Virgin Coconut Oil – Benefits To Your Body

Virgin coconut oil isn’t just great for cooking. It has great benefits to your body helping you look good and feel better. Although there are a ton of beauty products out there (many with added chemicals), you really just need to start with a jar of raw organic cocofiji virgin coconut oil!

Because coconut oil is a medium chain triglyceride (MCT), a particular type of saturated fat, it is less likely to oxidise and go rancid. It has the ability to lock-in moisture, without the need to add any additional chemicals or petroleum-based ingredients. This makes virgin coconut oil an excellent moisturiser.

Virgin coconut oil has hydrating, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial and antiseptic properties. Virgin coconut oil also contains ferulic acid, which reduces inflammation. Coconut oil has another benefit, it can penetrate hair better than other oils. This means you can use it for both your skin and your hair!

Here are several uses of virgin coconut oil:

Coconut oil benefits to your body – Soothing and cleansing dry skin 

Excellent at hydrating, virgin coconut oil is a great moisturiser for dry and flaky skin. Rub your coconut oil into dry areas of your skin for an exceptional dry skin treatment and moisturiser.

Your skin is the biggest organ in your body. This means there is a large area of you that needs to be looked after and protected. It’s also a large area that can absorb good and bad things and deliver them into your bloodstream. What better reason do you need to use natural, chemical free products in your beauty routine?

Scientific evidence has proven that virgin coconut oil reduces the water loss of skin (maintains hydration) and works well for mild to moderate xerosis (abnormally dry skin).

A buildup of toxins, bacteria and / or fungi on your skin can lead to dehydration and skin problems. Thanks to the antifungal, antibacterial and antiseptic properties of coconut oil, it can be used to cleanse and neutralise toxins, fungi and bacteria on the surface of the skin. From this we can conclude that it is ideal for helping people with skin issues such as:

• eczema
• acne
• psoriasis
• dandruff
• skin rashes, and
• external fungal infections such as candida overgrowth.

These properties are also thought to make it suitable as a treatment for insect bites.

There are a multitude of testimonials on the internet you can review from people who’ve had great success using virgin coconut oil.

Anti-aging treatment

A common symptom of aging is the loss of moisture in the skin, causing it to dry out, wrinkle and sag. With the great hydrating qualities of virgin coconut oil, many beauty experts are adding it as a key ingredient to their anti-aging arsenal.

Acne Treatment

In a recent study, the antimicrobial effects of lauric acid were tested and it was concluded that lauric acid could be a suitable substitute for antibiotics when treating acne. This means that you could potentially trial coconut oil as an acne treatment as an alternative.

Hand treatment

Hands can get dry from day to day activities such as washing dishes or gardening. Rub a little coconut oil into your fingers and hands after these activities to stop them from drying out. If you cook with virgin coconut oil, you can simply scoop a little out the jar after washing the dishes to keep your hand moisturised and happy.

Removing eye make-up

Virgin coconut oil can break down waxy, inky eye makeup – even that pesky waterproof mascara is no match for coconut oil! Place a little oil on a ball of cotton wool and gently wipe away the makeup. Once you’re done, simply wash your face as usual. As an added benefit, the coconut oil will leave this delicate area well hydrated as well.

Instead of shaving cream

Get a close, healing shave by replacing your traditional shaving cream with virgin coconut oil. It allows the blade to glide closely over the skin, leaving you with a close shave and is completely chemical free! Even men can use it to get a close shave with that added healing benefit from the antiseptic properties of the coconut oil.

Deep conditioning hair mask

Virgin coconut oil is easily absorbed into your hair. This means the moisturising benefits it offers your skin can be offered to your hair as well.

To create a deep cleansing hair mask, simply apply a small 20c size dollop to your hair and comb it through. Pile your hair into a bun and leave it like that overnight. (You may want to wrap it in a towel or a wear a shower cap while you sleep). In the morning, use a gentle shampoo and wash as usual.

Mouthwash

Yup, you’ve got it – virgin coconut oil can be used as an effective mouthwash. A study comparing coconut oil to chlorhexidine mouthwash completed in January 2016 concluded that edible oil pulling, using virgin coconut oil, can be considered as a safe preventative therapy at home to maintain oral hygiene.

Oil pulling – what is it and how does it work?

The practice of oil pulling is not new. Oil pulling originated in Ayurvedic medicine over 3,000 years ago. It is still practiced in India as a remedy to prevent tooth decay and improved health of teeth, gums and jaws. The practice of oil pulling is becoming increasingly popular in western society.

Oil pulling is the practice of taking a spoonful of coconut oil and swilling it in your mouth for around 15 to 20 minutes. 

To make the process effective, you need to push and pull the oil through your teeth and around your gums one to three times a day on an empty stomach. When done, spit the oil out into the bin (it is not recommended that you spit into the sink or toilet).

It may take a few tries to get it right as the oil will be thick and your jaw won’t be used to the 20 minutes of exercise.

The oil is believed to pull bacteria, viruses, fungi and other toxic materials out of your mouth when you swill it. This is believed to have an added benefit by ensuring that those toxins in your mouth are removed before they can travel to your stomach and cause related health issues. (It is also believed that oil pulling cleans your teeth, leaving them whiter with each swill.)

Is this a scientifically proven practice? Well, there is not a lot of scientific research around oil pulling, however a clinical trial completed in America early in 2016 concluded that ‘Oil pulling can be used as an effective adjunct in maintaining and improving oral health.’

Sunscreen or after-sun treatment

The jury is still out on those lofty claims that coconut oil can be used as an effective sunscreen (in fact many people will recall using it to help them bronze up nicely in the sun in past decades). Coconut oil only blocks out 20% of the UV rays compared to SPF 30 products, that block out 90% of the sun’s rays. Whilst current sunscreens also appear to block the body from absorbing much needed Vitamin D, coconut oil hasn’t yet passed the test for protecting the skin from the effects of the sun.

In the meantime, coconut oil does make a great after-sun treatment. Thanks to its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties coconut oil can provide some relief from sunburn.