Day 24: Coco-what?

Coconut oil is all the rage these days and I am no exception to appreciating its amazing powers!  As a woman with coarse, curly hair I wanted something that wouldn't make my hair too greasy and have tried 1000 different products over the course of my life.  As my life changed, my hair needs changed as well (thanks, hormones!).  Anyhow, I read on Pinterest about this magical solution called coconut oil and I had started seeing it appear in the health food stores here in Winnipeg.  So, I decided to give it a go.  It. Is. Amazing.

    Seriously, I literally look forward to doing a coconut hair mask once a week because I love the way my hair looks and it smells delicious as well!  It helps to replenish the moisture and makes it grow faster because it repairs it.  And it is natural. Yay for no chemicals!  Now, because I have sooo much hair, I coat it on by the handfuls and sit with my hair tied up and greasy for a good 20-35 minutes (or longer if I am busy) before I shampoo it out.  The day after I also JUST shampoo my hair (no conditioner) because it is pretty greasy the next day and I don't like to double shampoo on the same day.  But the second day coconut hair is AMAZING....it seriously is what I call bombshell hair.  It has volume, lift, and bounce. (Do you think if I slathered my boobs in it, the same thing would happen to them?)

 

In addition to the hair mask once a week, I also wash my face in coconut oil every second day and once a week I add in baking soda to create a natural exfoliant.  It sounds odd that you would use oil to clear up skin, but it makes a HUGE difference and is much gentler on your skin than chemical products.  I used to deal with massive acne as a teenager and now, as an adult, I get little bouts of hormonal acne (awesome.).  Once I stopped trying every product on the shelf and settled for water and moisturizer, I was in a much better boat.  When I get my little acne flare ups every now and then, they aren't as bad but I just use the coconut oil and this eases the itchiness of the bumps.

 

I also used to struggle with stress-induced exczema(?) and have heard that coconut oil can clear that up as well.  Same with diaper rash (I don't get that ailment, but my sister's babies do!)...it soothes and clears it up.  Since our bodies absorb almost 60% of what we put on it, we should probably limit our usage of chemical induced products I think, and use things that nature provided us if we can.  Anything is worth a try I think.

Check out this great image I found on Pinterest:

Lots of people say that it costs too much to buy, but when you factor in the total cost of: hair products, skin products, topical medications, etc. a jar of natural coconut oil is not actually that expensive.  Plus a little bit goes an extremely long way!  

Also, adding a bit into your coffee adds a sweet flavor and your lips get super soft as well!

Give it a shot, I guarantee you won't be disappointed.  (Unless you are allergic to coconuts, in which case I strongly suggest you stay far away from it...)

Date: September 10, 2013!

Current weight: 239

Goal for the day:  walking, walking, walking....get 'er done.

What is your plan for food today? 

breakfast: chocolate love

lunch: homemade curried sweet potato soup! (recipe tomorrow)

snack: almonds and apple

supper: taco smash (recipe tomorrow :D)

Planned water intake: 108 oz (5 water bottles full)