The Joy of Virgin Coconut Oil
By Lisa Maliga Copyright 2008-2013
Imagine finding a completely natural product that you can eat, and use to help strengthen and moisturize your hair, skin, lips, and nails. Also, depending on the temperature, it can be solid or liquid, thus facilitating its ease of use. What is this versatile ingredient?
This extraordinary ingredient is virgin coconut oil, and its loaded with vitamin E, antioxidants, fiber and smells just like a freshly opened tropical coconut. The color is white, the texture varies from a clear liquid, which is easily applied to the skin and hair, or is solid white when the temperature is below 76 degrees Fahrenheit. The wonderful news about virgin coconut oil is that whether in butter or liquid oil form, the good qualities just don’t diminish!
Here are some uses for Virgin Coconut Oil:
Skin ~ As coconut oil is high in vitamin E, it helps your skin feel soft and supple skin. Its also recommended for suntanning both before and after sun exposure. Coconut oil is excellent to use as a massage oil as its nonsticky and absorbs quickly.
Hair ~ One of the best natural conditioners out there is your friendly jar of virgin coconut oil. This is a way to make your hair feel softer and smoother and it can even help decrease tangling. Massage into your scalp and comb through to the ends.
Some people prefer only massaging directly onto the scalp for about 20 minutes at a time as they feel too much can clog pores. Other people can allow the virgin coconut oil to remain on their scalp and hair for much longer periods of time.
Nails ~ Use virgin coconut oil to help strengthen your nails and keep your cuticles in great shape. Idea if you bite your nails, try using pleasant smelling virgin coconut oil on them to prevent you from doing so and to remedy any previous damage.
Lips ~ Virgin coconut oil applied to the lips can help prevent chapping and naturally moisturize them.
Animals ~ Cats, dogs, and other mammals can appreciate the external and internal benefits of virgin coconut oil. On a personal note, my cat greatly appreciates her daily dose of virgin coconut oil, which is applied to her sides so it can be licked off. Her fur is very thick, smooth and shiny. Adding virgin coconut oil to her fur was the direct result of too many feuds with other cats and she was left scratched and with missing fur. By applying coconut oil to those injured areas the wounds healed within days and the fur grew back thick and strong. Before rushing out and offering your pet coconut oil, consult with a veterinarian before adding this to your pet's food bowl.
Cooking ~ People have been cooking with virgin coconut oil for centuries. Those people usually dont live in northern climates but in the locations where coconut palm trees flourish: the Philippines, Africa, Jamaica, Southeast Asia, and India. Cooking with virgin coconut oil means that you can enhance the flavors of the foods youre frying with the rich and sweet aroma and taste of coconut. This healthy oil is suitable for children and senior citizens, as well as vegans and vegetarians as its easy to digest. Recently, there have been many studies showing that virgin coconut oil possesses natural fatty acids that are vital to our internal comfort, along with giving us an ability to help us burn calories at a faster rate. As virgin coconut oil contains no trans fatty acids, just medium chain fatty acids that are not stored as a fat but utilized by your body right away.
Next time you want to recharge your energy or soften/soothe your skin, think about your friendly tropical coconut and conveniently packaged in a jar. Nutiva is one of my favorite brands.