Coconut oil has enjoyed wild popularity over the last few years. With its irresistible tropical scent, it has become one of those trendy ingredients that people know about even if they aren’t keyed in on natural beauty, and I’m certain it has led more than one curious soul on to a cleaner and greener routine since it is generally so effective, multipurpose and affordable. On its own as a single ingredient, coconut oil is quite versatile and works for a range of purposes. It can be used as a basic moisturizer, a makeup remover and a conditioning hair mask to name a few. Coconut oil is nourishing and anti-inflammatory, so people with skin concerns like eczema and candida often find relief when they use coconut oil to treat their symptoms.
Coconut oil is a great source of essential fatty acids, particularly lauric acid. In addition to acting as a moisturizer, lauric acid is largely responsible for the antibacterial and antifungal properties of coconut oil. Thanks to coconut oil’s antibacterial action, many people have had success using coconut oil to treat acne. On the flip side, coconut oil can be comedogenic, which means it can block pores and cause breakouts. If you are prone to acne, experiment cautiously with coconut oil to determine whether it works for you. Personally, I can use coconut oil on my body but never on my face without causing trouble. However, I’ve found that when coconut oil is one ingredient in a larger blend of oils my skin tolerates it well and I’m able to benefit from its skin-softening abilities. For example, my skin loves the Skin Dew Coconut Water Cream from One Love Organics as well as the KYPRIS Elixirs, which both contain coconut oil in their formulas. If you do want to experiment with coconut oil as a single ingredient moisturizer or treatment, another consideration is the quality of oil and how it was produced. Always use raw or unrefined organic coconut oil. This allows the beneficial nutrients and enzymes to stay intact.
Want to add coconut oil to your routine? Start with one of these products…
Great blog post, Susannah 🙂 I agree that coconut oil can be so helpful for different things! In the summer I like to do a deep condiitioning treatment on myself & my daughter’s hair with a couple scoops from a jar of virgin coconut oil for an hour before shampooing when our hair gets dried out from swimming & sunshine. I also like keeping a Zoe Organics Everything Balm stick in my purse to be able to use it on the go for cuts, scrapes, patches of dry skin or rashes or bug bites for the whole family. It’s a neat little push up stick that doesn’t leak or get messy and coconut oil is one of the 3 main ingredients so I can enjoy using it when we are away from home without worry of a mess in my purse. Thank you Marc & Terri for carrying it on the Integrity Botanicals website along with the other awesome products you’ve curated!