Coconut oil is one of the most versatile natural oils known to mankind. Right from cooking to skin care, there’s no end to the many benefits that coconut oil offers. Using coconut oil for skin can be particularly helpful for a variety of reasons as you’ll see in this article. You’ll also learn of the different ways in which you can apply it to your skin.
What Is Coconut Oil?
Coconut oil, also known as copra oil, is extracted from the kernel of fully grown coconuts. It has high levels of saturated fat, and it doesn’t oxidize easily. Because of this last property, coconut oil can be stored at room temperature for about six months without being spoiled or giving in to rancidification. Coconut oil is extracted using any one of the following two techniques.
Dry Process
The flesh is extracted from the shell of the coconut and is made to dry using sunlight, fire, or kilns to form copra. The copra is then pressed and dissolved in solvents to give coconut oil.
Wet Process
In this process, raw coconut is used instead of the dried copra. The coconut protein forms an emulsion of water and oil, and this emulsion is broken up to extract the oil in its pure form.
Benefits of Coconut Oil for Skin
Using coconut oil for skin has a string of benefits, ranging from softer skin to reduced skin issues. The methods of using it on the skin have remained unchanged over the years, and the oil has given consistent results, making it one of the most tried and tested remedies for skin problems. Explained below are some of the many benefits of it on the skin
Helps Remove Makeup
The importance of removing all your makeup before going to bed is often grossly overlooked. Makeup removers can help, but sometimes, they don’t do the job entirely well, or they irritate the sensitive skin further. Coconut oil can help you work around this issue because it is an effective grease-remover. The best part about using coconut oil for the skin as a makeup remover is that it helps remove all the makeup without irritating the tissues around sensitive areas like the skin under and around the eye, or the skin around the lips. It is also easier to wash off.
Soothes Dry Skin
It is a natural moisturizer that can help get rid of dry skin entirely. Unlike other manufactured moisturizers that only treat the issue on the surface level, natural coconut oil for skin seeps into the pores and moisturizes the skin from its roots. This means that with regular application of coconut oil, you can bid goodbye to dry skin completely. Your skin will stop getting dry and flaky once the oil is absorbed because it is treated from its very roots. The oil hydrates the skin and reduces water loss, making it an effective moisturizer.
Softens The Skin
Problems like the hard and cracked skin on the feet or the palms can be troublesome to cure. Many products promise to help, but the effects don’t seem to last in the long run. Coconut oil for skin is the perfect way to treat work-hardened skin or skin that has been hardened because of excessive exposure to cold climates. Coconut oil, being an exfoliator, can also be mixed with grainy substances like salt or sugar to form a homemade scrub that can rub away dead cells and clean out-blocked the pores, leaving the skin soft and supple.
Helps Treat Skin Problems
Coconut oil for skin contains vitamin E, which is a key ingredient when it comes to improving skin health. The oil also has anti-inflammatory properties that make it an effective option for relieving minor skin-related issues like skin rashes, insect bites, and scars. It can also be used to minimize the effects of eczema and psoriasis. A recent study also showed that in a group of patients with a chronic skin disease, around 46 percent of the people who used coconut oil showed an effective response in treating the condition, while only 19 percent of the people who used mineral oil showed a similar response.
Has Anti-Aging Properties
Several factors like environmental pollution, overexposure to sunlight, and the use of harsh chemicals in everyday products like shampoos and soaps can lead to premature aging of the skin. Coconut oil for skin can help undo some of the damage, and can also prevent further harm to the skin. Applying a thin layer of coconut oil helps keep harmful pollutants and dust from penetrating the pores, and also seals the skin’s natural moisture inside, thus preventing drying. It also reduces oxidative damage and keeps the skin from aging prematurely.
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Cleanses The Skin Deeply
Deep-cleansing is an essential part of skincare. Constant exposure to dust and chemicals often clogs the pores on the skin. Eventually, the pores develop keratin caps, which keep the sebum trapped within the follicles. Using coconut oil for skin softens these caps and exfoliates the skin. The oil cleanses the skin deeply and dissolves the sebum hardened beneath the clogged pores, bringing it up to the surface and making it easy to be washed off. It is also a more organic method of deep cleansing, which does not involve the use of chemical cleansers.
Offers Antibacterial Protection
Around 85 percent of coconut oil is comprised of lauric acid, which is a medium-chain fatty acid that has antibacterial properties. This makes coconut oil for skin a great way to keep fungal or bacterial growths in check. Issues like blackheads and whiteheads on the skin can sometimes get infected with bacteria. Wounds on the skin may also get infected and lead to pus-filled sacs. Coconut oil for skin can be used as a complementary remedy, in combination with other medicines prescribed by your physician, to stall the growth of bacteria and enable faster healing of wounds.
Alleviates Sunburns
Sunscreens are excellent products to keep the skin safe from unnecessary sun exposure; there’s no doubt about that. But they can do nothing to help the skin once it has already suffered from sunburn. In cases like these, coconut oil can come in handy. It soothes the skin and reduces the redness on its surface. Applying coconut oil after you’ve been in the sun without any other kind of protection also helps minimize the damage to your skin cells and DNA from prolonged sun exposure.
How to Apply?
Depending on the purpose for which you’re going to use coconut oil for skin, the method of application can vary. Explained below are some of the ways to apply it to your skin.
Apply It as a Moisturizer
If you’re tired of using lotions that include chemicals and fake fragrances, coconut oil for skin is a wonderful alternative. To use it as a moisturizer, mix some shea butter, jojoba oil, and an essential oil of your choice with some coconut oil. After you hop out of the shower, slather on a fine layer of this mixture to lock in the natural moisture in your skin, keeping it soft and supple all through the day.
Apply It as a Deodorant
Coconut oil for skin can also be applied as a deodorant. This is particularly useful for people whose skin is sensitive to regular chemical deodorants. All you need to make your own deodorant-based on coconut oil is a bit of baking soda and a few drops of a soothing and fragrant essential oil. Blend these ingredients together and apply the mix under your arms and behind your ears to keep your skin feeling fresh and free from sweat.
Apply It as a Scrub
You can also apply coconut oil as an exfoliator. To do this, you’ll simply need to mix coconut oil with something grainy, like rock salt, sugar, or coconut sugar, and blend the mix till it’s a thick paste. Apply the scrub on your body and your face to get rid of dead skin cells, and to make your skin smooth and supple to touch. Using this scrub a couple of times each week can do wonders for your skin.
Apply It on Your Hair
Coconut oil can also be applied on your scalp and your hair. Applying this natural oil on your hair can keep it moisturized and lustrous. You can apply the oil all along your hair and scalp to leave it in as a conditioner before washing it away. Or, you could warm a bit of coconut oil and rub it on the roots of your hair with a ball of cotton to give your scalp a nice and relaxing massage.
Apply It as a Makeup Remover
Apply coconut oil on sensitive areas like the region below and around the eyes to get rid of makeup. Dab a bit of cotton in the oil, and rub it gently all over your face and your neck to remove the layers of makeup smoothly. Coconut oil is a chemical-free alternative to removing makeup after a long, busy day. It also hydrates sensitive areas and prevents the skin from wrinkling.
Conclusion
If you haven’t used coconut oil directly on your skin before, there’s nothing to worry about because coconut oil never causes any allergies or results in any harmful side effects, thanks to its entirely natural and organic source. Coconut oil is also one of the most affordable oils on the market. Using this oil as part of your regular skincare routine can work wonders for your skin.
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