BY REBECCA DIEROLF
For ages, coconut oil has been used in rural countries around the world as a cure-all for countless health ailments. More recently, coconut oil has been used as a remedy for many beauty issues, ranging from brittle hair, to blemish-ridden skin, to stained teeth! Here are just some of the countless ways coconut oil can help you feel beautiful—inside and out!
Hair. Coconut oil can help your hair grow faster by providing it with essential vitamins, minerals, and moisture. By massaging a few tablespoons of coconut oil into your scalp (once a week if you’re prone to oily hair, two to three times a week for dry hair), your tresses can be free to grow long and strong with extra shine!
Skin. If your face is prone to acne, oil is probably the last place you’d look for a treatment, right? Think again! Coconut oil has bacteria-fighting properties that can actually reduce blemishes on your skin…even if your face is already oily; just limit application to once or twice a week. This method has helped me clear up my perpetually greasy and acne-filled face in less than fourteen days! I started applying a very thin layer of coconut oil to my face twice a week for fifteen minutes before washing it off. The result is brilliant, radiating skin I never dreamed of having!
Teeth. This use of coconut oil is without a doubt the most bizarre, but coconut oil can actually whiten your teeth and help you get rid of bad breath! This method is called “oil pulling”, something you may have heard of before. The same bacteria-fighting properties in the oil that help your skin can also help your teeth. By swishing around a tablespoon of coconut oil in your mouth for ten minutes three times a week, your teeth can become whiter and your breath significantly fresher. This works because bad-breath-causing bacteria become “stuck” in the oil as you swish it around. Plaque and tartar also become lodged in the oil, whisking it away and leaving your teeth sparkling. It might not taste the most pleasant, but coming from an avid oil-puller, it’s well worth it!
*Helpful tip!* Make sure you purchase organic or virgin coconut oil. Purchasing refined coconut oil, which is processed with a bunch of other additives and sugar, won’t give you the same results as organic coconut oil.
