Coconut oil

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Ayurvedic medicine loves coconut oil. It's one of the most important oils in this ancient science (sesame oil might take first place, though). Coconut oil is known to speed up skin regeneration after wounds and helps prevent sagging skin and wrinkles. Here is some of the science behind it. It's really very interesting to see how our body uses the lauric acid found in coconut oil to prevent diseases.

It's also excellent for hair, making it shiny and adding necessary proteins. It even helps prevent hair loss! I have yet to try it on my hair (treatment post coming soon) but I did trade in my sesame oil for coconut oil as a skin moisturizer for a few weeks. I must admit, I wasn't thrilled with the direct application on my skin. It felt wonderfully silky going on my face, but I noticed that my complexion was a bit red and it didn't help my blemishes at all. I know of people that adore coconut oil for their skin, but sesame oil works better for me. I think it's because my dosha is primarily Vata, and sesame oil is the most calming to that airy element (to find your dosha, take the quiz). Coconut oil is known to help balance Vata and Pitta doshas, but I think for me it's best to stick to ingesting it instead of direct application.

What have your experiences with coconut oil been like? Do you prefer a direct application or ingesting it?