Coconut oil is one of those mainstream oils that everyone and their mama swears by. This oil is a kitchen staple for many; however, it has increasingly grown to have more and more of a beauty notion attached to it. You’ll find it in many people’s skincare or haircare routine being touted as THE holy grail product due to its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and moisturizing properties.
Compared to many other oils, coconut oil is relatively cheap; it’s easily found at any food or drug store and smells so good. No wonder people love this stuff!
SO WHAT MAKES COCONUT OIL SO GOOD FOR YOUR SKIN?
Coconut oil is made from the meat of the coconut palm fruit. This meat is made up of fatty acids; one fatty acid – lauric acid, gives this oil its antimicrobial properties. One study showed that lauric acid accounts for almost 50% of its fat content and is pretty much known to break down certain bacteria’s exterior surface (pretty much killing them).
As for its moisturizing properties, another study revealed that the type of fatty acids in coconut oils allows for better skin permeation and protection from water loss to the environment. Really, there’s a lot of research to back up why this shouldn’t still be sitting in your pantry.
INCORPORATING IT INTO YOUR BEAUTY & SKINCARE ROUTINE
While there are a billion things to do with coconut oil, here are five ways to incorporate it into your beauty and skincare routines for an instant upgrade:
1. MAKE YOUR PERFUME/COLOGNE LAST LONGER
Does your perfume wear off after only a few hours of wearing it? The solution may be some coconut oil. To last as long as possible, perfume molecules need something to cling to. If you stay moisturized, the perfume will hold on to the moisture in your skin. However, if you’re staying moisturized and your perfume still wears off quickly, try this: apply a little coat of coconut oil to your preferred areas and direct the perfume nozzle to those spots. The scent will hold on to those oiled spots and “carry” it for much longer.
2. PRE-POO FOR DRY HAIR
My dry-hair folks, this one is especially for you. Pre-shampooing (a.k.a pre-poo) is the process of treating your hair with oil before shampooing it. The whole point of a shampoo is to cleanse hair, and the process of cleansing can be extremely drying. We know that dry hair = tangling, matting, and an even lengthier wash day process for girls with kinkier hair textures.
Here’s where the coconut oil comes in. Coat your hair strands with coconut oil before shampooing and allow to sit for 30 mins. The oil provides a protective barrier so that while shampooing, your hair doesn’t get stripped of all moisture. It strengthens hair and adds shine that you wouldn’t otherwise see with shampoo alone.
While you can pre-poo with coconut oil alone, many people like to mix in a conditioner for added strength and moisture.
3. REMOVING STUBBORN MAKEUP
Coconut oil is very thick and very oily, two great features for breaking down stubborn makeup. Using the concept of like dissolves like, the oils interact with that in makeup and works to break it down and “lift” it. Seriously, try it on foundation, heavy liner, mascara, and shadow. It’s a great dupe for the pricey makeup remover balms on the market. Coconut oil removes makeup and moisturizes the skin at the same time.
An additional benefit is that you get to avoid the heavy fragrances and drying alcohols frequently found in makeup wipes. This is a plus if you have sensitive skin. If you have oily skin, make sure to still proceed with a cleanser after using coconut oil to remove your makeup, as it is comedogenic and can cause breakouts.
To use as a makeup remover, scoop it, rub it between your fingers to warm it up, and apply it to the skin. Likewise, you can also rub it directly on the skin and wash it off with water.
4. HAIR & BODY MOISTURIZER
FOR HAIR
If you’ve heard of the LCO method, then you know what this means, but if you haven’t, let me put you on. The LCO (Leave-in, Cream, Oil) is a moisture retention technique used in the natural hair community. The concept is pretty much layering moisture and then shutting the door so that moisture doesn’t escape. Simply put, you use a Liquid (water) or Leave-in conditioner, followed by a Cream-based moisturizer, and seal it with an Oil.
But why coconut oil?
Well, coconut oil is able to penetrate the hair shaft but not entirely so. This allows it to act as a moisturizer while also coating your hair’s exterior and doubling as a sealant. You can apply this same logic to using it on other bodily areas with hair, such as eyebrows and eyelashes.
FOR BODY
Let’s be honest, we all own heavily scented body lotions that we bought for the smell and not its actual purpose. These lotions are only slightly moisturizing but are chock-full of alcohols that are very drying to our skin. Sure, we may smell good, but our elbows still look dry and dusty. Here’s a tip: Put your regular lotion on and put some coconut oil on top of it. Better still, apply it right out of the shower while there’s still water on your skin. This will add moisture and help to lock-in the moisture already absorbed by your skin.
5. LIP TREATMENT: SCRUB + BALM + MASK
Coconut oil is a fantastic base for a lip scrub. It carries the other ingredients in the scrub and adds moisture and smoothness during the exfoliating process. Mix some coconut oil, honey, sugar (brown or white), lemon, and rub gently on your lips. Feel free to make a batch to store; if you do, keep it at room temperature because coconut oil will melt in a warm place.
Additionally, you can apply the plain coconut oil on the lips to soothe after exfoliating or just as a moisturizing lip balm. You could also make a night-time lip mask by mixing it with honey (don’t leave lemon on your lips overnight).
There are endless possibilities when using coconut oil for beauty and skincare. So, the next time you’re scooping it into your smoothie or sauce, remember that you may be missing out on a very basic beauty upgrade.