It has been nearly ten years since Miranda Kerr revealed in an interview her deepest beauty secret – consuming 4 tablespoons of coconut oil per day. She had barely finished advising her audience to do their own research before trying it when the oil started flying off the shelves and was declared the superfood of the moment. Now, if you are like us, you have probably bought the odd jar over the years, used it a little, thrown it out, bought it again, kind of used it some more – but are unsure of the actual benefits it brings to our bodies. Are the benefits health or beauty? And how exactly do we use it? We decided to do the research and find out exactly how to use this oil and what the real benefits are.
Let’s back up for a moment and look at the science.
Coconut oil has some incredible properties but the main one is that it provides a balance of fatty acids. So essentially it is a fat but of the good variety. These fatty acids when put in our bodies can do many things including improve our brain health, kill the bad bacteria, lower cholesterol and get this – it can actually increase your energy to help you burn fat. What’s not to love? So consuming coconut oil whether it is used as a cooking resource or simply drizzled on your salads is recommended for health benefits.
Let’s not forget about the fact that it can make us beautiful.
Starting with your nightly routine, coconut oil can be an all-natural help in many different ways. It’s an excellent makeup remover, even for the toughest of waterproof mascaras. Apply it directly to your face, and watch the makeup melt away. When you’re done, apply a bit under your eyes overnight for a soothing cream. You can also rub it all over your skin as a moisturizer that not only is completely natural, but will leave your skin smelling great and feeling extremely soft.
For tougher jobs, coconut oil continues to work wonders. Mix it with a bit of coarse salt or sugar to use as a body scrub, or rub a penny-sized dollop of coconut oil in your fingers, and run it through your hair to tame frizz and fly-aways. It can also be used as a dandruff treatment to take care of an itchy scalp and flakes, or as a leave-in conditioner, massage oil, body oil, and deodorant.
Basically, one jar of organic, all-natural coconut oil can replace a lot of things in your medicine cabinet and your kitchen cupboards. You’ll feel great about the natural properties within the oil itself, you’ll be helping the environment by getting rid of those crazy chemicals found in your beauty products, and you’ll be saving money – you can pick up a jar of coconut oil at your local supermarket.
There are so many, which one do I buy?
Stick to the unrefined, extra virgin and/or cold pressed. Steer clear of the deodorized ones as they tend to be processed which defeats the purpose of the natural oil. Just like our food, you want it in the most natural state that you can find.
Photo Credit: Daily Mail UK