Coconut Oil: A Girl's Best Friend, Part 2

Melinda shared about her favorite uses for coconut oil this morning - I really need to try that mosquito repellant for J! He is not a fan of DEET but mosquitos are huge fans of him. I bought my giant jar of organic, cold pressed coconut oil at Costco for about $16. When I say giant, I mean 54 fluid ounces. I will be sharing with my sisters because there is no way I can use that much oil, but the price was so good!

clockwise, from top: coconut oil in spray bottle,
Clarisonic Mia, Philosophy face wash

My main use of coconut oil is nightly skincare and I couldn't be happier. Since incorporating the coconut oil three months ago, my skin has felt better moisturized, my pores are clearer, and my skin tone is much brighter.

Old regimen: Wash face with clarisonic and Philosophy face wash, then apply Philosophy moisturizer

New regimen: Wash face with clarisonic and coconut oil, then wash eyes with Philosophy face wash

I keep a small quantity of coconut oil in a spray bottle because there is no mess involved.*** I spray three small squirts onto the clarisonic brush head and then wash my face like normal. Once that is accomplished, I make sure there is coconut oil on my eyelashes and follow up with my gentle face wash. I found that this final step keeps my mascara from running down my face.

***Side note: coconut oil liquifies at about 77 degrees, which is the temperature I keep my apartment. A spray bottle will not work if your space is significantly cooler than my Florida lifestyle. I learned that lesson when visiting my inlaws in Ohio during their 40 degree cold snap in May.***

Melinda still uses her moisturizer in the mornings because coconut oil made it feel like her makeup was sliding off, but I have never had that issue. Usually I just wash my face with a splash of water in the morning. However I do my nightly routine in the morning if I was feeling lazy the night before and went to bed without washing my face (bad Briana). Since Florida and DC summers have similar levels of humidity, I think the main difference between Melinda's results and mine is that I have dryer skin than she does. My suggestion for those who want to add coconut oil is to try a method for a few days and then adjust accordingly. Everyone's skin, lifestyles, and geography are different so what works for one person probably is not the best for another.

I have not yet cooked with coconut oil, but my sisters love replacing butter with it. My one other use for coconut oil is for shaving my legs. It makes my skin feel so much softer! But it makes a huge mess in the shower, so I don't do it too often. How do you use coconut oil? Did Melinda's post inspire you to try a more natural approach to mosquito repellant?