Have you noticed that Coconut Oil seems to be everywhere these days? From your food to your beauty products, Coconut Oil has become an increasingly important ingredient in all sorts of products. To be honest, I didn’t know much about it. I kind of remember hearing somewhere that although Coconut is good for you, it’s very fattening, which lead me to stay away from it for years. (Sadly, this is where me and Almond Joy parted ways.) I don’t even know if this is true – I should really Google it! But I have learned that in all-natural soap, Coconut Oil is a superstar!
Here are Some Totally Awesome Benefits of Coconut Oil
1. It Protects & Hydrates Skin
2. It Smoothes & Minimizes Fine Lines & Wrinkles
3. It Calms Redness & Soothes Irritated Skin
4. It Absorbs Quickly & Smells Great
5. It’s Full of Antioxidants making it a Wonderful Base for Beauty Products
Let’s Take A Closer Look
Coconut Oil is made from the seeds of the coconut tree. The white fleshy meat is removed from the nut, then heated and dried. Oil is then pressed out of the cooked flesh and filtered. It’s solid at room temperature and melts to a clear liquid. Coconut Oil that is used for personal care products is also refined. That means it has been bleached and deodorized to rid it of any nasty stuff like microbes. Refining also causes the natural scent to become fainter which makes it easy to incorporate your own scents. Another benefit of refining the oil is that it increases its shelf life.
The Science of It
Coconut Oil is predominately made of saturated fatty acids such as Lauric, Myristic, Caprylic and Capric. These acids are known to be antimicrobial (that is they help fight against bacteria, viruses, fungi and yeast.) Coconut Oil is also full of micronutrients such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, manganese, copper, zinc, iron, and selenium as well as Vitamins C and E. Many of these nutrients are antioxidants and are great at blocking potentially harmful free radicals which in turn might prevent disease and improve skin conditions.
What does all that mean? Well for starters, Coconut Oil cleanses naturally and gently. The oil works to remove dirt and dead skin cells while the micronutrients moisturize leaving you feeling fresh and clean without drying out your skin. Second, the antioxidants work to prevent or reduce skin aging. I don’t know about you, but at my age, this has become increasingly important to me. Third, the fatty acids help to prevent or reduce acne while the anti-fungal properties might prevent conditions such as athlete’s foot.
So, you can see why Coconut Oil may be considered a wonder ingredient! It gently cleans without striping your skin of moisture, it adds to bar firmness and it produces large copious bubbles. I know from my own experience that Coconut Oil has been a life saver! I’ve been using my handmade coconut soap for almost three years now and I have seen a significant reduction in the frequency and intensity of my eczema flareups. I encourage you to add one of my beautiful Coconut Oil soaps to your daily routine. Healthier, glowing skin awaits!
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