One of the easiest ways to make your beauty routine more natural and eco-friendly is to ditch single-use cosmetics in exchange for multi-purpose ones. Perhaps the most versatile of all beauty products out there isn’t really a beauty product at all. It’s coconut oil! According to our dear friend Pinterest, there are approximately 6,550,801 uses for coconut oil and it can do anything except fuel a jet plane. While there are a lot of wild claims out there about coconut oil, there are some genuine tried and tested beauty related uses for coconut oil that you simply have to know about.
So today I’m sharing them with you!
These are my favourite beauty uses for coconut oil.
Makeup Remover
If you haven’t already, now is the time to ditch makeup wipes. They’re overpriced and terrible for the environment. Trust me, I used to be a makeup wipe junkie, but I went cold turkey a few years ago and never looked back.
Coconut oil is an ideal natural makeup remover! There’s nothing like it for removing waterproof mascara and, unlike a lot of off the shelf products, it doesn’t dry out the skin. Simply massage it into the skin and wipe away with a reusable cotton round or face cloth. It’s as easy as that.
Hair Mask
Coconut oil is a saviour for dry, damaged, frizzy hair. It can be used as an overnight hair mask (note that you’ll need to wear some kind of shower cap so you don’t destroy your pillows and wake up covered in goo) or as a quick pre-shower treatment. But, be warned – sleek, shiny hair comes at a price. Coconut oil is notoriously difficult to wash out of hair because…well, it’s oil!
My top tips for a coconut oil hair mask:
- Apply oil to the ends of the hair only.
- Leave the oil to sit for 5-20 minutes.
- Rinse hair under hot water (the heat helps get the oil out).
- Shampoo your hair not once, but twice, paying special attention to the ends.
- Condition as normal.
- Enjoy your smooth, frizz-free hair.
Face Scrub
A good exfoliator can be hard to come by, but making your own is easy and can be thrown together with pretty much anything you might have lying around in the kitchen. Simply mix 1 part natural exfoliator with 2 parts coconut oil. You can add in some essential oils for a little more zest if you’re feeling flamboyant.
Natural exfoliators include:
- Himalayan sea salt
- Regular sea salt (for those with a less fancy spice rack)
- Table salt (for those whose spice rack isn’t fancy at all)
- Brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Baking soda
- Basically anything with a gritty texture
Shaving Balm
Using coconut oil as a shaving balm is a game-changer. The super nourishing properties of coconut oil prevent shaving rash and leave legs feeling silky smooth. So smooth, in fact, that you might find yourself forcing friends and loved ones to touch them because you’e so blown away. True story.
Moisturiser
Lastly, one of my favourite beauty uses for coconut oil is as a moisturiser. Dry skin doesn’t stand a chance! But don’t let that put you off if your skin tends towards the oilier side because, if anything, coconut oil helps control my oiliness. I know it sounds insane – oil to prevent oiliness?! – but it’s always worked for me. The best time to apply coconut oil as a moisturiser is right before bed so it has plenty of time to sink in as you sleep.
Incorporating coconut oil into your beauty routine is a great way to save money, banish nasty chemicals and move towards a more zero waste way of caring for your hair and skin. Oh yeah, and it smells like heaven! Hopefully these simple beauty uses for coconut oil will inspire you start seeing coconut oil as more than just an everyday ingredient.
