Coconut-y

I have a deep love for coconut oil. I am obsessed with it.

Months ago I read an article about oil pulling and I was hooked. For anyone who is not familiar with the technique, oil pulling is done by taking a spoonful of solid coconut oil and swishing it around in your mouth for approximately 20 minutes. Done first thing in the morning -- before eating or brushing teeth -- oil pulling pulls out the bad bacteria that lives in our mouths that gives us bad breath and causes other issues. This practice can also help those of us with jaw pain due to clenching the teeth, and it can actually whiten your teeth as well. 

Coconut oil also has healing benefits -- it can help scrapes and burns heal up faster. It is also an excellent moisturizer. I love using it on my lips as well as on the heels of my feet to soothe and hydrate dry, cracked skin. 

But one of my favorite things to do with coconut oil is to use it as a hair mask. If you are a regular on the beauty blog/YouTube circuit I am sure you have heard of other women using coconut oil in their hair. 

In my opinion, it works best when it is applied to damp hair, after the oil is microwaved for about 10-15 seconds to allow it to liquefy slightly. I apply it all over, leave it on for an hour or two, then shampoo and condition as normal. It's also great to use overnight -- just be sure to wrap your hair in a towel or an old t-shirt to prevent this miracle oil from getting all over your pillow.

My hair always comes out silky smooth, shiny, and just healthier looking every time I do a coconut oil treatment. I filmed a video the other day of how I go about this process -- I hope you check it out and enjoy!

Oh, and you can find coconut oil at nearly any grocery store. Opting for organic, extra-virgin, unrefined coconut oil seems to be best for hair masks, oil-pulling, and the other various uses it has!