MetaChat - Dry winter skin?

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10 December 2006

Dry winter skin? Use coconut oil, the beauty secret of the rich and famous. (and by "rich and famous", of course I mean me and iconomy.) →[More:]

Last June, I read this comment by ico, and wanted to try her concoction, but finding ingredients is not so easy here. However I recently found a local source for coconut oil, at least, and omg, bunnies - I'm luuurving it!

Since moving to Greece, I've had a problem with dry skin - especially in winter, and I really adore Bodyshop's Body Butters, but I need a lot of moisturizing, so because I really use it up, it's just way too expensive for me. Now I'm using a coconut oil (three parts)/olive oil (one part)/aloe vera jel (one part) mixture that I melt together and blend with a handheld blender (after removing from low heat, and several times during the cooling/setting-up process), and WOOWOO - me so soft and silky!

I also melt the coconut oil (you can melt it by just putting the container in some hot water) and pour some straight into a small (emptied) lip-gloss pot, let it solidify again, and use it on my lips all the time, and as a quick eye cream whenever. Just use the pad of your finger, like you would with a pot of lipgloss, and your body heat will melt enough to apply to lips or eye area.

Coconut oil is supposed to have a lot of beneficial qualities... antioxidant (like olive oil), antimicrobial, doesn't turn rancid... and apparently fights keratosis pilaris, which is basically just rough, bumpy skin, I think - which is something I tend to get in winter. But not this winter!

If you don't like "oily" you won't like this, but I find that it absorbs into the skin pretty quickly. And I've been using it on my face and it hasn't caused any kind of breakouts at all. Some people claim that, on the contrary, it fights acne. It definitely seems to make my face nice and "glowy", which I haven't found with cosmetic preparations I've tried.

Anyway, something you might want to try.

post by: taz at: 05:04 | 16 comments

Thanks, taz. Since moving to the island, I've been looking for just such a tip. And while we're on the subject, the best hair mask ever: about 1c yoghurt, about 1/2 c olive oil, juice of a lemon, maybe 3 tbsp warm honey, all mixed together with an egg. Keep it on your hair, wrapped in a plastic bag and a towel, as long as you can stand the drips (min. 2 hrs), then wash off. (Trust me--do not not not use hot water for this.) Whatever you've done to your hair, this will fix it.

posted by elizard 10 December | 05:11

Ah... I forgot to say that you can also add some essential oil to the mix to scent it if you'd like. I'm tempted to add some delicious "Blood Orange" essential oil I picked up recently (to scent the house in an oil burner), but dejah420 (mefite, metachat's PsychoKitty - of the delightful Soapy Hollow - love that girl) tells me she doesn't recommend citrus oils in preparations for people with dry skin.

posted by taz 10 December | 05:37

okay... just excuse my blabbering, and forgive, since I don't often blabber, but it's really showing up on hands, too, which are pretty bad from being constantly exposed and subjected to soap (of one kind or another) and water over and over again, every day. They're getting rejuvenated!

The only thing is that I can't just use this on my hands and go back to using the mouse/stylus/keyboard, because it is oily, and seems to take longer to absorb on my hands... so whenever I'm just watching TV, for instance, I take that opportunity to rub it into my hands thoroughly (even if I need to rinse and towel off the excess afterwards). I'm also making it a point to use it on my feet every day (or night) before socks, and they are completely soft now.

Finally, I'm using a warm, wet washcloth swiped over the straight (solidified) coconut oil to wash my face, instead of an expensive facial cleanser. If my face feels too oily afterwards, I just dab with another damp washcloth, and then a towel.

Some have claimed that coconut oil cures athlete's foot and other foot or nail fungus problems... so, when my husband's back for xmas, I'm going to give him a coconut oil foot massage every night, and see if it works... even if it doesn't, I doubt he'll complain. :)

posted by taz 10 December | 06:28

I'm allergic to coconut, both in food and cosmetics. I've been using this on my face and Lush's Dream Cream everywhere else.

My psoriasis has almost gone now, thank God. It just went of its own accord, nothing I was treating it with made any difference.

I've been carefully growing my nails in readiness for a Christmas manicure, but today I ripped one of them right across, and right down to the quick. I've tried fixing it, and will give it a day or two, but I think it's beyond repair and I'll lose it. Dammit!

posted by essexjan 10 December | 09:13

I just had a collodial oatmeal bath last night because my skin was so dry. Now it's much better but I will still have to avoid hot showers for a couple of days. My favourite moisturizer is Palmer's Cocoa Butter (unscented - I don't like smelling like coconut) but for some reason it's really expensive here. It was quite cheap when I was in Oz, that's where I learned to love it.

Now, does anyone has tips for moisturizing my nasal cavity (the cavity not the vestibule, which is where one's finger often goes)? My nose bleeds almost all winter and it gets unpleasant after about a day.

posted by LunaticFringe 10 December | 09:47

Yay for coconut oil! I use it every single day for something. I still make my concotion, and use it every night to massage my husband's feet (he stands all day and has bad feet and I'm a good wifey). That's so weird that you're going to use it on your husband's feet too, taz. But yes, it has antibacterial and antifungal properties in its virgin and pure form, so it might work -how cool would that be?

LF, have you tried using a neti pot? They're miracle workers. Again, a totally natural cure, using gravity, water, and salt. Using one cured my constant sinus infections - headaches, drippage, pain, blood...all the good stuff.

posted by iconomy 10 December | 10:08

This coconut oil says "pure" but doesn't say "virgin" - but since it's the only one I could find, I don't have much choice. But it doesn't smell like coconut - or anything at all. Does the oil you use smell like coconut, ico?

posted by taz 10 December | 10:32

No, not at all. I expected it to smell like tanning lotion, you know? Totally coconutty and yummy. But it has no smell at all.

posted by iconomy 10 December | 10:43

Mine is "virgin" and it smells incredibly coconutty -- lovely but distracting. And Taz is right: it's too oily to use if you're typing, so I have something else I use at work. But it's wonderful after a shower.

posted by tangerine 10 December | 14:02

Where does one find pure (virgin) coconut oil? And what does it look like? Is it actually an oil or is it a solid?
My hands have been super-dry and rough for the last few months now and no matter how much I moisturize, it doesn't seem to help. :(

posted by phoenixc 10 December | 16:01

It's solid, but it melts very easily; it looks white, but melts to a clear oil. Your best bet would be either a health food store, or the sort of shop that sells Indian and/or Asian ingredients. I've seen it sold on the internet, but it seems kind of pricey to me.

posted by taz 10 December | 16:26

I've heard of neti pots but is salt good for dried out noses? I thought salt was good for drying out infections but what if I want to moisturize?

posted by LunaticFringe 10 December | 16:29

Coconut oil also makes for a fabulous personal lubricant.

Where does one find pure (virgin) coconut oil? And what does it look like? Is it actually an oil or is it a solid?

It's available at asian groceries and Wal-Marts in the states that sell food. In Wal-Mart it comes in a gigantic tub for about $3.

posted by Mitheral 10 December | 18:06

LF, it seems to restore the natural balance of things. I would go light on the salt at first. What it does is speed the healing of any inflamed membranes, so if you think it might help dryness and soreness, give it a try!

posted by iconomy 10 December | 21:23

Well, maybe I'll give it a go. I don't know how things can get much worse in there. Off to the health food store for me!

posted by LunaticFringe 10 December | 22:13

Don't use iodized salt.

My wife's recipe is 1C water, 1/2t sea salt, 1/2t baking soda.

She uses a baby-sized bulb syringe.

posted by Five Fresh Fish 10 December | 23:42

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