Coconut oil is a multi-purpose home remedy and natural beauty treatment for the skin and the hair. Virgin or extra virgin coconut oil is higher quality than the cheap refined commercial grade coconut oil (but there are no internationally monitored quality standards for coconut oil like there are for olive oil, so “extra virgin” and “virgin” coconut oil mean pretty much the same thing).
How to Use Coconut Oil for Natural Beauty:
- Use coconut oil as a natural hair treatment. Massage some oil into your hair and your scalp, wrap an old towel around your head, and leave on for 20 minutes or even several hours before washing your hair. Add a few drops of Rosemary essential oil into the coconut oil for a healthy hair and scalp (especially for dark hair); or Roman Chamomile oil for blond hair. Try a few drops of Tea Tree essential oil if you have dandruff.
- Use coconut oil as a natural moisturizer for the body, or as an intensive moisturizer for the face.
- Use it as a massage oil – on its own or with essential oils. Warm it up first so it’s liquid, and then add your favorite essential oils. It is also a great addition for homemade body creams.
- I found a recipe on Wellness Mama for a coconut oil and brown sugar body scrub. The recipe calls for 1 cup brown sugar and half cup coconut oil, but I experimented with the amounts, because I like my body scrub quite oily. You could also add essential oils to your scrub: try a few drops of some of the citrus oils – grapefruit is energizing and detoxifying, great against cellulite.
- Use it as a natural face cleanser and make-up remover. Put a little coconut oil on a damp cotton pad and wipe your face. Remove traces of the oil with a toner, such as pure rosewater or orange blossom water.
- Treat your cuticles. Apply a little coconut oil to your cuticles to moisturize and soften them. Works for hands and feet.
- Use coconut oil to soften dry skin on the elbows: over the winter months my elbows started to feel very dry, not unlike sandpaper. I didn’t have anything but normal moisturizer at home, and it didn’t help much, but I didn’t have time to shop for or make any special creams. I had bought some virgin coconut oil but hadn’t tried it yet, so I started to put some on my elbows at night. It absorbed well and didn’t leave a sticky layer, and it helped to soften the dry skin.
Coconut oil is solid in temperatures under 25 ºC (77 ºF) and will melt when in contact with the skin. You can also warm it up a little by placing the oil in a bowl and the bowl in warm water.
Photo: SingChan
This is because coconut oil is nature’s richest source of medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs), versus the other oils which contain long chain fatty acids (LCFAs). The craze on the benefits of coconut oil seems unstoppable without signs of dipping ever since someone unlocks its enormous healing power after years of being locked up in the dark. Make sure that you massage the oil into the scalp with your fingertips, rather than scratching the scalp with your nails.