The Delights of Coconut Oil

“In order to have skin that glows and looks healthy and actually is healthy, you need to look at the whole picture and have a holistic approach to it. A lot of it is exercising regularly, drinking enough water, getting enough sleep, and keeping stress down.” ~Allison Williams

I was talking to fellow blogger, and friend Nida from Shopaholic Blogs who had decided to take a more holistic route with her skincare and beauty regiment. As a fashionista, it is hard to go the all natural route. Pigments may not be as colorful and lotions can smell funky like you just bathed in the woods. Nida had just written a review for this product and was sorely disappointed. I mentioned coconut oil as a great conditioner. That is when I realized I needed to write a blog post about my being a coconut aficionado.

I am not vegan or completely organic, (gasps a yoga instructor not organic call the vegan police!) I do try to be conscientious of what I put in my body and on it. Thus my one go to that is vegan, organic, just plan yummy, and a natural jack of all trades, is coconut oil. I will preach the benefits from the high heavens. It is not just a heathy delicious oil to eat. It has plenty of other benefits too:

Oil pulling: Oil pulling is a great way to clean your teeth and rid it of bacteria and other toxicities. While you can use other oils, like olive or walnut, coconut is the most popular and also the most tolerable when you have to swish it in your mouth for twenty minutes. (it is worth it though!)

Moisturizer: I am a big fan of using oils and will mix vitamin E and Coconut to put on my face. And I love using coconut on my arms and legs. A little goes a long way and it leaves me feeling silky soft. I even joke it is a dude magnate, because it is the one thing dates will comment about with out fail. Plus it is much cheaper then many lotions. If you want a stronger scent, I will mix a few drops of lemon or vanilla oil.

Cooking and baking: Coconut is a healthy flavorful alternative to lard and other greasy oils. I love using it in a stir fry for it adds a nice tropical taste without any of the added calories. It is also a great substitute for baking. Baby cakes, a vegan bakery founded in New York (and now renamed for the owner) uses the oil in their scrumptious frostings.

Conditioner: The purpose of this post! (Thanks Nida!) As someone who bleaches my hair (gasps I know) conditioning is my best friend and coconut oil is the best of them all, at least for me. I will rub it in my hair and leave it in for ten minutes, before I wash or if I am feeling my strands need some extra lovin’ wrap, my hair in a hair net (Yes like the ones the lunch ladies wear) and sleep with it in. In the morning I wash it out and hello L’Oreal hair commercial.

You can find coconut oil in pretty much any major grocery store or health food store. I prefer to use one that is organic and unprocessed (will have a grittier texture) because other wise I think it defeats the purpose of being organic.

What do you use coconut oil for?