Coconut oil for summer beauty

Shahnaz Husain
With summer finally rolling in, , everyone gets excited about spending more time outdoors. Sun is fun, but it can be tough on your skin and hair.
Excessive heat during summer will dry up all the natural oil from your body. In order to keep your skin soft and good looking using coconut oil is one of the best remedies to try out this summer season.  The versatile tropical oil is one of those do-it-all miracle oils that might as well be the beauty world's holy water.
This amazing natural multi-tasker will hydrate your skin, fight frizz and can even reduce premature signs of ageing. Coconut oil is not just an all-natural skin remedy but it’s also a cost-effective way of caring for your skin, especially face.  
Coconut Oil, the holy water of beauty world has power to  smooth dry, damaged hair,  fight off bacteria, burn fat, seamlessly remove makeup and  work as a whitening toothpaste.
Popularly called as ‘miracle oils’ is multitasker which  has one of the highest concentration of fatty acid among the different types of oils. These fatty acids, which are antimicrobial and antibacterial, also help hydrate and soothe skin, and is suitable for all types of skins including sensitive skin. Besides being a frizz-tamer and wonder treatment for tresses, it protects skin from  sun damage and sunburn which  is one of the highest risk factors for skin cancer.
It acts as shield by sitting on top of the skin and blocking or deflecting UV rays. Coconut oil mainly virgin oil is full of beauty surprises. Virgin coconut oil is non-comedogenic, which means that it is less likely to clog pores or cause congestion, making it suitable even for those with oilier complexions.
Every part of the fruit is beneficial, the water, the kernel, oil and coconut milk. Coconuts are rich in vitamins and minerals and highly nutritious. As beauty treatments too, it is beneficial for both skin and hair.  
Apart from being used as cooking oil, it is also valued for skin care. In fact, Face Oil is popular today, especially during the summer  months, when the weather is hot  and dry. Oil, by itself, does not moisturise the skin, but it helps the skin to hold moisture better.
Therefore, oils help people with dry, dehydrated skin, by softening it and preventing loss of moisture. The skin feels and looks soft and smooth after application of oil. Coconut oil, for instance helps the skin to retain moisture and thus prevent moisture loss. Since it is known for its hydrating benefits, it can also be used as a body moisturiser or scrub.
Coconut oil contains medium-chain fatty acids, like Lauric acid, which are said to be beneficial for the skin. Coconut Oil is packed with Vitamin E and other essential amino acids which help to repair and strengthen skin, and maintain healthy skin barrier functions while preventing moisture loss.
There is no doubt that coconut oil has a great skin softening ability too and helps to make the skin soft and smooth.
Mix 2-3 tbsp of coconut oil with your moisturizer and apply on your arms and legs. Also gently massage with your hands to get a softer and a smoother skin.  
It may be applied on the lips and is also said to protect the skin from the damage caused by exposure to ultraviolet rays of the sun.
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. You can also add sugar and exfoliate your lips this way. Coconut oil may be applied on the lips and left on overnight. Or, it can be left on for 15 minutes and wiped off with moist cotton wool. The advantage is that, unlike other preparations that may contain synthetic ingredients, coconut oil can be safely applied on the lips and even ingested. Another advantage is that unlike other oils, coconut oil does not become rancid.
Heal wounds–If there is a cut or wound on the skin, applying organic Coconut Oil to the skin, will help in the protection of from microbial infections.  
It is said to protect the skin better than nourishing cream. It also helps to heal cracks on the lips. In fact, it can be used to remove make-up from the face, including the lips as the oils help to break down heavy or waterproof makeup without clogging up your pores. Coconut Oil has the Power to Make Your Hair Grow Healthier, Thicker and Longer.  The vitamins and fatty acids in coconut oil help nourish your scalp and penetrate the cuticle of the hair. It also helps to remove sebum build-up from hair follicles, which speeds up growth. The daily nourishment of coconut oil on the scalp creates an optimal environment for hair growth.  In India, coconut oil is commonly used as a traditional home remedy, due to its many benefits. Its healing and beneficial properties have been proved over centuries of usage.
Add a thin layer of coconut oil to your (clean) face and neck  before bedtime. Massage the oil into your skin in circular motions for a few minutes and let it work its moisturizing magic while you sleep. Doing so every night before sleep  will help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and reduce premature ageing.
If you have acne-prone or oily skin but still want to reap the hydrating benefits of coconut, add a few drops of the oil to your regular night cream instead. Mix some baking soda in with the coconut oil to create a very gentle exfoliating scrub for acne. Apply to the skin and gently rub in circles to remove dead skin cells and treat acne. Rinse off and pat dry.
If the skin under your eyes is dry and dark use coconut oil to get rid of the problem. Dab a little oil on cotton and massage the skin under your eye before going to bed.  Just be sure you don't actually get any coconut oil in your eyes.
Sick of being left with an irritating shaving rash, it can double as a shaving balm so your skin feels smoother, softer and more well-hydrated.
If you have sensitive skin or can’t tolerate the ingredients of shaving gels and creams, try using coconut oil instead.
Simply slather coconut oil over your face  and shave per usual. The coconut oil acts as a protective lather between the blade and the skin, preventing irritation and razor burn. It will also leave the area so moisturized that you might not need to use lotion after your shower.
“Before buying a bottle, just check the label to make sure it’s extra virgin coconut oil that hasn’t been hydrogenated, bleached or refined in any way with fragrances or dyes,”  
The author is an internationally famed beauty expert and is called herbal queen of India