Coconut oil is a wonderful natural product which is making wave as a health food these days, but did you know that it can also make a fabulous face moisturizer? Coconut oil has been used as a beauty product for centuries around the world and is one of the most reputable all-natural facial oils which you can apply to take care of your skin.
Why Coconut Oil is Great for Skin
The benefits of coconut oil for the skin was discovered long ago, although they are being talked about a lot more lately. In India, women have used coconut oil on their skin and hair to protect it and help keep it healthy for years. The legends say that using coconut oil makes a woman more beautiful, and her skin and hair brighter and more appealing. No wonder Indian women have such long, soft hair and smooth skin!
Coconut oil has quite a few properties that make it a great skin product. For starters, it has powerful hydrating powers. Simply applying a thin layer of coconut oil on your skin can keep it feeling plump and moisturize for 24 hours. Secondly, it contains a few essential ingredients which you should always look for in skincare: it is high in vitamin E, healthy fatty acids, and lauric acid. All these help to keep your skin not only hydrated, but also young, and supple. Coconut oil is especially beloved by people with aging skin as it has renowned anti-aging properties. In fact, studies suggest that using coconut oil throughout your life helps combat the effects of collagen-loss that come with age. And for younger skins, coconut oil may have some great, unique properties too. While it does not agree with all acne-sufferers, many people with acne have been able to benefit from its anti-bacterial properties. An anti-bacterial and an anti-fungal, coconut oil is a great product that keeps your skin clear, clean and healthy.
Coconut Oil as a Day Moisturizer
Coconut oil can be used as a day moisturizer to keep your skin not only hydrated but also protected throughout the day. With is powerful anti-UV properties, coconut oil is used as sunscreen in some parts of the world. While we recommend using an SPF daily in the summer months, coconut oil as an ingredient can complement it and reinforce its effects. In the winter months, using coconut oil as a moisturizer may protect your skin from sun damage on a daily basis. Not only could this protect you from future skin conditions, but this also reinforces the anti-aging properties of coconut oil for a face moisturizer, keeping your skin looking younger for longer.
Coconut Oil as a Night Moisturizer
Coconut oil as an overnight face moisturizer can help your skin regenerate throughout the night and fully restore its moisture barrier. Everyday elements such as the sun, dry air or the cold can make your skin’s moisture barrier weaken. When this happens, your skin may be looking dull, lifeless, and it may even begin to crack. In order to restore your skin’s moisture barrier, you’ll need something that penetrates deep into the several layers of the dermis. Luckily, coconut oil does just that. And it can even be applied as a mask. For a deep moisturizing mask, simply let a heavy layer of coconut oil on your face for a few hours or overnight, and wash it off in the morning. This can truly do wonders for deeply dehydrated skin or simply make a great, regular, anti-aging mask.
What Coconut Oil to Look For?
There’s a ton of different brands of coconut oil out there. While they may look fairly similar at first glance, quality can vary a lot depending on the type that you choose, so be careful when picking one. As a general rule, try to go for coconut oil which has the label ‘virgin’ or ‘extra virgin’. Anything other than that will be so heavily processed that it will have lost many of the powerful substances contained in natural coconuts, such as vitamins A and E. Some say that choosing organic coconut oil can also make a difference. While there haven’t really been studies on the benefits of using organic over non-organic coconut oil as a moisturizer, there is a reason to believe that organic may be purer, as the coconut won’t have been exposed to as many chemicals. Finally, make sure to read the list of ingredients in full. If you have decided to go for all-natural coconut oil as your face moisturizer, the only ingredient contained must be coconut oil. Anything other than that is just fluff added to keep the cost down and won’t give you the benefits which you are looking for.
Coconut Oil-Based Products
Choosing to use only coconut oil as your face moisturizer day and night is not the only way of experiencing the many benefits of coconut oil. In fact, some people rather dislike the use of pure oil because of its texture. If you are used to using cream or water-based moisturizers, coconut oil may seem rather, well, ‘oily’. Depending on the texture which you are looking for, a moisturizing cream that is coconut-based may be better for you. Furthermore, there is a great variety of products that use coconut oil in combination with other ingredients to maximize the benefits for the skin. For example, some may add extra vitamin E, vitamin C add some rosehip oil to fade dark spots or some aloe vera for added anti-redness properties. Whatever benefits you need, you can find a moisturizer that combines coconut oil with other natural ingredients to give you just the right fit for your skin!
Coconut oil is a wonderfully versatile skincare product. It can be used as a day or night moisturizer or as a mask. It is not only deeply hydrating but also has soothing, anti-aging, and anti-UV properties. Use coconut oil pure or in combination with other ingredients for a natural moisturizer which really takes care of your skin without using harmful chemicals.
