Makeup Tip Monday- Coo Coo for Coco... nuts!?

Calling all beauties with dry skin!  I told you I had a Makeup Tip Monday for you and here it is:  

Coconut Oil!!! 

This stuff is magical!  I have two in my house- one in my kitchen (from Costco) to cook with and one in my bathroom (originally from Whole Foods but now it gets re-filled by the one from Costco) to slather on every last dry patch I have.  You can use it as a facial moisturizer, an eye cream, a hair mask, as shaving oil, as a lip balm, and as a cuticle treatment!  So you can quite literally use it from head to toe.  It has the softest, most natural, and not at all perfume-y, coco-nutty scent.  It's just wonderful.  

The fatty acids naturally in coconut oil help reinforce the skin's natural lipid barrier.  They help lock moisture in the skin, promoting some seriously mega hydration.   You can purchase it at your regular super market; you'll find it next to all your other cooking oils.  It comes in a solid form and the texture is a combination between softened butter and candle wax.  That seems weird but it makes perfect sense once you touch it.  It’s workable like soft butter but it has somewhat of a waxy consistency.  However, once you work it in your hands and warm it up it turns into a regular and familiar oil texture.    

Let’s get into all the different ways you can use it!!!

As a Facial Moisturizer and Eye Cream

If your skin in consistently dry and flaky, you'll love this.  Wash your face, exfoliate, and use a softener (it’s like toner but a lot more hydrating, so it’s better for people with dry skin), then slather this on!  It'll be like the long awaited drink of hydration your skin has been waiting for!  It'll smooth out dry patches and condition your skin, it'll minimize fine lines and wrinkles, and even out any natural redness (or "hot spots") on your skin.  You can do this regimen every night (only exfoliate as needed though).  

If you’re not a big makeup wearer, or just hanging out without it for a day, you can also do this regimen in the morning but if you are wearing makeup I would resort to your regular moisturizer since oils are natural makeup removers (oh yeah, you could use it for that too).  If your skin is truly that dry and it just soaks up the oil you could probably get away with just a tiny bit underneath your makeup, I wouldn't go too over board with it though, unless you want your makeup going for a trip-- off of your face! 

If this feels too greasy for you and you can't deal, I recommend mixing the tiniest bit (about the size of a dry bean) into your regular moisturizer.  That way you still get the benefits without the texture.  But the way to go is to just slather it on if you can.  It will NOT clog your pores or cause breakouts.  The molecular structure of coconut oil is too large to penetrate your pores and cause any of that.     

As a Hair Mask

This is a great once a week treatment.  Just section your hair into four sections (go from ear to ear and then a center part all the way down).  Slather this into each section and comb it through.  Put your hair into a bun or braid and go about your business.  Buns and braids cover a multitude of hair sins (aka bad hair days).  Leave the oil in for as long as possible and for a minimum of 2 hours.  Then just wash your hair like you normally do (I pray you know how to do that already)!

As a Shaving Oil

You can do this before or after your shower- whichever is your preference.  For the most hydration I do recommend doing it after, and if you are doing that I also suggest a light towel dry of the area you are shaving before you start.  Just a warning: It will clog up your razor- so have some hot water nearby to shake it off into. 

As a Lip Balm and Cuticle Treatment

No directions required!  Just put some on all day, every day!  To have some that I could take on the go and stick in my purse I took an empty MAC Paint Pot jar, cleaned it out, and then scooped some coconut oil into it!  Crafty huh!?  

I'm telling you- your skin will feel like a baby's bottom!  Oh wait- YOU COULD USE THIS ON YOUR BABY TOO!!!  Instead of baby oil (for all you natural product mama's out there) after a bath just massage them down with some coconut oil!  

Better yet- just fill your tub with coconut oil and dunk your whole family in!  Haha!  You may seriously consider that once you try this and see what a huge difference it makes!  Enjoy!

Love,

Michelle

P.S. Next weeks Makeup Tip Monday WILL actually be about makeup!  I promise :)