Coconut oil for hair and skin: how to use it

Gone are the days when coconut oil was only associated with summer, sun protection creams and tanning, when its aroma was always added to summer cosmetic products to transport us to tropical paradises. It is true that the sweet aroma of coconut, with its nutty and vanilla touch, evokes the sun and the water at our feet, but in recent years its benefits for skin and hairespecially when it comes to a good virgin coconut oil, have made it an essential cosmetic product in itself and at any time of the year.

Coconut oil is extracted from the pulp of the fruit. At room temperature, it is a white and semi-solid oil, with more than 90% saturated fat and essential fatty acids, as well as lauric, palmitic and myristic acids. Claims for the nutritional benefits of coconut oil have also contributed to its recent fame as a healthy oil.

On contact with the skin it melts easily., and it is this characteristic that makes it ideal for use in countless cosmetic products, although it is no longer relegated to the summer cosmetics section; more and more products contain it as an ingredient under the name of coconut oil or cocos nucifera oil on the label.

The pure oil can be found both in the beauty section and in the food section of supermarkets and herbalists. It’s purchasable virgin or refined. Virgin coconut oil will always be of better quality.

The coconut oil properties in external use are many. The most basic is its ability to moisturize both skin and hair. It is also antioxidant, antifungal and antibacterial. This can be used:

To hydrate and nourish the skin

You can apply the virgin oil as a moisturizer on the skin of the body and face.

absorbs very wellthanks in part to the presence of myristic acid. In fact, this good absorption is one of the reasons why the cosmetic industry uses it in so many cosmetic formulations.

If you like make your own creams and ointments at home, coconut oil is ideal for its consistency and manageability.

To remove make-up and remove impurities

Another of the components of coconut oil is lauric acid, which gives it antimicrobial and solvent properties. This means that it can be used on problematic skin and to clean makeup and other impurities.

It is therefore a good make-up removerwith the advantage that, while it cleanses, it leaves the skin hydrated.

He palmitic acid makes it ideal for making soaps after being treated with soda.

To treat sensitive or acne-prone skin

Coconut oil is highly indicated for sensitive skin. Its antimicrobial, antibacterial and antifungal properties also make it suitable for acne-prone skin.

Coconut oil not only cleanses the skin of impurities in acne-prone skin, but also improves inflammation typical of acne.

Besides, its vitamins E and K prevent the marks and scars it can leave.

If you have sensitive or dry skin, coconut oil is ideal, for example, to cleanse and moisturize it at night.

In addition to moisturizing the skin and hair, it is considered an antioxidant and antimicrobial.

To nourish dry hair

Hair also benefits from the properties of coconut oil. The women of Polynesia knew it well, who for centuries have macerated the fragrant tiare flowers in it to make the famous monoï of Tahiti.

In the hair, coconut oil provides hydration and shine. You can use it as a mask for dry hair:

Separate a tablespoon of coconut oil and make sure it is warm, so that it is liquid and you can apply it well. Distribute the oil all over the head with your fingers, massaging gently. Leave it on for an hour or overnight.

The dandruff produced by dryness on the scalp also improves with this moisturizing mask. For dandruff caused by a fungal infection, coconut oil can help thanks to its antifungal property.

Some people are sensitive to coconut. If any type of reaction such as itching, redness or rash is noticed, use should be stopped immediately and make sure to choose cosmetics that do not contain coconut oil.

You also have to be careful when using this ingredient to give your skin a deeper tan, however tempting it may be. What makes the skin beautiful is that it is hydrated, smooth and healthy, three things that tanning itself does not provide.