry from being in salty water too much or not drinking enough water.
6. Sunscreen – Weirdly enough, coconut oil works really well as a sunscreen on its own. On days when the sun is not too strong, I use coconut oil instead of a normal SPF sunscreen. Of course, on days that I go to the beach, I use sunscreen with a high SPF.
7. Foot cream – Wearing flip flops on this trip, I notice that the heels of my feet are dry and cracked. Every few days, I sit down on a chair somewhere with a book, and put copious amounts of coconut oil on the heels. Then I wait for about twenty minutes, until the coconut oil is completely absorbed. I notice that my heels feel softer immediately and their cracked appearance disappears.
8. Body scrub – I use coconut oil as a body scrub by mixing it up with some sugar or sand from the beach. It works really well, and my skin feels hydrated and smooth to the touch after.
If you go online, you will see articles delineating 101 uses for coconut oil. I am sure there are other ways female travelers can avail themselves of the goodness of coconut oil. For now, I am using them only for the above mentioned uses. Let me know if you think of any more.
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Read the full article here: http://brownvagabonder.com/2014/03/10/why-coconut-oil-is-a-godsend-for-female-travellers/
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