cuckoo for coconuts.
Grease apparently really is the word. Though trendy castor oil and argan oil are already passe, and Polynesian Monoi Oil is being touted as the new miracle serum for all of our beauty dilemmas, it’s coconut oil that’s proven to be the cheapest and most versatile beauty solution for me. Here are three reasons that coconut oil is more than a passing fad and remains my most reliable remedy.
First, there really is something about the fact that coconut oil is literally food and is healthy to ingest. I love the fact that my jar of it is actually meant for cooking. It can be tough to swallow all of the horror stories about how lip balms actually chap your lips to encourage you to use and buy more product, and the dangerous chemicals we ingest in the pounds of lipstick that women “eat” over our lifetimes. But coconut oil remedies that. It’s not a fancy cosmetic that mimicks the properties of the fruit with additives and fragrance, it is the byproduct of the fruit (and is not a nut, as commonly thought). I swipe a few drops of coconut oil across my lips after a shower not only am I not scrambling for lip balm all day, but I’m not worried about what chemicals could be leeching into my body.
And in addition to incomparable moisturizing properties, coconut oil has its own natural SPF. Though its official rating varies from 4 to 10 depending on the source, that low-level bit of SPF is important when I’m using it as a lip balm replacement, as well as a conditioner for my skin and hair, hands and nails. Knowing that, again, without any chemicals I’m doing a little extra to stay safe while soaking up some Vitamin D is delightful.
But most impressive is coconut oil’s versatility. I love it for nursing my hair’s heinous split ends back to health, shaving my legs, as a contact lens-friendly way to remove waterproof eye makeup while keeping my undereye area nourished, and for conditioning dry skin, from my face to my feet. Unlike cosmetics though, coconut oil has natural antibacterial properties and can be applied to heal rashes and wounds, used as a natural (and yummy) personal lubricant (though like all oils, not with condoms), can combat funky foot fungus, and more.
Remember all the ways we’ve learned Vaseline can be incorporated into our beauty routine, and think of the limitless possibilities when the product is also all-natural and a holistic antidote full of beneficial vitamins and nutrients. How is coconut oil used in your beauty regimine? — Casandra Armour
