The Benefits of Coconut Oil for Skin, Hair, and Your Well-being

Ancient Indian beauty rituals swear by the Coconut. Evidence of its use dates back to 1500 BC when benefits of Coconut Oil for skin were recorded in Sanskrit as a treatment for healing the body, mind, and spirit. 

Coconut Oil has been a staple ingredient in Indian kitchen pantries for many generations. But it’s also been a staple in Indian skincare rituals for just as long. Growing up, it’s not uncommon for a mother to put Coconut Oil in their daughter’s hair twice a week, letting the beautiful and intoxicating scent permeate the air of one’s bedroom. The trick - take a small teaspoon of Coconut Oil and rub it into your arms and legs as well, and step into the shower two hours later. Those quiet Friday nights are the perfect time to unwind alone and re-enter the world feeling beautiful in glowing, healthy skin.

What is Coconut Oil Good for? 

Coconut Oil might just be the solution to quite a few of your headaches surrounding skincare: 
Coconut Oil has been in the spotlight a lot recently, with its antimicrobial properties and ability to lock in moisture. A few favorite benefits of Coconut Oil, according to AAVRANI and Allure:

Dry Skin

Coconut Oil has incredible moisturizing benefits because it’s rich in fatty acids and has anti-inflammatory as well as antibacterial properties. What this means is that it will leave your skin feeling hydrated and soft, instead of dry and flaky. Another way that Coconut Oil can tackle dry skin is through a Coconut-based body scrub. Add some sugar to Coconut Oil and your favorite essential oil scent for a luxurious body scrub that leaves your skin feeling smooth and radiant. Try this twice a week, and follow up with your favorite body moisturizer. It’s the perfect Sunday morning “me-time” ritual. For other days, when time is of the essence, our Softening Hydra-Whip is perfect as a multi-use moisturizer because it absorbs quickly, but still contains all the benefits of normal Coconut Oil, and more. Shea Nut in combination with Coconut Oil makes for a non-sticky, lightly scented, softening, and nourishing moisturizer.

Eczema

According to Healthline, Coconut Oil won’t cure eczema, but it will certainly lessen any dryness or itching that you have as a result. It’s great to use all over the body, including particularly chapped places like lips, elbows, and the knees. Our Hydra-Whip can be a lifesaver when you don’t have time to sit covered in Coconut Oil for hours at a time. Instead, a moisturizer with Coconut Oil infused into it is a great option.

Dry Hair

Heat, sun, cold, and color can all be very damaging to our hair. However, Coconut Oil can repair some of the damage through the protective barrier that it creates. Leaving Coconut Oil in your hair for a minimum of one hour before rinsing with shampoo and conditioner can lead to gorgeous results of healthy, silky hair. For days on the beach when you may want to minimize damage to your hair, you can apply a light layer of Coconut Oil in order to create a barrier between your hair and water. Coconut Oil provides an SPF of 8, which definitely should not replace your usual sunscreen, since an SPF of 30 or above is usually recommended by dermatologists.

Cracked Cuticles

If your nails are in need of a little TLC, try applying Coconut Oil at the base of your nails to repair cracked and dry cuticles. This is great before a manicure, or before painting your nails. Take a Q-tip and use it to apply the Coconut Oil. You can use any extra Coconut Oil you have to apply it on your arms and then gently wash it off with a hot towel. Our Hydra-Whip is perfect in the summer and winter, when your hands just need a little more love from the dry heat or the cold winters.

What Makes Coconut Oil so Beneficial? 

So, how and why does Coconut Oil have so many amazing benefits? Coconut Oil traps water into the skin and keeps it moist. Coconut Oil targets cracks in the stratum corneum, which is the skin’s topmost layer. This makes the skin feel hydrated, supple, and so smooth. According to Cosmopolitan, Coconut Oil also contains Linoleic Acid and Lauric Acid. Linoleic Acid is a medium chain fatty acid which can be used as a skin smoothening acid and also as an emollient on the skin. Lauric Acid, on the other hand, is the reason behind its antimicrobial properties. It can be used to decrease inflammation and it helps kill bacteria on the skin.

Incorporate Coconut Oil into Your Self-Care Ritual

Coconut Oil can be great for moisturizing the hands, arms, knees, and elbows, but should be patch-tested before using on the face, chest, and back which are more prone to breakouts or blackheads. If you’re unsure if it’s for you, try introducing a little bit at a time into your routine to see if it’s compatible with your skin. This is true of any new product that you put on your face – a patch test is always a good idea.
Coconut Oil is occlusive, which means it sits on top of the skin. A high quality coconut Oil is a wonderful, all-natural, anti-aging moisturizer when applied topically to the skin. If your pores tend to get clogged more easily, try Hemp Seed, Rosehip, Tamanu, or even Calendula Oils, which are all oils that are less likely to heighten acne in those with oily skin. 

We recommend fractionated coconut oil

At AAVRANI, we use fractionated Coconut Oil, Coconut Oil that is less likely to clog your pores in comparison to regular Coconut Oil. Additionally, it stays on the skin for less time, which makes it feel less oily for an extended period of time, and it soaks into the skin faster. In order to make fractionated Coconut Oil, the Coconut Oil is heated to above its melting point, so that its Lauric Acid and long-chain fatty acids can be separated from the rest of the mixture. The liquid fraction is kept, while the solid fraction is removed due to the different melting points. WebMD explains the science behind fractionated oil here. 

Coconut Oil is an essential ingredient in our Softening Hydra-Whip,which locks in moisture, softens, and nourishes the skin. In fact, we call it our wonder ingredient because that’s exactly what it is - wonderful. Our hydra-whip is formulated with organic Coconut Milk, Rosehip Seed Oils, Shea Nut, Lavender Extract, and Meadowfoam, everything you would need to glow from inside out. You only need a pearl-sized amount to really hydrate your skin. A Coconut-based moisturizer is a great way to add Coconut Oil to your skincare routine without having to worry about any grease or slow absorption into the skin. Now all that’s left is for you to go forth into the world and own your glow.