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?

indulge without fear

Lately I've been obsessed with what goes on my skin; I don't trust chemicals. I reserve make up for "special occasions" and I use it maybe once a month, usually less. This slight obsession has also seeped into my use of body lotion. There are some really scary, and unnecessary, things in conventional lotions. I've dabbled in research to find product brands that promote healthy cosmetic formulas. There aren't many. Today I found this short article on one of my favorite websites that addresses some of my concerns. It's basically a list of the 12 most toxic, common ingredients in cosmetic products. It's definitely worth checking labels before you buy anything to make sure the product is free of these vile ingredients.

But I'm not perfect and didn't check before I bought a new lotion from Whole Foods yesterday. I figured they would have the best selection of healthy/natural beauty products without having to spend hours on the internet, and then waiting, waiting, waiting for the product to arrive. So I scoured the isles and picked out one that I felt was worthy. I checked the label with the article today and, to my utter joy, the lotion I picked up checks out on the "Dirty Dozen" list! Yes! I am so happy.

This pomegranate sunflower (smells awesome, by the way) lotion from Nature's Gate is paraben free, phthalate free, mineral oil free, petrolatum free, PEG free, and butylene glycol free, and free of the other ingredients on the list. Plus it has extracts from sunflower seeds, safflower, pomegranate, sweet almond, apricot, jojoba, shea, vitamin E, soybean, aloe, pansy, marshmallow, calendula, sage, milk thistle, grape, red tea, oat, and horsetail! Nature's Gate also has products for hair and sun. Definitely worth checking out!

oatmeal & orange peels

I'm somewhat obsessive over my skin. The generic products grocery stores carry always, always irritated my skin. So I was stuck with the expensive stuff; it was the only thing that somewhat worked for me. The drawback to that, besides the harsh chemicals and high price, was that if I skipped a day of exfoliation or a mask my skin would take 3 steps back... *sigh*

Because of all that I decided to try my own, home-made treatments. I have to say I really enjoy the experimenting and my skin can handle it, too. My problem with home-made is that I'm somewhat lazy and don't plan ahead. But that all stops now.

Today, I was in dire need of exfoliation. I must admit I haven't exfoliated for a while, and I'm planning an epic pamper-spa day, complete with dry brushing, oil bathing, hair treatments, mani/pedi, and a facial mask. But before I do a mask I need to exfoliate, and I don't like to do both on the same day. Laziness aside, I concocted an exfoliating treatment today.

This is what I used:
*2 Tablespoons of Oatmeal- ground up with a mortar and pestle
*2 Tablespoons of dried orange peels- also ground with mortar and pestle
*1 Tablespoon of honey
*1-2 teaspoons of yogurt or milk

After I cleansed my face, I ground the oatmeal and dried orange peel and put them in a small bowl. Then I added the honey and milk and stirred it all together. I applied it with gentle circular motions and let it sit for about 5 minutes. After that, I rinsed it off with lukewarm water, gently dried, and topped it all off with some sesame oil. The result: awesome feeling skin.

sesame oil

My sister-in-law asked me to dig around for some information on sesame oil to find out what makes it so great. And i'm glad to do it! She tells me it's been working wonders on her skin, leaving her soft and naturally glowing. The more skin alternatives I find the better. Having struggled with skin issues my whole life, I've recently become sort of obsessed with using only all natural, chemical-free products on my skin. My delicate skin! How could I torture you with chemicals?! I choose not to. So when I hear of new stuff, I try it!

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Here is what I found out about sesame oil:

• It's one of the most important oils used in Ayurvedic medicine
• Also known as gingelly or til oil
• It's popular in oil bathing, as it calms an imbalanced Vata dosha
• It provides natural protection against UV rays
• It's antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory (really good for fighting blemishes!)
• It's full of antioxidants
• It's full of vitamin E, which is excellent for keeping skin hydrated and healthy
• It draws oil soluble toxins out of the skin
• It's used in oil pulling, for oral hygiene 

Basically, sesame oil is hydrating, it helps regenerate new cells, protects against UV rays, it attracts and extracts toxins, and it has very sanitary qualities. Plus it has awesome nutritional value being high in mono- and polyunsaturated fats, as well as being low in saturated fats. It's a win-win situation all around.

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I can say with confidence I'll be getting my hands on some of this miracle worker soon!