It’s the newest trend to hit the world of beauty and glamour and everyone wants to be a part of it. Radiant and glowing skin is now on the ‘must-have’ list of everyone around. A picture-perfect, flawless skin is what we all desire. Some of us are born that way but for some it takes a little of bit of effort, and money! You could spend thousands on salon routines that may or may not give you the desired outcome. Or, you could become a fan of ‘Coconut oil’ – an easily available product that has a long list of beauty benefits.

Benefits of Coconut Oil

It’s a well-known fact that Coconut Oil has antibacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral properties. These properties make Coconut Oil a very healthy choice for several health conditions. The list is pretty exhaustive:

- Weight loss
- Improvement of Type II Diabetes
- Prevention of Gum Diseases and Tooth Decay
- Known to reduces symptoms of Gallbladder Disease
- Improves Digestion
- Improves Energy
- Improves Memory
- Boosts Immune System
- Reduces Inflammation
- Helps in balancing hormones
- Treatment of yeast infections

But, did you know that this amazing natural product is also your skin’s best friend? Coconut oil is a multi-talented oil and depending on your skin type – you can use it as a moisturizer, cleanser and even as a sunscreen. This oil protects your skin and helps in healing the skin because of the antioxidants present in it. Coconut oil also reduces inflammation as it contains fatty acids. Here are some of the ways in which coconut oil can be used in your daily beauty routine:

1. Face Wash: Melt the coconut oil in a pan and add 1 tbsp baking soda and 5 tbsp of any of your favourite essential oils suitable for application your face. Store this homemade face wash liquid in a jar.

2. Lip Balm: You can add a few drops of coconut to any of your lip balm or chapstick, this will help in making your lips moist and getting rid of dry lips.

3. Night Cream: Add a few drops of coconut oil to your moisturizer and apply it at night before sleeping if you are prone to face acne. If not, then you can apply the oil as it is on your face.

4. Sunburn Relief: The harsh rays of the sun can dry the delicate skin on your face and you look older. Coconut oil helps you to get rid of that redness and itching (if you experience it) as it rehydrates the skin.

5. Makeup Remover: Removing makeup is a major task. Instead of removing make up with other chemicals, remove it with coconut oil. This will make your skin hydrating and softer. Coconut oil will help in reducing wrinkles as well.

6. Insect Repellent: Mosquito bites really look horrible on the face. Don’t they? There’s an easy way to get rid of them, just mix some coconut oil with any of your favorite essential oil and apply this on the insect bite. Repeat this after a few hours.

7. Face Scrub: Mix coconut oil with coconut sugar and use this mixture as a scrub on your face for at least 2-3 times a week. This will give you a much smoother skin than ever before.

Coconut oil has been an age-old remedy for numerous hair problems; be it hair loss, dry scalp or hair thinning. It is an unsung superhero of our hair and beauty woes. It is known to condition and improve the overall health of your tresses; thanks to the presence of anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and emollient properties. While it may be a one-stop solution for most hair problems, it is said to be the most effective in preventing hair loss. Hair loss can be due to many reasons; some of them being- stress, medications, nutritional imbalance, rapid weight loss and hormonal issues. Coconut oil has the potential to protect your hair from falling and further help them grow stronger and healthier. Let's look at some benefits coconut oil has to offer for hair loss and some hair packs that you can bring into use to grow happy and healthy tresses.Benefits of coconut oil for hair
Coconut oil is like sebum, which is body's own natural oil that helps keep the scalp from drying out and also coats hair roots to protect them from damage. A well-oiled scalp is surely a way to keep your hair follicles healthy.

Coconut oil has lauric acid that helps bind the protein in hair, protects the roots and strands and prevent them from breakage.

The antioxidants present in coconut oil help boost healthy hair growth.

Coconut oil is known to penetrate the hair shaft, protecting it against environmental pollutants and excess heat.

Coconut oil contains anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties that help protect against any bacterial problems that can inhibit hair growth. It helps provide overall nourishment to your hair and scalp.
Coconut oil is known to act as a natural conditioner that helps keep your hair soft and shiny.

Massaging with coconut oil helps improve blood circulation, further ensuring that the nutrients nourish your follicles.

How to use coconut oil for hair loss?

Now, heat some coconut oil in a bowl.
Once you hair have completely dried, start applying it to your hair and massage it into your scalp.

Comb your hair to ensure the oil has penetrated in your scalp and it has coated every strand of your hair.

Cover your hair with a shower cap and leave it for 45 minutes. You can also leave it overnight.
Rinse it off with shampoo again. Use this technique whenever you plan to wash your hair.

Fight Dandruff

Take aloe vera gel and coconut oil in a bowl and mix them properly. Apply this mixture on your hair and leave it for an hour. This pack is said to help moisturise your hair scalp, thereby solving problem of hair loss.

These two oils are said to condition your hair and fight dryness, further boosting your hair growth giving you soft, frizz-free hair. Mix coconut oil and olive oil in a bowl and heat them. Massage the solution onto your hair and scalp. Soak a towel in hot water, wring out the excess water and wrap it around your head. Leave it for about an hour and wash it off with a mild shampoo. Follow this process regularly.

Bring coconut oil to your rescue and ensure a healthy hair growth.

The biggest tragedy of our times concerning health and diet is the mistaken belief that coconut oil is a poison that causes heart diseases. In fact, coconut oil - a highly saturated fat - is not vulnerable to oxidization and thus safest to use in cooking. Scientists have known about the medium chain fatty acids present in coconut oil since 1950 and it has often been used in hospitals to treat Alzheimer, Cystic Fibrosis, Epilepsy and to improve protein, fat and mineral absorption. It is well known that coconut oil is a saturated fat- all the criticism we hear recently assumes that this will cause an increase in the blood Cholesterol levels without any legitimate research.

However, the Framingham Heart Study is the most influential and respected investigation on the causes of heart diseases. The researchers could not prove any link between dietary cholesterol and its effect on blood cholesterol levels. A review of epidemiological studies shows that dietary coconut oil does not lead to high blood Cholesterol and heart diseases. In fact, when traditional societies replaced coconut oil with refined vegetable oils, that's when their risk of heart diseases shot up.

In Sri Lanka, coconut and its oil is the chief source of fat for thousands of years. Until 1980s, despite large amounts of coconut consumption, heart disease rate in that country was the lowest in the world i.e. only 1 out of every 10,000 was suffering from a heart condition. Over the past decade processed vegetable oils have replaced coconut oil, and as a result heart disease rates have also been going up.

Coconut Oil and India's Ancient History

Over 3000-year-old ancient texts of our country recommend saturated fats like desi ghee, mustard & coconut oil as being stable for consumption. Let's look at the figures in our very own Kerala, a state where large quantities of coconut fat and oil is traditionally consumed on a daily basis. In 1979, on an average 2.3 people out of a 1000 suffered from coronary heart diseases. As there was a rise in the campaigns against coconut oil, its consumption decreased across the state and was replaced by processed vegetable oils. As a result, in the year 1993, rate of heart diseases had tripled!

Indians had very low incidences of heart disease, diabetes and metabolic health issues while using ghee, coconut oil and mustard oil. The epidemic of diseases began only after there were replaced with peanut, sunflower, soybean and canola oils which are high on poly unsaturated oils.

Further, coconuts have been a staple diet of the pacific islanders for thousands of years. Common sense says that if it was harmful as we are led to believe, all the islanders should have been dead years ago. Heart diseases only appeared in the Island with the advent of modern processed foods and refined oils.

Coconut Oil Controversy: Result of Repeated Bashing of Traditional Oils

We need a fresh approach to the repeated bashing of traditional oils that our ancestors used for thousands of years leading a healthy balanced life. Coconut oil is a natural and economical produce with no adverse side effects and is widely available too. Needless to say, money making health industries have no desire to fund studies to promote it. The refined oil industry is huge and bashing tropical oils and natural fats like ghee, is the only way to sustain themselves.

Majority of vegetable oils claiming to protect your heart are highly processed and refined. During the process, the oil is separated from the source by using petroleum solvents. It is then refined, bleached, deodorized and heated up to 200 degrees Celsius. Chemical preservatives are added to avoid oxidation. Just compare this process to the way ghee was traditionally made in Indian homes. Coconut oil is cold pressed and helps extract the best yield without the addition of any preservatives.

It is sad that consumers today are being misinformed due to vested interests. We do not need validation from the west, about our traditional food systems, that are robust enough to help us lead healthy and active lifestyles.

Coconut oil has been an age-old remedy for numerous hair problems; be it hair loss, dry scalp or hair thinning. It is an unsung superhero of our hair and beauty woes. It is known to condition and improve the overall health of your tresses; thanks to the presence of anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and emollient properties. While it may be a one-stop solution for most hair problems, it is said to be the most effective in preventing hair loss. Hair loss can be due to many reasons; some of them being- stress, medications, nutritional imbalance, rapid weight loss and hormonal issues. Coconut oil has the potential to protect your hair from falling and further help them grow stronger and healthier. Let's look at some benefits coconut oil has to offer for hair loss and some hair packs that you can bring into use to grow happy and healthy tresses.
Benefits of coconut oil for hair

Coconut oil is like sebum, which is body's own natural oil that helps keep the scalp from drying out and also coats hair roots to protect them from damage. A well-oiled scalp is surely a way to keep your hair follicles healthy.

Coconut oil has lauric acid that helps bind the protein in hair, protects the roots and strands and prevent them from breakage.

The antioxidants present in coconut oil help boost healthy hair growth.

Coconut oil is known to penetrate the hair shaft, protecting it against environmental pollutants and excess heat.

Coconut oil contains anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties that help protect against any bacterial problems that can inhibit hair growth.

It helps provide overall nourishment to your hair and scalp.

Coconut oil is known to act as a natural conditioner that helps keep your hair soft and shiny.

Massaging with coconut oil helps improve blood circulation, further ensuring that the nutrients nourish your follicles.