Browsing Tag

moisturizer

Beauty, Health

Crazy for Coconut Oil

February 11, 2014

Wow, so the most hits I have had on a blog post so far has been on the one about facial oils. Since a friend of mine pointed out that I had not included coconut oil, I decided it was time to explain why. Coconut oil is great as a facial oil, but I chose not to write about it then because coconut oil can also be used for a variety of things, completely unrelated to skin!

crazy for coconut oil edit

Coconut oil first starting blowing up because it has a ton of health benefits, as well as being gluten-free (celiacs rejoice!) and sugar-free (people trying to lose weight rejoice!). It was shunned for a long time by the health community due to its high content of saurated fats which was said to be linked to heart disease. A lot of new research has emerged that has refuted this by saying that it does NOT lead to heart disease or high serum cholesterol. Another study was conducted which found that adding coconut oil into an individuals diet seems to promote a reduction in abdominal fat. With all research though everyone, be sure to place it in context. These studies are not saying that MASS QUANTITIES of coconut oil will benefit you, they are simply implying that there are health benefits to using coconut oil. So be sensible, and use coconut oil sparingly as it is high in calories which means that if you eat 6 tablespoons a day, you are eating an extra 700+ calories. Make it fit within what your body needs (most people are recommended to keep the percentage of fat they eat to 20-35% of total calories).

Anyway, here is a list of some ways you can use coconut oil 🙂 You should be buying organic (if you can) virgin cold pressed coconut oil because it contains no hydrogenation.

1. Coconut oil can be used in cooking. Use a teaspoon, or table spoon of cold pressed coconut oil in place of your normal cooking oil. It can also be used in fun ways such as in smoothies, in your morning coffee, or as a butter replacement in baking. I LOVE baking with coconut oil and love the taste, but it is not for everyone. It is also amazing spread on toast with some mashed up berries.

2. Coconut oil can be used for your hair. This is not one I have tried personally just yet (quite happy with my serum), but I have heard from various online and in person sources that it has done wonders for their hair. Michelle Phan recommends using some as a hair moisturizer by leaving it in your hair for 30 minutes (or overnight!) and then rinding it out and shampooing and conditioning your hair as normal.

3. Coconut oil can be used as a make up remover. Yep, I use either coconut oil or one of my facial oils as a natural make up remover and it is fabulous. And what a good way to moisturize the area surrounding your eyes!

4. Coconut oil can be used as a moisturizer. It is great for particularly dry and cracked areas, such as the elbows. I also use it on my hands during the winter to protect the skin of my hands from getting gross and crackly. And this is a weird tip .. but if you moisturize some coconut oil into your feet, put some socks on and go to sleep, I swear you will ahve the softest feet in the world!!

5. Coconut oil can be used to make body scrubs. I have used it to make a brown sugar body scrub by using a ratio of 1parts coconut oil to 2 parts brown sugar (so for example mix 1 cup of coconut oil with 2 cups of brown sugar). You can also find other body scrub ideas here and here 🙂

6. Coconut oil can be used to make deodorant. Isn’t that wild?! Learn how to make a natural coconout oil deodorant here.

7. Coconut oil can be used as a massage oil. Kind of speaks for itself. If you want to give your significant other (or friend who you lost a bet with) a massage, simply warm up some coconut oil and use it in place of a normal massage oil.

8. Coconut oil can be used for oil pulling. I know right, what the heck is oil pulling? Well, oil pulling is seen as a natural way to whiten your teeth, and to boost oral health by cleaning gums and removing bacteria .. pretty cool huh? What you need to do is put 1-2 teaspoons in your mouth (let it melt first, in or out of your mouth) and then literally just swish it around for 20 minutes. After the 20 minutes is up, spit it out into your trash can. Let me know how this goes for you!

9. And last but not least, coconut oil can be used as a natural lubricant 🙂 I got told this by a friend who had it tried and tested, much to her satisfaction lol.

we love coconut oil

I hope this was helpful and enlightens you as to why there is so much buzz over coconut oil. Let me know if you try out any of the suggestions above! Thank you so much for reading, and please leave a comment or subscribe if you enjoy the posts.

Honestly yours,
Alice

Academic Sources
Coconut Oil Consumption and Coronary Heart Disease – Kaunitz, H. and Dayritz, C.S. Columbia University, New York
Effects of Dietary Coconut Oil on the Biochemical and Anthropometric Profiles of Women Presenting Abdominal Obesity – Assuncao et al, 2009.

Beauty

Facial Oils – the new way to moisturize

January 21, 2014

I have always had good skin, thanks to the genes given to me by my Thai mother who has wonderful skin, yet I’ve always been interested in ways to keep my face and body smooth and free from environmental and aging damage. Even though I am only 21, I am keenly aware that if you want beautiful skin when you’re 40, 50+, you really have to start now. And I’m not saying you need to start investing in expensive beauty creams like ‘Creme de la Mer’ and whatnot. I believe that a great starting point is to start using facial oils.

this is why you should use Facial Oils

Facial oils are a wonderful and natural addition to your beauty routine. I know it sounds counter-intuitive to slather an oil on your face (“Won’t I just become a grease ball?!”), but it really does work. And instead of just giving you all empty and opinion based claims, I did some research and my own experimentation to help back up my statement. That is what this blog is truly about after all – giving solid and sound advice that has been stripped away from all the marketing and PR (public relations) fluff.

I found several articles touting the benefits of certain types of facial oils, and finally found some views from dermatologists on them. I thought it was important to voice the opinions of dermatologists because they are experts about our largest organ: skin. Dr. Gervaise Gerstner is a celebrity dermatologist and has described facial oils as “an excellent way to get antioxidants and vitamins quickly into the skin … Oils are absorbed quickly, and soften the appearance of fine lines.” Basically what Dr. Gerstner is saying is that oils will not leave your face oily and greasy (as they are absorbed quickly) and that they will actually give your skin a lovely and glow-y look. Furthermore, David Colbert, a dermatologist from New York, has said that oils are gentle and do not irritate the surface of your face which makes them perfect for people with sensitive skin.

Hopefully by now I have got you convinced that you should use facial oils. But Alice, I hear you ask, what facials oils should I use and how should I even use them? Great question – I encourage you to experiment with a range of facial oils and see what works best for you. I have tried jojoba oil, rose hip oil (might I mention that Miranda Kerr is also a fan of rose hip oil?) and sea buckthorn seed oil so far. I do not personally like sea buckthorn seed oil. It did make my skin extremely soft and is great for people with rosacea buuuut .. it smells gross lol. 

this is why you should use Facial Oils

Sea buckthorn seed oil and rose hip oil

My personal favorites so far are Rose Hip Oil and Jojoba Oil. Both oils were really lightweight and saved me during winter from having a disgusting dry and cracked face. To apply it, I would recommend using just three to five drops and to put them on the cheeks, forehead and neck. Never forget the neck, as the neck is one of the first tell-tale signs of ageing!! I still really want to try sweet almond oil, argan oil, pomegranate seed oil, and baobab oil so keep an eye out for a future post on those 🙂

Before trying ANY new beauty routine, I urge you to consult your doctor first, especially if you have highly sensitive or problem skin. Go to your local dermatologist and ask for an allergy test, and once you are cleared for usage, go ahead and experiment! Please let me know how they work out for you, and what your favorite facial oils are 🙂

Honestly yours,
Alice

Sources
Best Health
StyleList
Fox News Magazine