Coconut Oil Benefits For Oil Pulling, Skin and Hair

Coconuts! You either hate them or you love them! You probably already knew that it’s really good for you, but are you really getting the most out of it? I’m sharing my coconut oil routine for cooking and beauty & skin care AND the benefits of oil pulling for your teeth!

Choosing the right type for your coconut oil routine

Before you start working with coconut oil – wether it’s in the kitchen or in the bathroom – there’s something you should know first! There’s different kinds of coconut oil available. You should always go for the organic extra virgin variant! It may be a bit more expensive, but you get so much in return! Coconut oil is healthy in so many ways – and by getting the organic extra virgin coconut oil for your coconut oil routine, you are sure to get all the health benefits!

There’s also a cheaper variant going around, the so called ‘scentless’ coconut oil that has no smell or taste whatsoever. This one’s definitely not bad for you, but it has been refined. In this process, some of the health benefits from the coconut oil go to waste. Still, it’s great to use this stuff instead of any other cooking oil, since coconut oil doesn’t go bad when it heats up, but you’re just not getting the best out of it. Also, the unscented oil will have no effect on your skin or hair. That’s why I recommend anyone to choose the organic extra virgin variant for their coconut oil routine. You get the best of both worlds!

Cooking with coconut oil

Coconut oil is great for cooking! Use it instead of the usual olive oil in your pan and you will be getting some super healthy fats in your system during dinner! I also like to cover the baking plate with coconut oil before baking something. No worries, you won’t taste anything! I, in fact, strongly dislike the taste of coconut, but I promise your food will not end up tasting like that palm tree fruit! Coconut oil can also be used as butter on a sandwich or mixed up in a smoothie. For the latter, I’d recommend about one tablespoon!

Coconut oil BENEFITS: beauty and skin care

Aside from cooking and mixing it into smoothies, coconut oil can be used in many other ways! These are my five steps for using coconut oil in my beauty and skin care routine.

1. Coconut oil makeup remover

The first step in my coconut oil routine is to remove my makeup, if I’m wearing any. Did you know that coconut oil is a great makeup remover? I kid you not! You don’t need any chemicals, just good ol’ coconutty. I massage about one tablespoon of coconut oil onto my face, and carefully coat my eyebrows and eyelashes as well. Then I let it sit there for about two minutes (brush your teeth in the meantime!), grab a cotton pad, and simply wipe it all off (careful around the eyes! Coconut oil doesn’t sting, but it will make your vision a tad blurry for a while). The picture above shows what comes off!

2. Coconut oil face mask

After removing all the makeup, I – again – coat my whole face in about a teaspoon of coconut oil. This time I skip the skin around my eyes and I use the leftovers on my neck.

3. Hydrate your lips with coconut oil

When covering my whole face in oil, I always go over my lips quite some times. Cause when we’re at it, why not feed and hydrate our lips as well?! Don’t be afraid to get it in your mouth, it’s healthy!

4. Hair mask made of coconut oil

Last but not least for the prepping, I coat my hair with a tablespoon of oil. Just rub it between your hands so it gets liquidy and brush your fingers through your hair the same way you would apply conditioner or any other hair mask. After that I like to wrap my hair into a bun and put it in a shower cap. It prevents your hair from staining your clothes and furniture and the warmth that gets locked in also helps the hair absorb the oil better.

Now leave on the face, hair and lip mask for as long as you can! When I know that I’ll be home all day, I do this in the morning and try to leave it on for at least until late in the afternoon!

5. Oil pulling: white and clean teeth

When it’s time to take a shower and wash everything off, I tend to put a table spoon of oil into my mouth and swirl it around during my whole shower session. Make sure to NOT swallow any of it and to spit it out afterwards! Coconut oil binds with bacteria on your teeth, so you don’t want to swallow that. When I’m washing my hair, I take about 10 to 15 minutes to shower, that’s the exact right amount of time for the oil pulling technique to work properly. I have reviewed an oil pulling technique by cocowhite before, but I definitely prefer it the natural way!

After all of this, your skin will feel soft, your lips will be hydrated, your hair will be silky smooth and your teeth will feel clean and – in the long term – will get a few shades whiter! You’re welcome! ;)

Have you ever used coconut oil for cooking or skin care or is coconut oil already part of your routine?