10 reasons why Coconut Oil is awesome in beauty

coconut oil

Narrowing down the reasons for why coconut oil is awesome to just 10 was seriously a hard task!! But I thought I would suggest 10 beauty-related reasons for why we should be using coconut oil every once and a while and exactly how you can use it!

Coconut oil is one of my favourite oils. I use it in many of my homemade beauty products largely because of the vast benefits it has to offer. A large amount of research shows that coconut oil can benefit our entire body, inside and out. There are not many products that you can say cure-all but coconut oil seriously comes close!

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1.  A whole body moisturiser – Coconut oil is entirely safe and healthy to use all over the body and on the face. It is very moisturising and is a great softener for hard and dry skin. The great thing about coconut oil is that it is absorbed by the skin so doesn’t create an unhealthy barrier over the skin and clog your pores. A light layer of this natural oil will really make a difference to the softness of your skin. Coconut oil is packed with anti-oxidants and anti-microbials which protect your skin from damage, as well as being a general emollient. Apply a thin layer of coconut oil to your skin after you come out of the shower for the best results.

2.  Natural makeup remover – Using coconut oil to remove your makeup is really effective and also leaves your skin feeling clean and moisturised afterwards. Some cleansing wipes and other makeup removers can dry out your skin and leave it irritated. Coconut oil will stop the irritation whilst moisturising your skin and successfully removing traces of makeup. You can use your fingers to massage a little oil into your skin and then using a lukewarm wet flannel or muslin coth, remove the oil taking the makeup with it. After doing this, you should use your cleanser as you normally would to wipe away traces of excess oil and makeup. Another bonus of using coconut oil as an eye makeup remover is that it conditions your lashes- long lashes woo!

3.  Longer, healthier locks – The main reason I use coconut oil on my hair weekly is because it promotes hair growth and strengthening. Coconut oil penetrates the hair follicles and roots and works from within to promote hair growth and allow the hair to stay strong and healthy. By thoroughly moisturising the hair shaft, it is preventing the hair from breaking, which encourages good hair growth. It also locks into weaker parts of your hair, repairing them, allowing them to grow. Apply coconut oil to your palms and gently massage the oil onto your scalp and throughout your hair to the ends. Leave on for at least 30 mins and wash out using lukewarm water.

4.  Homemade shaving lotion – If you shave and are looking for a natural shaving cream or oil to use (maybe because you have sensitive skin, or you don’t want to use certain products) then coconut oil is a fantastic alternative. You can apply coconut oil straight from the jar onto your skin and this allows for a close and clean shave as well as rich moisturisation. I will be posting a homemade shaving oil recipe soon that uses coconut oil, so look out for that!

5.  Treats skin conditions, including ageing – Coconut oil is well known for having hydrating and nourishing properties however it also has really effective anti-ageing and skin restoring properties. The various natural components of coconut oil including proteins and triglycerides allows the oil to work on the skin preventing the appearance of wrinkles and also treating other skin conditions such as eczema and dermatitis.

6.  Makeup brush cleaner – If coconut oil can remove the makeup from your skin, you can be sure it will remove it from your makeup tools- whilst softening them at the same time! Add a little coconut oil to your palms with a pump of antibacterial soap and swirl the brush into the oil, cleaning your brush and softening the bristles. Rinse out thoroughly with lukewarm water until all excess oil is removed.

7.  Dandruff treatment – Applying coconut oil to your scalp can soften the skin and prevent flaking and itchiness. The anti-oxidant properties in coconut oil also prevent damage from free radicals which often lead to hair and scalp problems. It can be used as a nightly treatment by massaging a little oil to the roots and scalp and leaving overnight.

8.  Under- eye oil – Coconut oil is safe enough and light enough to be applied anywhere on your body and that includes an area with the thinnest layer of skin- the under eyes. You can apply a small amount to the skin under the eyes to firm the skin, keep it nourished, prevent line formation and reduce puffiness.

9.  Natural lip balm – Many lip balms actually contain coconut oil because of the benefits, but what about a pure, natural coconut oil balm? Coconut oil is solid at room temperature so you can pack some of the oil into a mini jar and use as a lip balm all day long!

10.  Hair frizz tamer – Obviously when styling hair you don’t really want it to look oily, however using a small amount on the tips of your fingers and running the oil through the hair can tame any frizziness and give your hair added shine. It is a quick-fix for frizzy hair and shine!

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These are just a small fraction of the benefits that only touches on the beauty benefits of coconut oil. There are also tonnes of health benefits such as weight loss and improved brain function by incorporating it into your diet, but I’ll save that for another post! Make sure to buy organic virgin coconut oil, that has an organic seal on it (you should find this labelled on the jar). It should also state that it is unrefined, which means that it is completely natural and hasn’t been processed or had any chemicals added to it. At room temperature, the oil is actually a solid (although melts quickly) which is different from other oils. Coconut oil is great because is does not go rancid or “go-off” whilst being stored at room temperature. So it can be stored either in the fridge or a cool dark place like a cupboard, for quite a long period of time.

What do you use coconut oil for?

Love Nimisha
xoxo

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5 Comments

  1. Jess
    June 30, 2014 / 11:16 am

    I didn’t know half these things about coconut oil! I usually just use it in my food, but I’m definitely going try some of your tips! Thank you!

    • niminotes
      Author
      June 30, 2014 / 11:18 am

      Coconut oil is so versatile, I’m glad you liked the post! 🙂 x

  2. June 7, 2014 / 3:30 pm

    Coconut is brilliant for everything, i use it in my shampoo 😀

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  3. Vizzie
    June 6, 2014 / 8:30 pm

    Gonna lather myself with some coconut goodness tonight …. after reading this…

  4. Tolu
    June 4, 2014 / 8:01 pm

    Another interesting read! 🙂

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