Coconut Oil - my favourite ways to use it!

Coconut Oil is one ingredient we all probably have in our kitchen and are never really sure what to do with it. As a natural oil coconut oil is a perfect moisturisers, lightweight, absorbs really easily not to mention smells divine. I am a huge fan of coconut scent products whether it is a cream, hair mask, face-mask or sun tan lotion.

Just mentioning all of the above means that it is an item you can incorporate into your beauty routine, especially if you are on a spending ban, wanting to save money, are having a bit of a DIY moment or are simply wanting to try something new.  All you need to do is Google Coconut Oil uses and within seconds before your eyes you will have over 4.3million pages to look at and go through.

The lovely people at Viridian sent me a lovely jar of organic raw virgin coconut oil** and it smells amazing, I absolutely love it.

So rather than read all of those pages, I thought it would be a good idea and a good post if I picked my favourite 5 ways to use Coconut Oil and share them with you below.

1.) Eye Makeup remover: This is a tip I was given by a friend when she was training to be a beautician.  Coconut oil will gently remove your makeup, all you need to do is place some on a damp cotton pad and rub gently in circles around your eye area to get rid of makeup.  Once you have finished be sure to wash your face thoroughly.

2.) Hair Mask: Use coconut oil as a DIY hair mask to soften your hair and add moisture. Just scoop some out into the palms of your hands to warm it through and then apply to your hair, focusing on the ends (if like me you have greasy hair, then definitely avoid the root area altogether). Once applied, leave it on for around 30 minutes and then rinse it out in the shower before shampooing and conditioning your hair.  You can also use this method as an overnight treatment, just put a towel on your pillow to make sure it doesn't stain and then wash out in the morning.  I do this when my hair is feeling really dry, particularly at the ends when my hair is due to be cut and my hair feels so soft and smooth after using.

3.) Body Scrub:  You can make your own body scrub really easily and there are a lot of tutorials which show you how to do just that.   Below is one of my favourite home made body scrubs which the people at Eco Market sent to me to try a few months back.

Combine coconut oil with: 

• 1 small organic lemon

• 1 small organic lime

• 1 cup organic pure cane sugar
• 
1/2 cup organic coconut oil
• 
1 teaspoon organic peppermint essential oil/extract
. 

You can, if you like also add some mint leaves and lemon & lime peels. Mix the coconut oil, the peppermint oil and the juice from both the lemon and lime. Then pour in the sugar and mix it up well. If you want to add the mint leaves and citrus peels then stir them in at the end. Transfer the mixture to a clean, dry container like an old jam jar and you're ready to scrub.

This is such an effective exfoliator and definitely one to try if you fancy trying a DIY version because it is so easy to do and it smells so good.  You can also use this scrub on your feet, hands and lips!

4.) Shaving Cream:  If you run out of shaving cream/foam or whatever you might use, instead of reaching for your misters (oops yes I do) or using shower gel, grab some coconut oil and warm it between the palms of your hands, massage onto the skin and then you'll see how easily your razor glides over the skin leaving you with hair free soft smooth skin.

5.) Cuticle oil: If your nail beds look really dry, cracked and are a bit sore, get a cotton bud and your jar of coconut oil and dab some onto each fingers around and on your cuticle and massage it on.  If your cuticles need a little bit more TLC then don't massage it in, put some gloves on overnight whilst sleeping, in the morning you will notice quite a difference.

Those are just some of the ways I use coconut oil and naturally there are lots of other ways because it is just such a good moisturiser and so kind to the skin.

Have you ever used coconut oil in your beauty routine? How? 

1. Tell me in the comments!

Biosculpture Spa Range Nail Care

One of my goals for 2014 was to to take better care of my nails because they have become quite weak and brittle not to mention prone to peeling and snapping which is really annoying when you finally manage to get your nails to a length you are happy with.

Apparently the cold weather can be harsh on your nails because the change in weather means they have to as the change in continually adapt to dealing with either the freezing cold outside or the warm centrally heated indoor environment much like your skin which can also turn dry, flaky and be in need of a little more TLC.  The constant cold and change in temperature can cause your nails to weaken, crack and split easier, more so in the winter because dry air destroys keratin, the protein that keeps them strong and flexible.

Biosculpture have just introduced a new Spa Range of manicure and pedicure products and I have been lucky enough to try them. I have the handcream, Executive Base, Cuticle Oil and Top Coat. However there are quite a few more products within the range and you can go along to your nearest salon to have the products used and manicures start from £25 please visit www.biosculpture.co.uk for further information and to find your nearest salon.

Described as:

Bio Sculpture supports healthy nail care as the treatments nourish and protect the natural nail underneath. An application keeps nails well conditioned throughout use whilst ensuring manicures and pedicures are long lasting and maintenance free. Vitamin Dose and Executive Base, infused with vitamins & essential oils, are products used in the treatment preparation in order to nurture nails and protect nails. No primers or bonders are used that might de-hydrate or damage the natural nail; and unlike other treatments, the natural nail is not buffed prior to application, again ensuring maximum protection is maintained.

The Cuticle Oil which is enriched with Vitamin E, helps to re-hydrate cuticles and it is formulated with Almond Oil, Jojoba Oil and Avocado Oil. This products retails for £5.40.  The brush within this oil makes application so much easier to do and once on the nail bed it feels absolutely lovely and only takes a few minutes to sink in.  If like me you apply a little too much, you can of course rub it into your entire nail for a extra bit of TLC.

Executive Base which is described as being multifunctional strengthening base which compresses the nail keratin to strengthen soft, weak nails.   This product retails for £8.00.  Again the brush within this base coat makes application really easy because the brush fans out across the nail.  Once applied, it takes less than a minute to dry and then you can apply your nail polish.  What I have found by using this is that my nail polish glides onto the nail so much easier.

The final product I have been using is the Top Coat.  I have found that this is a really fast drying top coat which leaves your nails with a lovely gloss finish as you can see from the photos below, I have been wearing Essie Luxedo for the last week and it has yet to chip, so I am really impressed with this top coat.  

I think you can tell that I am really impressed with these nail products, more so given the extra length of time I have been able to wear my favourite Essie nail polish. My nails are less brittle though not quite yet near perfect, but my cuticles do look so much better and are in a far better condition now than before I used the cuticle oil.

For me these are a worthy investment and something I am going to continue to use. Hopefully in a few months time my nails will stop being brittle and weak and become the strong nails they once were.