I am so excited to tell all of you about my new discovery, Coconut oil! There is so much information out there on the benefits of coconut oil, I had to try some of it. Let me just say, my experience with coconut oil is pretty extensive. I have used it for many years in making soap. I have learned a lot about its properties and consistencies. Coconut oil is a dry oil. It is not oily, like say, baby oil. It absorbs quickly and does not leave an oily residue. It is good in soap to make a hard bar that is moisturizer. But I’m not here to tell you about soap. I have recently experimented in using coconut oil in my health and beauty routine.
I am not one to go on, and on about beauty products, but our skin is our biggest organ. Plus it is on the outside, for everyone to see. Of course we want to present our best. That being said, I have pretty bad adult acne. I was truly a Proactiv girl in my previous, employed days. That stuff is really great. Those ladies have truly invented a superior product. But alas, unemployment be failed me, so I went to the knock off version. Good, but not as. Browsing the internet I learned that many, many people used coconut oil to wash their face. Proclaiming the wonders it worked for the looks of their skin. At the same time, my grandbeautiful had some eczema issues going on. Again, looking the internet over for something natural and homemade, I not only discovered a recipe for the eczema, I also learned that many, many people use coconut oil to wash their face! Imagine that, i thought. Then I looked for good, all natural exfoliants, as I was used to the wonderful exfoliating wash in the Proactiv. I discovered baking soda was used repetedly in home skin care recipes. Then I discovered someone who had put the two together, that being coconut oil and baking soda. Ta daaa! The perfect face wash! (I really wish I could tell you the site of the combined recipe, but I just briefly read it in the search engine’s site excerpts. I’ll do better next time!). Anyway, I knew the consistency I was looking for so I just combined the two till I got what I was looking for.
But even still I digress. The ONE recipe I promised you is the coconut oil that is the basis for all five uses. After making the eczema cream, I learned you can add what ever you wanted to the coconut oil. The eczema recipe called for rosemary essential oil. Lucky me, I had some! And then of course I immediately started looking up the benefits of Rosemary eo. Oh boy! This stuff is fantastic. Not only is it excellent for the skin, it is also good for your hair. Hey! So is coconut oil! Ok, I thought. Now what is the key ingredients here we can just have on hand. My answer was right in front of me. Coconut oil and Rosemary. Then I thought, lavender is also reputedly praised for its skin benefits too. And I have some of that too! So I set to work. My recipe for the coconut oil base is:
Coconut Oil Base
- Two cups of coconut oil (I just used the white, refined kind from the grocery store)
- 4-5 drops of Rosemary eo
- 3-4 drops of Lavender eo
- A nice pretty jar with a big opening (Mine is a used Paula Deen candle jar)
Of course all I needed now was the baking soda. And what do you know, I had some of that too! I was thrilled with my new discovery! Now lets hope it works. I can’t tell you how impressed I was! I really felt like I was getting a good scrub and my face was moisturized but not greasy. How wonderful! I did my best to refrain from messing with the acne, and believe it or not, (except for the occasional one or two at that time of the month) I have not had any problems. I have been using it for about six months now. And even with using the base for several other things, I have still not ran out of the two cups I originally started with. I used it in a hot bath last night and enjoyed a relaxing, moisturizing, aromatheraputic soak. I dunked my head in first though, so my hair would dry with the coconut oil base in it. (Of course I washed it out first thing in the morning). My hair was so soft! I’ve also used it for and ends dressing. But, only use a TINY bit when doing this. This base goes a long way. I mix it as needed, and I have had a lot of fun coming up with new ways to use it!
5 Ways to Use Your Coconut Oil Base
- Face wash
- Hair conditioner
- In the bath or as a lotion
- A deodorant (and yes, I do this too and you will not believe how good it works!) Again, a TINY TINY amount is needed! You don’t want oil marks on your clothes. I just dab two fingers lightly, rub my armpits, dab the same two fingers in the baking soda, and rub the same armpit. Repeat on other armpit. All while you’re slathering yourself after a bath anyway! So freaking convenient!!!
- Eczema cream. Just add oatmeal!
I hope if you give this a try you will enjoy it as much as I have. I would love to hear from you and your experience with the wonderful, ever useful, coconut oil.
Live strong and play hard! Until next time…
All that stuff and more! 