7 Beauty Benefits Of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is definitely one of the most natural remedies to treat your beauty woes. When I first came to know about its numerous uses, you could have knocked me down with a feather! Right from its natural moisturizing property to skin exfoliation, coconut oil offers a wide range of beauty benefits. It is also used as a key ingredient in many herbal beauty products because of its natural anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and moisturizing properties. On top of it, who can ignore the delicious fragrance of coconut oil! In fact, with the growing inclination towards chemical-free products, a brigade of natural beauty followers swear by the miracles of coconut oil for almost all their beauty fixes. One should always buy the organic ones as they are more pure and unprocessed. Here is a list highlighting the 7 most popular beauty benefits of coconut oil!

1. Excellent Body Moisturizer

The light and creamy texture of coconut oil makes it an amazing skin moisturizer. Massaging it regularly after a warm, soothing shower is a very good idea. Since the skin is still warm from the shower, the oil sinks in faster as compared to the heavy petroleum-based body creams and lotions. It leaves the skin thoroughly moisturized and hydrated. Coconut oil not only provides long lasting hydration but also reduces excess water loss from the dryness-prone skin. Only a small amount goes a long way. Mix a few drops of lavender oil or citrus essence to make a spa-like medley.

2. Ideal Hair Mask

This delicious smelling oil is the perfect conditioner for your parched and dull mane. You can make your own homemade hair mask by mixing two portions of warm coconut oil with one portion of olive oil (unrefined) and massaging your strands generously for some time before tying it up into a tight bun or knot (depending on the length of your hair). You can leave it on for 1 hour and follow it up with a turban therapy by wrapping a hot towel around your head. Hot turban therapy is basically a way of hair steaming. Due to the hot steam, the oil gets absorbed easily and reaches deeper into the roots. This process helps in getting rid of numerous hair problems including hair fall and dandruff. Applying hair masks regularly results in lustrous, healthy and moisturized tresses.

3. Gentle Makeup Remover

Often taking off your daily makeup, especially around your eyes can be a tough task. Removing that waterproof eyeliner which perfectly contours your gorgeous eyes demands a lot of rubbing and scrubbing. This in turn causes irritation and redness of the sensitive skin surrounding your eyes. Using coconut oil as a makeup remover makes life so much easier! All you have to do is dab a small amount of coconut oil on a cotton ball and gently wipe your face and the skin around the eye. In no time, your makeup will melt away without irritating your skin. Afterwards, rinse your face properly to remove the residue left behind.

4. Natural Deodorant

Fighting body odour is a common problem. Deodorants and antiperspirants are our easiest resorts. But various studies reveal that these body sprays contain chemicals like Paraben and Aluminium Chloryhydrate which have been suspected to cause maladies like breast cancer and Alzheimer. Coconut oil has proven to be one of the safest means to solve this problem of smelly underarms. Virgin coconut oil contains lauric acid which has anti-bacterial properties. It kills the odour causing bacteria and keeps the underarms fresh and odour free. You can also mix coconut oil with baking soda and apply once a week to solve the problem of darkened underarms.

5. Make Your Own Body Scrub

Coconut oil can be used to whip up your very own homemade scrub sans chemicals. Mix proportionate amount of granulated sugar or sea salt with organic coconut oil in a bowl. You may add few drops of citrus or lavender essential oil. Massage it all over your body for some time and rinse it off. This scrub not only removes the dead cells but also hydrates the skin from deep within. This results in a supple, moisturized and healthy skin.

6. Effective Hand Cream & Cuticle Softener

Coconut oil works wonders as a hand cream. Once you have thoroughly washed your hands, gently massage a small amount of coconut oil on your palm and fingers. If you find the texture to be greasy, you can use it before bedtime instead of using it during the day. Coconut oil repairs and hydrates the ragged cuticles making your hands look smoother and more youthful.

7. Softens & Nourishes Dry Patches

Dry, flaky elbows? Rough and darkened knees? Cracked heels or chapped lips? Ultra-hydrating coconut oil is the solution to all these skin conditions! Regularly massaging coconut oil on the dry areas of the body can make the skin feel hydrated and supple. It also improves the texture of the skin and removes the rough and flaky patches. Coconut oil also serves as an excellent lip balm. Since it is edible and absolutely chemical free, it can be a fine substitute of petroleum jellies. On the other hand, it is a magical elixir for cracked heels. Before going to sleep every night, rub a pea-sized amount of coconut oil over your feet and slip into a pair of socks. Wake-up in the morning to a healthy, healed and nourished feet.

It's time to put coconut oil into correct usage and enhance your beauty!

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Contributed By: Meghna Kar