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Many natural oils have won a place in the hearts of consumers looking for organic, pure treatments for softening skin and helping seal in moisture.Protecting against sun damage is big on everyone’s list, too, at every time of year – the blazing heat of summer and the freezing winter days when sunshine pours down.Coconut oil is proving itself a winner in all these categories, but its benefits go far beyond these ABCs of beauty basics.In this article, we do a deep dive into the many ways using coconut oil can make your complexion look and feel years younger and soft as a fluffy kitten!If you’ve been considering making a change in your skincare routine, or you just want to explore more natural products for your beauty regimen, read on. This is the article for you!Coconut oil has been popular with women for decades as an alternative to some moisturizers that are laden with perfumes and chemicals.It is a pure, unadulterated oil that soothes and softens your skin. You can use it as a daily moisturizer or as a mask; you leave it on for 10 or 15 minutes and then remove it with a gentle cleanser.How you use it depends, in part, on your skin type – are you dry, oily or a combination of the two? Does your skin type change with the weather? Do you need less moisture when the temperature climbs but more as it dips in the fall and winter? Not to worry – coconut oil is adaptable, and you can use less or more as your skin’s needs dictate.
Here’s All You Need To Know About The Benefits Of Coconut Oil!
1- Coconut Oil Is Teeming With Good Fatty Acids
This natural oil is rich in linoleic acid and lauric acid, both essential to the appearance of soft, youthful skin. Lauric acid, in particular, is a terrific moisturizer, and you don’t need to smooth on a lot of coconut oil to reap the benefits.
2- Coconut Oil May Help Fight Acne – Or It Might Make It Worse!
There is an ongoing debate about coconut oil’s effects on acne and other breakouts — whether it helps minimize the appearance of the occasional pimple or whether it aggravates chronic acne. As is so often the case in these matters, the answer is – it depends.Some young women swear by coconut oil as a calming agent for breakouts. Used as a cleanser, there seems to be some validity to this. However, other women insist that coconut oil makes their acne worse!Ultimately, the only source you should heed is yourself. If you are struggling with breakouts, try using coconut oil as a first-step cleanser, then remove it with a gentle scrub. You may find it does wonder for your skin, or you may find it makes your pimples worse.Every person’s skin challenges are unique, so we don’t want to say definitively that coconut oil is an excellent acne treatment. It might work for you, and because it’s organic, it certainly won’t hurt. Give it a try, but if it doesn’t help, move your bottle back into the kitchen and use it to make a delicious new salad dressing!
3- Coconut Oil Has Plenty Of Beneficial Medicinal Properties
It has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties that help fight skin allergies, rashes, and dermatitis. You can thank the fatty acids for that, the linoleic and the lauric. This is a particularly welcome benefit if you prefer to avoid pharmaceutical products for skin problems.A little coconut oil rubbed into dry, winter skin works wonders, but it goes beyond that. Even a serious rash can be calmed with coconut oil, so don’t be afraid to give it a try. Remember – it’s a completely natural product that will not harm your skin.
4- Coconut Oil Has Vitamin E
Vitamin E has been studied and analyzed by scientists around the world and natural medicine practitioners. All agree that vitamin E fights the damage the sun can do to your complexion, and it goes a step further.Using it regularly can actually protect your skin, not merely soothe it once the damage is done. If, for example, you’re off for a day on the ski slopes, a little coconut oil smoothed onto your face will protect it from sun and windburn.
5- Use It As a Treatment For Your Hair
This benefit comes with a caveat: if your hair is oily, it’s best to avoid all oils, whether it’s coconut, olive or any other kind. However, if your hair tends to be dry or it’s colour treated, using coconut oil once a week as a conditioning salve can work wonders.It’s great as a treatment for itchy scalps, too. When your hair is dirty (and therefore at its most porous) massage one-third of a cup into your scalp and ends. (The amount depends on how long your hair is, of course.) Wrap your head in an old towel and leave it in for 10 or 15 minutes.Rinse it thoroughly, then shampoo. (You may need two lathers, depending on how easily it rinses.) You’ll notice an immediate difference in how smooth and shiny your tresses are. Furthermore, coconut is packed with proteins that can help slow down hair thinning or loss.
6- Put a Drop Or Two In Your Bathtub
Naturally, you can’t put too much coconut oil in your bath without it leaving an oily ring, and no one wants that. But a little drop is beneficial as a moisturizer for your whole body, so the next time you have a stress-relieving, candlelit bath to ease your mind after a long day, add a few drops of coconut oil. Even the smell is soothing, and it helps quiet the mind!
7- Lauric Acid Stimulates Collagen Growth
Since coconut oil is chock full of fatty acids, including lauric acid, it actually “encourages” collagen to grow – that wonderful component of youthful skin that depletes as we age. Coconut oil actually prompts it to multiply because it’s filled with collagen-creating lauric acid. So, when you use it on your complexion, you’re giving yourself a little youth pump!So, it not only softens your skin, it makes it look younger, too. All that in a bottle of oil you may have been leaving in the pantry all this time!
8- Coconut Oil Fights Aging
None of us wants our actual age to be reflected on our faces, right? Coconut oil can help keep wrinkles, creases and crow’s feet at bay.It is those wonderful, rich fatty acids again that coconut oil has in abundance responsible for helping combat those telltale signs of growing older from becoming too pronounced.Whether you use it as a moisturizer, a cleanser or a mask, coconut oil is a wonderful warrior in the fight against visible signs of aging. And because it has no additives, chemicals or added scent, it is gentle on almost all skin types if used correctly.
9- Coconut Oil Reduces The Appearance Of Stretch Marks
Pregnancy can wreak havoc on the skin, particularly on the tummy and breasts. Smoothing in pure coconut oil or a product containing it eases the appearance of these lines and promotes the elasticity of the skin.If you’re expecting now, use coconut oil liberally on your stomach to prevent stretch marks from becoming too visible. If you have stretch marks because of a past pregnancy, it’s never too late to reduce their visibility.
Wrapping Up
Coconut oil can be part of your daily or weekly beauty regimen, no matter how old you are! It effectively reduces signs of aging; it can help with breakouts and sun damage, and it even reduces the appearance of stretch marks. It is an all-natural product that has many applications and using it as a moisturizer or cleanser, or when you have a hot bath, is sure to bring welcome relief to many skin woes.Coconut oil does not belong solely in the kitchen anymore. Try it the next time you’re looking for an organic way to revive and update your beauty routine. It softens skin, eases the appearance of fine lines on the face and neck, and protects your complexion when you’re out in the sun. And it makes hair shiny, smooth, less frizzy, and brittle at the ends. It nourishes your face and body with vitamins and rich fatty acids that make a big difference to how your skin looks and feels.Liberally smooth on coconut oil the next time you’re looking for a way to soothe, protect and moisturize your skin. It has a multitude of benefits that works on almost any skin type – you just have to experiment a little to find the use that’s right for you.And one other thing we forgot to mention – coconut oil smells absolutely fantastic too!
*Medical Disclaimer: Seize Your Life Today Media content is strictly informational and should not be considered medical advice. Please see a certified medical professional for diagnosis and treatment recommendations.