Before celebrities started promoting it and everyone and their mother started buying it, coconut oil was a great beauty secret ingredient for many Dominicanas. This light-weight, natural oil contains fatty acids that leave hair smooth and shiny and skin soft and clear. For years many women have sworn by it and used it as a hair treatment and a face and body moisturizer. What makes this coconut oil stand out from other oils is that it has a small molecular structure that allows for easy absorption. It's non-greasy formula deeply moisturizes without weighing down hair or breaking out your skin. It treats everything from wrinkles, dry skin, dry, dull hair to even blemishes! So check out some of the ways you can easily incorporate this amazingly beneficial oil to your beauty regimen, along with some products that contain the tropical ingredient!
In your bath: This oil is great for addressing dry skin issues. Add a few drops in your bath water to deeply hydrate thirsty skin, and take in the scent for a luxury style bath. For a quicker fix, try Laura Mercier Almond Coconut Milk Scrub to remove dead skin cells from the surface and deeply soften and moisturize your body.
As a moisturizer: If applied immediately after showering, coconut oil can work as an amazing skin moisturizer. Unlike other oils like olive or jojoba oil, coconut oil absorbs easily and doesn't sit on top of skin. Apply while skin is still slightly damp to quickly lock in moisture.
To Cure Cracked Heels: To soften cracked heels, add a few drops of coconut oil to petroleum jelly and massage into heels before bed, then immediately put on your socks. In the morning you'll feel the difference. Or try Burt's Bees Coconut Foot Crème. I use this baby all the time!
For Chapped Lips: If you suffer from dry, flaky lips like me, apply a liberal amount of coconut oil to them. Better yet, create a lip scrub by adding a few drops of the oil to a spoon full of brown sugar. This will quickly clean off dead cells and leave lips smooth and polished. Try Alba Botanica: Coconut Cream Lip Balm, you'll be licking the delicious taste off your lips!
As a Hair Treatment: Coconut oil can be used as the perfect pre-shampoo hair treatment. I like to use it on my tresses now at least once a week. Apply a few drops of the oil in your palm and apply throughout your hair. Then massage it gently into your scalp for about two minutes. By massaging your scalp the oil will not only leave hair, smooth and shiny but it will stimulate hair growth and the refreshing scent will make for a nice, relaxing pick me up. You can also apply it as a leave-in treatment and rinse out the next morning. Check out Organix's Nourishing Coconut Milk Shampoo.
As an Anti-Aging Serum: Because it's high in fatty acids and antioxidants, coconut oil penetrates deep into the skin to prevent and protect against free radicals from formulating, which causes skin to lose elasticity and firmness. Applying coconut oil to your face regularly can also help treat blemishes and dark spots!
Tell us, have you used coconut oil as part of your beauty regimen before?
Image via SingChan/flickr
