31.7.14

The "skin-y" on coconut oil.

So. Lets talk about coconut oil. Yeah, that stuff. . .the tropical-smelling, oh-so-good-for-you, oily wonder that is the ideal makeup remover and is soawesomeforsomanythings. Word to the wise: like I mentioned in this post, every (smart) girl should own a jar. Or two. Or five. Unrefined is suggested, and yeah, I could have talked about so many things, but I really wanted to write another "beauty" post, and my coconut-oil obsession is near and dear to my heart. So deal with it, have fun, and comment along with oily-tips of your own. ;)

In actuality, this post is about skin-care. I don't know how common it is, but I have unusually dry skin. There is one area around my nose (that I keep dry, never fear,) that tends to be a bit oily, but everywhere else is very dry and itchy, especially after showers and during the winter. Not fun, and certainly not attractive. . .you know, constantly itching? I realize that most of the problem is probably the soap I use, and also not having properly-hydrated skin. WELL, long story short, recently my mom picked me up this amazing shaving lotion (is it gross or weird to talk about shaving? Don't answer that. . .) from EOS (Evolution of Smooth--FAV!) that I love, but unfortunately can't seem to find again. (Target. . .I need your help. Restock, please?) I've already been using coconut oil on my face (mainly to remove makeup,) for the last several months, and can't believe how blemish-free and silky-soft my skin feels. Which is when I had the brilliant thought. . .why couldn't I use coco-oil for shaving?? Light bulb. I did a quick Google search (because Google is my bosom friend,) and found a technique that works beautifully. Plus, since it spreads so well, coconut-oil is long lasting, which, besides being soawesomefosomanythings, makes it totally worth the investment. :)

"Coconut oil is very good at hydrating skin. It sinks in deep, conditions, moisturizes, and softens skin. It isn't pumped full of water or petroleum byproducts like many commercial cleansers or lotions either. Skin is kept clean by an oily substance called sebum. When sebum mixes with too much dirt, bacteria, and dead skin cells it can clog pores and lead to acne and other blemishes. Coconut oil naturally clears away dirt, grime, and dead skin cells. It even has some antibacterial properties, killing off harmful bacteria. Coconut oil is the all-in-one natural solution to all your skin problems. It soothes bug bites, speeds healing, helps with rashes, gets rid of flaking skin, softens and shrinks wrinkles, protects against sun damage, keeps tans longer, acts as an antioxidant to prevent cellular aging, and so much more. It removes makeup easily and even makes the perfect massage oil." --via

In a nutshell, my daily skin-routine looks something like this. (see below) Facemasks not included. Since my face has cleared up quite a bit (I'm still convinced it was an allergic-reaction,) I only wear a mask once or twice a week. When I remember to make one. Hey, speaking of, how many of you would be interested in a tutorial/recipe vlog featuring my newest-favorite-activated-charcoal-facemask??

EOS flavors: Summer Fruit, Honeysuckle Honeydew, Raspberry Pomegranate 
before showering-- 

  • I like to "prime" my lips with a thick layer of EOS lipbalm. I basically live on that stuff, and have three adorable little eggs in my purse, right as we speak. Not only is it so lusciously smooth, but it is made with all-natural ingredients, is super hydrating, not greasy, naturally plumping, and honestly, the packaging? Total and complete CUTENESS. Highly recommended.  Oh yeah, and I have this habit (besides being a lip-balm junky,) of coordinating my EOS with my outfit. Vain and slightly weird? Maybe. But I love combining colors/patterns, so Raspberry-Pomegranate (love!) paired with my mint-green sweater. . .is just natural. Stop laughing. 
  • So yeah. As I was saying, before showing I like to put on a little lip-balm. I'm not sure exactly if it's true, but I read somewhere that the shower steam and lipbalm work together for plumper, softer lips. Either way, my lips stay hydrated and soft, even after showering, and I seem to need to re-apply my balm less throughout they day.  

while showering--

  • Before shaving I've gotten into the habit of exfoliating my skin with the ingenious (and stinkin' cute,) invention known as felted soap. Anna picked up a bar in a boutique a couple of months ago, and I've fallen in love. It doesn't "foam" as well as a regular bar of soap, but I have noticed an obvious softness in my skin. BIG WIN, if you ask me. You can skip this part, but if you want that quirky-spa feel, give it a try. Be sure to let me know, if you do! (I'm also thinking of doing a giveaway. . .any takers?)
  • Allow your hair follicles to soften while you shower. In fact, I don't recommend shaving until the end or middle of your shower. When you are ready, pat your skin dry (it should still be slightly damp, but not wet,) and lather on the coconut oil. Yep, that simple! For legs, shave downward to prevent burning. You'll also get a closer shave. Remember to rinse your razor out frequently, as the oil will clog it a bit. Smoothing some oil on your face and even putting a dab in your hair just gives everything a beautiful shine and softness. (coco-oil for hair works just as well, if not better, than store-bought conditioner.) Voila, your done! 

after showering--

  • I like to finish off with a little regular lotion. Not natural, I know (working on that!) but I really, really hate dry skin, and the lotion just cools everything down and takes any left-over oiliness away. If this isn't a pet-peeve for you, stopping right at the oil or possibly finishing with a little more should be totally fine. 

Annndd that's it! If you liked this post, found it helpful (or annoying, you pick, ;) ) and would like to see more (my makeup routine, hair routine, etc,) leave a comment and let me know! Like I said before, I'd LOVE to hear about your own skin-care, how you've benefited from coconut oil, other uses, etc.

27 comments:

  1. Why do I feel like I need to take a shower now? Just kidding.... :) Great tips. I wonder how some of this would work with olive or sweet almond oil?

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    1. LOL. What are friends for? ;) There is something about skincare (and I mean honestly, felted soap? So quirky-fun. ;) ) that makes me feel beautiful. I actually really love my showers. :P I'm looking forward to exploring more in the realm of natural cosmetics, skincare, facials, etc. As far as other oils, I'm sure they would work. (for ie, olive oil is great for re-growing and lengthening eyelashes, so it has a lot of benefits too.) I just know that coconut oil has really soothing healing proprieties, which makes it great for dry skin. Have you done a Google search? I'd be interested in hearing your findings!

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    2. K, found this article. I think the only thing that would scare me a bit is the olive-y smell. We use it daily in cooking, so I love it, but yeah. I guess according to other things I'm reading you can combine it with sugar for a scrub, or essentials oils to reduce the smell:

      http://www.wikihow.com/Shave-With-Olive-Oil

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  2. I absolutely LOVED this post!!! I'm all about skincare/makeup-related anything, basically, so this post was perfect :-) You have totally sold me on the whole coconut oil fad, so now I'm gonna try it for myself! And I've(gasp!) actually NEVER tried EOS lip balm and/or products before, so I'm gonna get myself one of those sometime very, very soon :D I'd love to see more posts on your makeup routine, hair routine, or anything related to beauty-type things! Have a lovely day :-)

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    1. Awesome! Glad to have inspired you, Kim. Let me know how the coconut oil works out for you. I think you'll love it. And goodness girl, you've never tried EOS? Time to make a Walmart run. ;) I was really excited to discover they now sell some of the harder-to-find flavors right in the checkout isle, like Raspberry-Pomegranate. Anywho, like I said, glad you enjoyed this post, and I most definitely will be continuing this series. :)

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  3. I personally would love to see more posts like this! I love coconut oil because of the beautiful smell and softness. I've used olive oil to cleanse my face but it really smells gross, and coconut oil is much nicer. I use it to shave sometimes as well. It just feels so soothing and moisturizing--I love it :)

    dance a real

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    1. Have you looked into clay-based facemasks at all? (speaking of facial cleansers.) It's more of a hard-core cleanse than a moisturizer, but clay is AMAZING for zits and reds spots and ugly bumps. ;) Usually I'll use a little coconut oil every day for moisture, but for a really deep cleanse, clay (volcanic ash,) or activated charcoal really gets deep inside the pores. I haven't tried olive oil on my face yet, but now I'm curious to see what its good for, besides hair growth. ;)

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  4. P.S.--I NEED to try out some EOS lip balm. I keep hearing about it and those little eggs are just so cute!

    dance a real

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    1. Yesss. I mean, those eggs are totally like the cutest ever. I collect mine when they are out of balm and use them as little containers for jewelry and things. Plus you can never lose them in your purse, which is great too.

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  5. I LOVE coconut oil! I actually use it for my hair more than for my skin. It's also really nice for cooking. I really enjoyed this post!
    ~Sadie

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    1. Its AWESOME for hair! Only I can't really use it as a conditioner, because my hair just dies. :P Usually I go with shampoo-only, but yeah, it's great for people who need to condition. Glad you enjoyed this post. :)

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  6. Shaving downward, never heard of that. I'll have to try it. Unfortunately, I can't afford coconut oil, but I'll keep the tips in mind for when I can. :-)

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    1. haha. . .yes, shaving downward. I tried it and didn't burn or nick, BUT ended up going back to my regular up and down, because its easier for me. ;) Something to try, nonetheless.

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  7. These are some of my favorite posts! So naturally I'd love to see more. =) I'm a HUGE fan of natural skincare. It's so much fun to actually find products that work without resorting to chemical-laden products.
    My favorite oil is actually jojoba. Possibly because my skin is more combination/oily. Coconut worked well in the winter when my cheeks got really dry/flaky. Ugh. But once summer arrived I found it much too heavy and clogging to my skin. =P I do occasionally use it as a deep condition for my hair and definitely want to try it for shaving.

    I'm working on my own set of blog posts along these lines, so I'll share more about jojoba and the other stuff I use over there. =) I also just got several new mineral makeup samples in the mail, so hopefully I'll post a makeup tutorial soon!

    Have you tried mineral makeup (eye shadow/blush/foundation)? It's amazing, *if* you get good quality stuff. =) I love how it's so natural looking. I'm definitely not a fan of looking too made-up, so the lighter eye shadows and stuff are wonderful for me.

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    1. Yay, your comment finally worked! ;) Glad we got that figured out. . .I always enjoy hearing from you.

      Ok, so this is top-secret, ;) but Anna and I are actually going to try making homemade makeup today. If everything works out I'll probably write up a post or two. Not sure how some of the more powdery stuff with stay on, especially blush, but it's worth the try! I usually only wear foundation and mascara, so trying some new, skin-healthy products will be amazing. I'm really excited. :) Oh yeah, and funny that you brought jojoba oil up, because Anna just bought some yesterday. :) Keep watching for future makeup/beauty posts, and I'm excited to read yours!

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  8. Hi! I think this is my first time commenting on your blog, but I'm a long time reader! :) This is a great post - I love using coconut oil! I've used it on my face and skin, but cannot use it on my hair. I use it in cooking all the time too. I've never tried it for shaving but I'd like to! I'd love to see more posts like this too!

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    1. Nice to meet you, Elizabeth. :) Thanks for stopping in. I'm glad my posts are a blessing!

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  9. That's a really cool idea! I use it in my hair, and have noticed a HUGE difference! It is so much smoother, stronger, and easier to manage. It also grows like crazy, which is really good. :)

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    1. Really, its helped your hair grow? That's awesome. Maybe I'll try using it to condition my hair again. I've done it in the past, but my hair is pretty fine, so conditioning it (even naturally,) usually doesn't work. :-/ Maybe I'll give it another try. Thanks for the tip!

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  10. Thanks! I use this stuff for like everything- and it's great! Love your health posts too btw- you do it really well!
    xoxo

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  11. Oh, keep these beauty posts coming please! I love natural and DIY beauty. I will have to try the coconut oil for shaving. I have used other oils for scrubs but did not think to try coconut oil.

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    1. I have a DIY makeup post and activated facemask video coming SOON. So glad everyone is enjoying these posts to much!

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  12. Michaela, I loved this post! Defiantly do more!! ;) (I love EOS too! :)) Us girls here will have to try the coconut oil too! :)

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    1. Awesome! Btw, I want to follow your blog, but for some reason I can't find the link. Send it to me?

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    2. http://spreadingthesunrays.blogspot.com/ here you go! <3

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  13. I read somewhere the other day that coconut oil can clog drains?? I'm guessing you've not had trouble with this since you use it to shave??
    I haven't actually tried coconut oil..yet...I just read on anther blog about using it for your teeth and now here for your skin..I plan to buy some tomorrow!! :)
    Also...u mentioned having fine hair..any tips on adding body?? (Besides getting it layered??I don't cut my hair so that's kinda out..) my hair is crazy flat and so far no 'body-building' tips or products have actually done anything for it..:(

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