__ Coconut oil is an ingredient that always been a staple in every home. It is so versatile and easily accessible. It smells like a tropical beach vacation. By now we all know the health benefits of coconut oil. But are you aware of the beauty benefits of coconut oil? Coconut oil is widely used in Ayurvedic rituals and also in India as a natural beauty ingredient. Here are some of our favourite uses of coconut oil at SkinYoga!
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- Hair mask
____ Our hair goes through a lot of damage from the sun, pollution and add to that the chemical hair treatments and heat styling. Coconut oil works for all hair types and can literally fix any hair problem. But one thing it is particularly amazing at treating is dry, damaged hair. It has the ability to penetrate deep into the hair follicles and hence nourishes it from the inside too. When applied to the scalp, it can also help get rid of bacteria and provide relief from dandruff. You can make a coconut oil hair mask! Apply it from roots to ends and leave it on for 30 minutes for a quick hair treatment. You can also leave it on as an overnight mask for best results. Doing this at least once a week can help keep your hair soft and healthy.
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2) Leave in conditioner
__ Speaking of hair, there is also another way coconut oil can be used. Because it helps lock in moisture and minimizes frizz, you can take a few drops and apply it as a leave conditioner. Even if you do not like to leave it on your hair as a leave in, you can use it to tame fly aways- bye bye chemical filled hairspray!
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3) Hair protectant
__ If you are heading out to the beach or the pool, you can apply coconut oil before swimming. This will prevent the damage that is caused due to chlorine and salt water. Coconut oil also protects the hair from the sun as it has a natural spf of 4.
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4) Body scrub
__ Body scrubs are an essential in your body care routine. But just a scrub can sometimes dry out your skin. Instead, the best scrub is one that exfoliates but also leaves your skin moisturised. A simple DIY scrub you can make at home is by mixing coffee or sugar with coconut oil. The coconut oil prevents any unnecessary tugging because it helps the scrub glide on easily and moisturizes the skin. If you are too lazy to make one yourself and want something of the best quality, you can try our coffee body scrub which has the goodness of coconut oil in it! Using this twice a week will improve your skin texture.
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5) Shaving cream
__ Ran out of shaving cream? No problem! You can simply slather on some coconut oil onto your skin and use it as a shaving oil. Not only does this give you a closer shave, but it also prevents razor burns and irritation and leaves your skin feeling super soft.
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6) Makeup remover
__ Oils make for a great makeup remover. Most makeup contains a lot of oil based products and that is why, oil or oil based makeup removers can actually remove makeup the best. This is because oil attracts oil and repels water. So when you use an oil to remove makeup, it does the job better. We usually always have the one step makeup remover on hand, but if not, we reach out for the good old coconut oil. It gets rid of all kinds of makeup, even stubborn eyeliner and liquid lipstick. Plus oil breaks down the makeup easily and doesn_t tug on the skin. And by using coconut oil, your skin is not left feeling dry.
7) Lash and brow serum
__ Coconut oil is rich in fatty acids that can stimulate hair growth. This makes it a great at home lash and brow serum. If you are looking to grow out your lashes or eyebrows, this is definitely something you should try out. All you have to do is apply a small amount of the oil to your eyebrows and lashes. Remove the excess with a tissue and let it sit there overnight. If you do this consistently everyday, you will see a significant difference in the growth of your brows and lashes. This also nourishes the hair and keeps it strong and healthy.
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8) Face & body moisturizer
__ If you are someone with extremely dry skin or live in a place that has harsh winters, coconut oil should be your go to as a body lotion! It is all natural and gets absorbed into the skin easily. It will leave your skin feeling moisturized and plump and will give you a natural glow. Our facial repair oil contains pure coconut oil which is what makes it deeply moisturizing!
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9) Stretch mark cream
__ Although stretch marks cannot be faded by topical treatments, their appearance can be reduced. Coconut oil is known to fade scars, which is why it can help to apply coconut oil to the areas where stretch marks are present. But most importantly, this helps reduce the itchiness and dryness that comes with stretch marks.
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10) Itch relief
Since we_re talking about itchiness and dryness, coconut oil is again an effective treatment. If you are experiencing dry flaky skin, coconut oil can help soothe and treat it. Infact because of these moisturizing and anti-inflammatory properties, it has been proven effective on people who suffer from skin conditions like eczema. You can also apply it to soothe burns, bug bites and bruises.
11) Cuticle oil
__ Dry peeled nail cuticles are never cute and can also be quite painful at times. To keep your nails healthy, you can apply coconut oil as a cuticle oil on your cuticles.
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12 ) Lip Treatment
__ Is there any part of the body that we cannot use coconut oil? Coconut oil can heal chapped dry lips, and one hack is to use it as a natural lip gloss. That way you get only the shine, no stickiness!
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13) To improve oral health
____ Coconut oil can whiten teeth as well as eliminate bacteria and toxins from the mouth which can improve your digestive health. There is a popular practise in ayurveda which is known as coconut oil pulling. In this, you have to swirl coconut oil in your mouth for around 10 minutes. You can think of it as a natural mouthwash.
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____ Most of the ways that mentioned were related to beauty, but coconut oil is so healthy for your body internally too and can also be used for household purposes as well. One thing you should always keep in mind is to use organic virgin coconut oil as that is the purest form and will give you the maximum benefits without the nasties. Have you tried any of these coconut oil beauty tips? Let us know in the comments below!
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