No Ifs, No Buts, Nothin' but the Coconut!

I have to thank my dear friend Adrienne for her post on coconut oil. Since reading it, I have become absolutely obsessed with it! Adrienne has lots of great uses for coconut oil (which I won't bother repeating here; you'll have to read her post!), many of which I have adopted. Here are the purposes I have for the sweet smelling miracle oil!

1) Deep Conditioner for Hair: My hair feels amazing after soaking it in coconut oil for an hour or two! I use the same method as Adrienne, but instead of wrapping it in a towel, I wrap it in in plastic wrap. It feels kind of weird, but it creates this great sauna effect. I also apply the oil to dry hair so I absorb the maximum amount of oil into the hair.

2) Skin Moisturizer/Rash Cure: I used to use baby oil with aloe vera as an oil moisturizer and was moderately satisfied. Since learning about coconut oil, I have switched and become VERY satisfied! The coconut oil is much lighter and absorbs into my skin more quickly. This gives me a soft, non-greasy feel in a short amount of time (plus, I smell yummy!). Additionally, the coconut oil helps heal razor burn and rashes. I'm a person that likes to scratch and pick at scabs, ergo I often create breaks in my skin from scratching too much or too hard. This scratching is mostly an unconscious habit, and I often discover these ugly patches of tiny scabs when I wake up in the morning. Slapping a thin layer of coconut oil on these spots will help heal them in one to two days while eliminating redness and irritation.

3) Leave-In Treatment/Protectant: I use a coconut anti-breakage serum already, but when my ends seem especially dry, I like smooth in about a drop of coconut oil. This also helps protect my hair when I use heat tools and leaves my hair shiny and non-frizzy.


What I love most about coconut oil is that it's a food. If I get it in my mouth, it's not going to kill me. In fact, it's actually good for me! It's comforting to know that if I don't want to rub excess oil from my hands into my skin, I can just lick it off (okay, I know that's a little gross...but it's true!). And how great is it that I can use this stuff on both my hair and skin? Not having to wash product off of my hands is one step that I will NOT be missing! And you can't beat the smell; it's fresh and light and relaxing.

As comprehensive as Adrienne's post is, there are some minor adjustments I would like to make:
Where to Get It: I got my initial tub of coconut oil at Vitamin World for $12 (It was an impulse buy because I was at the mall). However, I later found a large jar of coconut oil at Fresh and Easy for $6.99 (yay!). Tubs can also be found at Sprouts, as mentioned in Adrienne's post. I was unable to find any at my Wal-Mart, here in California.

How to Store It: Coconut oil seems to commonly come in either large tubs or jars. This is a great plus since an equivalent size of hair or skin product would be much more costly. However, storage in a jar can become problematic if the oil liquifies. To remedy this, I transferred the liquid coconut oil into a spouted bottle. Now, i can regulate the amount of oil I use while it's in liquid form but still squeeze it out when it solidifies. Storing in in a clear bottle also provides me with a unique temperature gage for my bathroom (which has a temperature of about 78 to 80 degrees lately).

Again, Thank You Adrienne for introducing me to the wonderful world of coconut oil. My hair and skin are eternally grateful!