Coco Obsession

My first post for this beauty section is the one thing I absolutely cannot live without...
Coconut Oil. 
I heard it around, but didn't pay too much attention to it. I did and continue to have an obsession for coconut milk and cream which I use in a lot of my cooking, sweet and salty. (But that's another post for my cooking page) I started to use coconut milk as an alternative to soy milk. (Again, more on that elsewhere.)
After enjoying coconut milk so much, I looked into the benefits of coconut oil. And the information I found was staggering!
Obviously it can be used for cooking, but do you know you can use it everywhere in your house and basically all over your body for just about anything? I found a great list on another blog Wellness Mama, if you'd like to take a more detailed look, but here are the uses for beauty:

Use on skin as an amazing moisturizer.

As an eye-makeup remover
To lighten age spots when rubbed directly on the skin
To prevent stretch marks during pregnancy
To help increase sun tolerance and avoid burning.
As a naturally SPF 4 sunscreen
Topically to kill yeast or yeast infections
As a massage oil
Use all over hair to calm frizz and add shine.As an intensive nighttime facial moisturizer
Mixed with equal parts sugar for a body scrub
Rubbed on lips as a natural chap stick
Topically, can help skin heal faster after injury or infection
As an incredibly intensive natural conditioner- massage large amount on to dry hair, put a shower cap on and leave for several hours.
On feet to fight athlete’s foot or fungus
In place of Lanolin cream on nursing nipples to sooth irritation (also great for baby!)
Can help sooth psoriasis or eczema
Rub coconut oil on the inside of your nose to help alleviate allergy symptoms
There is some evidence that coconut oil helps digestion and may even kill intestinal parasites or yeast
Can help reduce appearance of varicose veins
After initial heat is gone, can help speed healing of sunburn
As a natural personal lubricant (not really beauty...but I don't have a sex-ed page...yet!)
As a naturally antibacterial skin cream
As a natural shave cream and after shave lotion
When used consistently on skin it can help get rid of cellulite
Can help resolve acne when used regularly
Can be rubbed into scalp daily to stimulate hair growth
By itself as a great tanning oil
Mixed with salt to remove dry skin on feet
Can help speed weight loss when consumed daily
By itself as a natural deodorant
By itself or with baking soda as a naturally whitening toothpaste
On cuticles to help nails grow
Rub into elbows daily to help alleviate dry, flaky elbows
Naturally clears up cold sores

Use on eyelashes and eyebrows to strengthen. With age, those start to fade as well!

I actually have three different coconut oils. One my mother brought directly form Thailand, which is one of the top producers of this amazing stuff. She works for the ministry of agriculture and gets sent on random trips to look for all these organic wonders. When she bought it, it was liquid (not surprising with the Thailand temperatures) When she unpacked it, she freaked out because it had gone from liquid transparent to solid white. It took awhile for me to explain to her that this oil goes to solid pretty easily. Below 76 degrees to be exact. The texture was kind of gritty, but it worked wonders all the same. Just had to scoop it out somehow to use. And the scent is soft and nice.

This one I bought myself from a natural online store in Chile called Foodies. This one is definitely smoother and easier to use. Also, it's certified edible (yeah, not all of them are, so you have to check for that because sometimes they'll add a little something...which is why I insist if you buy one make sure it's 100% virgin and organic.) 

And the last, my mother bought on a roadside stand in Columbia. This one had no labels or information of any kind. It also had a really strong toasted smell. We guessed that they roasted the coconut before extracting oil...but who knows. I definitely don't consume this because I have no clue what's really in it, but for hair and body it's great. Honestly, it's more or less for Coco's personal use. 

So there you have it, my own personal coconut oil collection. I'll keep adding recipes and posts on how to use it here or in cooking, so keep an eye out for my posts to come!

And go get coco!