People have been slowly incorporating natural oils into their lives in the last couple of years, especially their beauty routines. One of the most popular oils is coconut oil.
Dubbed the ‘king of oils,’ coconut oil is one of the most popular natural oils, but most people predominantly use it for cooking.
What many don’t know is that this versatile product lounging in your pantry may offer you solutions to problems that have been plaguing you for years.
With that, let’s dive into how you can use this organic product in your day to day to day beauty routines;
Hair
There are several ways you can utilize coconut oil for your hair. These include:
Deep Conditioning/ Pre-Poo Treatment
Most people these days have discovered that washing your hair with some products strips it of all the good oils, leaving it dry and brittle. This discovery has made more and more people keen on deep conditioning treatments and the use of oils to pre-poo.
Well, coconut oil is one of the best pre-poo natural oils. It is comprised of healthy fats like lauric acid, which is highly hydrating.
The deep conditioning /pre-poo process simply involves using a small amount of coconut oil to cover your hair strands. Afterward, put on a shower cap and sit under the dryer or let your body heat work the magic.
You can then go ahead and wash out the oil after a few hours before proceeding with your regular hair washing routines.
Frizz Control
Does your hair go crazy every time there’s a spike in humidity?
If your answer is yes, then you need to consider investing in some coconut oil.
All you need is to siphon it into a small travel-ready container. So, when your hairs start to frizz, apply a small quantity to smooth the strands back in place.
However, it would help if you were careful not to put on too much, or then you’d have an oily mess on your head.
Dandruff Control
Having a flaky scalp can be a frustrating and sometimes even embarrassing situation. Most hair oils, when applied to the scalp, don’t help with dandruff. Instead, they sit on top of your scalp leading to product build-up.
Coconut oil, on the other hand, has some antimicrobial properties. This property helps to reduce the multiplication of the yeast responsible for the flaking and itching.
You’ll simply heat some coconut oil, and then apply it to your scalp and rinse it off after a few hours like you would when deep conditioning.
Skin
Cleansing
Beauty enthusiasts right now can’t stop talking about the fantastic results of the minimalized 5-step Korean skincare routine.
Step one of this process is to cleanse your skin using oil, and the most recommended oil for this is coconut oil.
Applying this oil to your face helps break down any products you may have applied. You can then quickly wipe it off using cotton rounds before proceeding to use a water-based cleaner.
Moisturizing
Coconut oil contains fatty acids, which give it a moisturizing effect. You can rub some raw coconut oil on your body after taking a shower in place of lotion.
Alternatively, you can use it on top of your regular products to lock in all that moisture. This will keep your skin soft and supple.
Soothing Eczema and Psoriasis
Psoriasis and eczema are different skin conditions. However, they both leave you with dry, sensitive skin. While coconut oil isn’t peddled as a cure for either of these conditions, it can be used to manage these conditions.
The moisturizing capabilities of raw coconut oil combined with its antimicrobial properties will offer some relief to your skin.
You can also opt to add some of this oil into your bath water instead of applying it directly onto your skin.
Body Scrub
Most people in the DIY community will tell you that the ingredients to the perfect body scrub are seated on your kitchen counter.
And guess what? That’s all true.
All you need to do is mix some coconut oil with course-grained salt and some lemon for the perfect body scrub.
Mix the oil with some honey and sugar and use it as your lip scrub to make a sweeter scrub. Hello, soft lips!
The addition of coconut oil gives the scrub a moisturizing effect.
Teeth
For Oil Pulling
To pull off that million-dollar smile, you need to have healthy teeth. Of late, people have been raving about the advantages of oil pulling.
This process involves swishing some oil in your mouth and then spitting it out and rinsing your mouth with water.
The antibacterial properties in the oil kill bacteria keeping your teeth safe. Oil pulling, however, should complement regular brushing and flossing.
By now, you can agree with us that coconut oil is a lifesaver. It’s always advisable to use raw organic coconut oil on your skin.
Additionally, if you’ve never used the oil before, make sure to do a patch test. It’ll help you determine if you’re allergic to it.