Coconut oil is the all-rounder in the beauty repertoire.
by Zoella
To do without shower gel and body lotion sounds extreme. But in fact the body needs much less care than you might think. Our author tells how she has implemented her very personal beauty detox program and what effect coconut oil has on her skin.
I like body lotions and the feeling of freshly creamed skin after a shower or bath, accordingly my skin has been used to being greased after every wash for at least 20 years. I started doing this as a teenager - simply because the cream smelled good and it was considered adult to use and supposedly need cosmetics. The skin lost its own protection, and after showering I immediately had the feeling that I had to apply cream immediately to moisturize the skin. I wanted to break this dependency and changed my routine with a decisive step.
Miracle weapon coconut oil
My secret remedy is called coconut oil: coconut oil is the all-rounder in the beauty repertoire - the oil has anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antibacterial properties and can even prevent skin fungal diseases. On the face, however, coconut oil should only be used very sparingly and always on damp skin, as it can clog the pores and thus cause pimples and blackheads.
But what I am more concerned about are the caring properties for the body: coconut oil fights free radicals, prevents premature skin aging and regulates the skin's natural moisture loss. That is why it has recently become my natural 2-in-1 alternative to shower gel and body lotion.
I use coconut oil BEFORE showering
If you hope to save time in this care ritual, I have to disappoint you, in fact I only change the order: Instead of applying the cream after showering, I apply the coconut oil before. With this application I protect the skin from drying out by cleansing it and provide the moisture afterwards already in advance. How to do this?
Simply rub some oil in your hands or dissolve it in a water bath before, then apply it evenly to the body like normal skin care, paying particular attention to the elbows and knees. Then you have to practice patience for a short time: The coconut oil should be given three to five minutes to take effect, otherwise you run the risk of everything going down the drain when you take a shower. While the natural care is working, I make good use of the time and brush my teeth or untangle my hair.
Coconut oil makes shower gel superfluous
It may seem contradictory, but the oil on the skin not only eliminates the need for subsequent creaming with body lotion, but also cleansing with shower gel. Sure, I still wash my hair with shampoo (silicone-free!) - here I don't (yet) dare to use alternatives such as rye flour - and when I wash off the shampoo, foam also gets onto my body. But instead of soaping myself from head to toe, risking my skin's PH level to be disturbed and losing moisture, I'll just use water.
Practical side effect: coconut oil acts like a film and thus protects while shaving. Additional products, such as shaving gel or foam, are no longer necessary.
Dabbing instead of rubbing
After the shower I just dab the skin off instead of rubbing it dry with the towel. This ensures that even after cleaning, enough coconut oil remains to keep the skin supple.
My conclusion of Coconut oil
The re-education of my skin with coconut oil has succeeded. The tingly feeling after showering is gone, my skin feels soft and smooth, dry spots or skin irritations have become less, the smell of the oil disappears immediately. When buying, however, you should pay attention to high-quality native oils with the reference to cold pressing and raw vegetables to avoid unwanted additives. Depending on the supplier, prices vary between 2.50 and 6 euros per 100 ml, so coconut oil is not necessarily cheaper than the shower gels and body lotions of common natural cosmetics suppliers.
The most convincing argument, however, is perhaps the versatility of coconut oil: if the kitchen runs out of olive oil, you can reach for coconut oil from the bathroom cabinet.
