coconut oil!

so there is a huge rave on coconut oil in recent years.  after being bashed for being unhealthy previously, now coconut oil is all the rage!  from cooking to applying to your skincare and even making toothpaste!

while i try to use simpler and natural products, i'm not that hardcore.  I went to a DIY skincare workshop before and while interesting, I'm not a fan of using oils as a cleanser (aka oil pulling cos' i don't like the feeling/texture) and prefer not to have vinegar in my skincare (no matter how much it is promoted...i really don't like the smell in general.  smells like wet clothes...and not in a good way).  ok, i digress from the topic of coconut oil... 

skincare made from mostly food! almond oil, coconut oil, brown sugar, oats, flour, etc. Vinegar, clay and essential oils too. 

so the reason why i got interested in coconut oil again was cos' of Jabba! My sister's adopted pug. Yes, what would you know!  a dog!! hahaha...this is a photo of the silly boy.:)  Pugs are not exactly my favourite, but he has a easy going personality and super affectionate in his clumsy way!  plus he likes me...so.....;)  then again, he likes EVERYONE!

Jabba! a happy dog!

I was dog sitting him a couple of weeks ago.  and Jabba always had an immensely STRONG dog smell (even my old boy Twinkle who passed away a few months ago doesn't smell as bad as him!).
I reckon cos' he has skin issues right from the beginning.  And while it has tremendously improved and is under control,  it is still not the best.  maybe food allergies causing his skin issues which contributes to his really strong smell.  even bathing every 3 days or so only lessens the smell for a while...and it isn't sooo good to bath your dogs too often too.  cos' you strip it of its natural oils. 

long story short, I noticed that Jabba had dry skin and someone who smelt him said he may have some yeast infection, so i did a quick google and coconut oil came up.  I have heard quite a bit about coconut oil and it being used on dogs, so since I had some, I applied on smelly boy....and WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW!!! His doggy smell lessen IMMEDIATELY!  no kidding!!!

i was a bit worried he will be all oily and smell like coconut oil (aei..i'm not exactly a fan of it...sometimes I don't mind it, sometimes I like it, and sometimes I don't like it....it depends on my mood), but strangely, he didn't feel the least bit oily (he has short fur though!), and no coconut smell! at least a very weak scent. I think his body odor and coconut oil cancelled each other out!

I'm super super surprised cos' it's super simple yet works where nothing else has!  of cos' it works for Jabba's dry skin and probably yeast infection....and merely controls the smell (he still has to go for food allergies test to get to the root of the problem).  best part? if he licks himself, I don't worry cos' not poisonous! in fact coconut oil can be ingested (in small amts lah)!

even my parents noticed Jabba didn't smell so bad! so when he went home, a bottle of coconut oil went home with him! ;)

Jarrow coconut oil has a nice coconut scent. CocoNurture has 2 versions...this is the 'milder' version good for baking and cooking.  haven't tried it yet...so can't tell.  but I do like that it's in a glass bottle! easier to dispense as well.  

if you are keen to try, do find one that is unrefined and expeller or cold pressed cos' the nutrients are retained and not damaged.   organic is preferable. but that's up to you.  I got the Jarrow coconut oil (organic and expeller pressed) on iherb - it has a nice rich coconut oil smell and smells quite good actually (as long as it's not applied on my body. yes i'm weird like that).   Definitely recommended!

p/s:  If you are shopping on iherb, please don't get the cococare one! it's cheaper, but smells weird and I suspect has been highly processed. if you want the benefits of coconut oil, get the jarrow one instead! I tried both before...and Jarrow is leaps and bounds better!

i personally don't recommend this brand.  esp after I tried the Jarrow one! 

Before you buy online, pop by to your local supermarket and check the price!  It might be cheaper at your supermarket! again, look for one that is unrefined and expeller or cold pressed!

there are many applications for coconut oil....you can DIY a super easy sugar scrub with just coconut oil and brown sugar, bake and cook with it (i used it for baking my granola!), use it in your own DIY toothpaste (you can google it! I'm not keen on that idea..), use it on your dog, or use it as a body oil! (I don't recommend applying on the face as coconut oil is supposedly comedogenic.  if you really want to apply on your face, please do your own research k!  cos' our face is super delicate and needs to be lovingly treated! ;)

hair treatment mask!

my hair's feels scratchy dry lately and been curling all over the place.

so i decided to do a simple hair treatment mask. and given my recent 'DIY instead of buying commercial stuff', naturally I grabbed the coconut oil I bought from iherb a couple of months ago. It's simple plain 100% coconut oil.  it's in liquid form cos' our weather's really warm, so if you store it in the fridge or are in a cold climate, it becomes a solid.  thought you might wanna know.

[caption id="attachment_1681" align="aligncenter" width="547"] Cococare 100% coconut oil - bought from iherb (as usual! heh!).  there's a raised level in the container - so it looks more than it really is![/caption]

if you want better quality coconut oil - either for cooking or skin care, you may wanna consider cold-pressed, hexane-free, organic versions instead.  supposedly cold-pressed retains more nutrients.  and if you are particular about chemicals, make sure it is not processed with hexane.  though the ingredient is listed as 100% coconut oil, I suspect it's very likely processed with hexane. at only USD 3.41 - I don't expect much.

So - back to the hair mask - what I did was spoon a few tsps onto my palm, worked it into my hair thoroughly and then put on a shower cap and left it for a good 2-3 hours while I busied myself with other stuff.

[caption id="attachment_1682" align="aligncenter" width="438"] shower cap from my recent hotel stay sure came in handy! if you don't have a cap - a warm towel wrapped around your hair also works.[/caption]

Shampoo-ed it off in the shower, and it seems to work pretty decently. A little work to get the oil out, and i didn't bother to get it out squeaky clean.  Just made sure I washed away most of the oil else I'll get a pillow case stain!

I wouldn't say it came out as soft as i would like but it's still a good way to try to tame down the dryness. besides, it's inexpensive and simple! woot!

 

UPDATE @ 14 Feb 2013

I did the mask a couple more times, and I have to say - it does help reduce the straw like texture, and my hair is now way more comfortable than before.  much softer too! and a really cheap great way to moisturize!

Saw an article here about ditching conditioners for coconut oil.  Here's the link if you are interested!