Coco for Coconut Oil!

(Not sure if the title makes sense...work with me here please!)

Natural oils seem to be ubiquitously praised and promoted. One day I hear about macadamia nut oils working wonders, then it's argan oil, and then it's jojoba oil... I could go on and on.

Bow before her glowing skin and hair!

Coconut oil is a saturated oil that even !Miranda Kerr! aka the goddess of all things natural and organic adores. In an interview, she claimed that she "will not go a day without coconut oil" and uses 4 teaspoons per day in salads, cooking or green tea (blech, oily tea?!), substituting it for less healthy oils.

NOTE: coconut oil is a highly concentrated fat (1 tablespoon of 15g can contain 135 calories) and excess consumption can lead to increased risk of coronary heart failure. So don't blindly follow all supermodels' advice! They are not health experts!

Nevertheless, as I'm not planning to add crazy amounts of oil in my tea anytime soon, I've been happily incorporating this fatty oil into my daily beauty routine.

I've been using my little pot of organic virgin coconut oil as a little booster on top of my Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo lately. My skin has been so dry that I get rough patches even after two layers of the moisturizer. I warm up the white, delectably scented oil with my fingers and then massage into the skin, leaving it surprisingly glowy (not oily) and silky soft.
I also twist some oil into the wavy strands of my hair, helping it look healthy and less dry.

I have had some experience with oil-based face and body balms before (see my review on Egyptian Magic, a skin balm that consists mainly of olive oil and honey). I find that pure coconut oil is much lighter and is much easily-absorbed into my skin, unlike Egyptian Magic, which left my skin feeling very heavy and shiny. Post-application, my skin feels slightly waxy and coated with a protective layer, but it looks surprisingly matte.

Here's some factoids about coconut oil:

1. Antioxidants! Some people claim that the antioxidants in the oil help soothe sunburns by reducing the redness and helping to limit the damage done to your skin.

2. Coconut oil contains lauric acid, which contains antimicrobial and antibacterial properties and can help treat acne-prone skin.

3. Using coconut oil for your hair reduces protein loss and prevents hair damage.

So far I've been experiencing no breakouts and my skin has been noticeably softer, as well as my hair. I'll be continuing to use oils for my face for the drier season, and hopefully I will be able to notice long-term improvements too.