Cutting harsh chemicals and using coconut oil as a body moisturiser was the key thing that cleared my daughter’s eczema. And it turns out that my experience is not unique.
A study looking at the effects of coconut oil on eczema in children found that 47% of patients achieved moderate improvement and 46% achieved excellent improvement after 8 weeks.
Coconut oil contains only one ingredient, so there’s nothing in there that can irritate your skin further. But be careful if you have acne-prone skin. Acne and coconut oil are not friends!
If you have a jar of coconut oil and you’re not sure what to do with it, here’s how I use it.
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1. As a body moisturiser
Rub it between your palms to warm up then smooth it on your skin. It absorbs really well and doesn’t leave a greasy film. I frequently use it on myself and on my daughter.
Just a word of caution, if you suffer from acne, don’t use coconut oil to moisturise your face, it’ll likely clog your pores. It’s also not great for prickly heat sufferers. Coconut oil can encourage sweat to remain trapped in the skin and trigger a heat rash.
2. To remove eye make-up
Smooth over your closed eyes then wipe off with a damp facecloth or cotton wool. It’s great on even waterproof mascara. Coconut oil does have comedogenic properties. If you suffer from acne and you’re using coconut oil to remove all of your make-up, follow it up with another cleanser to make sure all of the oil is removed from your skin so it can’t clog your pores. For more on what double-cleansing is and why you should do it, click here.
3. To remove face paint
If your children are anything like mine then they’ll love getting their faces painted. Butterflies, witches, tigers, and dogs are favourites in my house. It’s all good fun until bath time when you wonder how you’re going to get it off. Coconut oil works for me when good old soap and water fails. Just take it off in the same way you would remove your own make-up.
4. As a hair and scalp mask
Rub the coconut oil into your scalp and hair before going to bed at night. In the morning, wash and condition well for super silky hair.
5. To clean your mouth
Take a tablespoon of coconut oil and swish it around your mouth. This is called oil pulling, an ancient form of cleaning your teeth and mouth. Ayurvedic medicine says to do this for 20 minutes in the morning to detox your body and rid your mouth of bacteria that can cause tooth decay.
I’ve not been able to get to 20 minutes without gagging so I’ve given up on that. But a minute or so in the morning makes my teeth feel cleaner and look whiter. When you’re finished swishing, just spit the oil in the bin (so it doesn’t harden in your drains) and brush your teeth as normal. Give it a go and see if you notice a difference.
If you’re interested in learning more about Ayurvedic medicine, a great place to start is Jasmine Hemsley’s book East by West, which is described as a modern take on Ayurvedic principles.
6. For baby massage
This is such a great oil for massaging your baby. You get that all-important skin-to-skin touch whilst knowing you’re rubbing something nourishing into their delicate skin. Many baby oils are made from petrochemicals and will be listed on labels as petroleum, petrolatum, mineral oil, and paraffin. These ingredients are common in skincare products. I think of them as cheap filler ingredients and my skin is definitely better without them. For more information on ingredients in skincare, click here.
7. And, of course, for cooking
If you’ve checked out any of my recipes, you’ll see I mainly use extra virgin olive oil. This is part convenience and part finding an oil I like the flavour of so I stick with it. But I also use coconut oil on occasion for frying, baking and roasting.
Unlike some other oils, coconut oil has a distinct flavour. This means you taste it when you cook with it so I limit its use to dishes that would benefit from the flavour such as curries and sweet and savoury recipes that use coconut flesh.
Things to note about coconut oil
- Coconut oil is solid at room temperature. This, however, depends on the temperature of your room! In the summer months, you may find your coconut oil liquifies a bit on top. This is perfectly normal. It’s just the oil starting to melt.
- If you travel abroad (or live in a warm country), your coconut oil may completely liquify. Again, this is normal. If you’re taking a jar of coconut oil on your travels, enclose it in a sealed bag in case it melts on the journey and leaks. She says from experience…
- Get the best quality coconut oil by opting for organic extra virgin coconut oil. You can buy it in the cooking oil aisle of most supermarkets or get this one from Lucy Bee delivered straight to your door.
