Recently, I spent several weeks in India. With plenty of rain and high levels of humidity my hair spent most of the time in a topknot or very tight braid (both executed with hand fulls of bobby pins). One day I let my hair down and the group of girls who I stayed with offered to help me out with the frizz. One girl ran to the kitchen while one girl ran to the dining room when they got back I had me a bowl of coconut oil. I asked just to make sure, “You use this in your hair?” with an emphatic nod of those beautiful shiny (not frizzy) tresses, I was
sold.
Sure enough after a little coconut oil scalp massage my hair was looking like I had never used a flat iron or attempted to bleach my very dark locks… Of course the shine didn’t last more than a few days, but I thought to myself this I can I manage every 3 days for shiny hair. That got me thinking about some other oils I could use in my daily beauty routine for both moisture (we all need a little more moisture in Arizona) and for the sake of being a bit more natural.
100% Vitamin E oil to remove my mascara and eye makeup. I dap a little on a cotton ball or pad and gently wipe. Believe it or not it even takes off waterproof mascara. Plus the oil conditions the lashes. As with any product you use on your eyes make sure that you don’t use too much, that is a 100% pure and be gentle when rubbing around the delicate eye area.
Organic Almond Oil in place of body lotion. Now, I know what you are thinking “Won’t that be greasy?” even more “Won’t that stain my clothes?” The answer is NO. Moisturize with the oil immediately after you take a shower, be sure to rub in very well. Lightly dab any excess oil with your towel, wash your hands, and ensure that the oil is relatively dry before dressing. Like most oils you can also use Almond oil as a leave-in conditioner for the hair.
Coconut oil can also be used to make natural deodorant! Here is a simple recipe for you DIYers from wellnessmama.com
6 T coconut oil1/4 cup (4 T) baking soda1/4 cup (4 T) arrowroot or cornstarchessential oils (optional)What to Do:Mix baking soda and arrowroot together in a medium sized bowl.Mash in coconut oil with a fork until well mixed.Add oils if desired.Store in small glass jar or old deodorant container for easy use.
By Kristianne Young
