Coconut oil

I have been gone for almost a month and you might be wondering if I quit writing. No no no. I know, I know, this is the longest I have been out. No blog posted for almost a month. But thanks to some people who still read my old blogs. 20 views today. Not bad for someone who has been inactive for so long. I have a valid explanation readers. You see, I have been experimenting. What's new?  You would say. But not with cooking. Yes, shocking? Well, I'm a bit shocked myself. That I was convinced to experiment on beauty regimens.

People close to me knows that I don't pay much attention to "beauty treatmens". I'm not vain. I don't have rituals in the morning or at night. I just don't have the patience for it. And I don't really like putting chemicals esp on my face. I just wash my face with warm water at night, no soap sometimes because I didn't put anything on my face anyway. Well, aside from eyebrow pencil. Well, who is not obsessed with their " kilay" anyway. I seldom put on face powder or lipstick. Moisturizer only on winter , when the cold weather makes my face so dry. A bit of lotion. That's it. I seldom wear make up. And nothing to stop my skin from aging.

But then I realized I should be taking care of my skin. I'm now in my 40s and my skin is different from 20 years ago. I now have liver spots on my face, more blackheads, and maybe some wrinkles a few years from now. But I don't really want to put on chemicals. If I wanna take care of my skin, I want to use natural products.

And that's when the experiment started. My friend, who is so vain (don't worry she knows she is vain and she is proud to be one), introduced me to coconut oil. She said its so good for your skin. And that I should try it too, and that I would be happy with the result. She was right.

Coconut oil, the tree of life, as we all know is very healthy. It is rich in vitamins and minerals and consists mainly of saturated fatty acids. It has a lot of health benefits. From improving digestion, helps weight loss, improves immunity, antiviral properties etc. But I will mostly focus on its skin care benefits.

It is believed that coconut oil is very effective as skin moisturizer. It prevents aging of the skin. It has no side effects. It also helps treat skin diseases. It promotes hair growth and gives it a shiny glow. The benefits are endless.

My experiment started 3 weeks ago. I bought a refined organic coconut oil in Tony's. But you can also buy it anywhere (Costco, Amazon etc.)

1. First I used coconut oil as home made scrub. Below is my friend's "recipe".

    1/2      cup    oatmeal
    1/4      cup    baking soda
    2         tbsp    coconut oil
   1/4      cup     warm water

Mix all the ingredients until it becomes  a paste. Apply on your face and whole body. Leave for 10 minutes. Rinse after. You don't need to use body wash after, because the scrub will serve as body wash. And you will notice how soft your skin has become, even after 2 showers, it is still soft and not dry. You can do this regimen weekly.

2.  I also use coconut oil as anti-perspirant and deodorant.  I sweat a lot. And get very frustrated with deodorant sold in the market. It darkens the skin and doesn't really protect you even though that's their claim. For years now I have been using Eskinol face cleaner as a deodorant. The one with lemon. It has been effective. But then I notice I have to re apply everytime I sweat. And so I end up taking a shower 2-3 times a day especially during summer. So 3 weeks ago, I experimented on coconut oil. I noticed it reduces perspiration and at the same time no odor on underarm.

3.  As a mouthwash/toothpaste.  It is claimed that coconut oil helps fight bacteria in the mouth and so has been used as a toothpaste and mouthwash. What I do is mix it with my toothpaste everytime I brush. Half a pea size on top of the toothpaste.

4. Hot oil.  This you can do once a week too, together with the scrub.  Apply the oil on your hair, rubbing esp on the scalp. Put on shower cap. Leave for 10-20 minutes. Rinse hair after. Apply a little of shampoo and conditioner.

5. Feet.  My feet are so dry. I always apply lotion because its just so dry its frustrating. Instead of lotion I apply coconut oil and put on socks at night.

For now that's how I use coconut oil. But believe me, it has a lot of beauty and skin benefits. It can also serve as make up remover, lip balm, face wash, shaving cream. massage oil, stretch mark reducer, cold sore treatment, insect repellant, exfoliant, cold remedy, diaper rash treatment, hair detangler etc. Imagine all these benefits. 

So what are you waiting for? Buy coconut oil at your nearest store!! Lol. Send me a feedback on how this miracle oil has improved your skin. In the meantime, I have to log off. Time for my weekly scrub!!!