HEAD
I use it as a form of hot oil treatment for my hair. While I’m watching television, I massage my head with virgin coconut oil and work my way to the scalp. This tackles dandruff issues and itchiness. I leave the oil on for as long as I can (though usually it’s about as long as the movie) before washing it off.
If you sustain superficial wounds to the head like a cut or scratch, virgin coconut oil can be used to clean and disinfect the area. Clean water is not always available so I make sure virgin coconut oil IS. This is the same for scrapes on knees or a puncture in foot from stepping on a rusty nail.
EARS
I don’t really use cotton buds. What I do is lie on my side and put a few drop of virgin coconut oil into 1 ear first. I let the ear canal soak in it for 15 minutes or more. The oil gets right to the ear drums; tackles any dryness or itchiness; softens any wax too deep for ordinary cotton buds to reach. Then, I just allow any excess oil to drip out and use a damp cloth to clean the outer ear before I go to the other ear.
Personally, I think there is no need to clean your ears everyday. Besides, excessive cleaning of the ear canal with cottons just might make them more susceptible to infection and dryness. Virgin coconut oil cleans the ears inside and out without doing any harm at all but to moisten and maintain their health.
I do the same with my cats and dogs. I use a syringe to inject a fair amount of oil. I massage my pets behind the ears for about a minute or two (because this is about only as long as I can do it before my pets really want to get away) and try to keep the virgin coconut oil in as long as possible before they shake their heads. Bogart (the dog) enjoys the attention while Marmalade (the cat) hates me for a few minutes. I love how the hardened wax inside their ears come out and I find his personally satisfying as a parent though some may be disgusted with the idea.
FACE
It’s always relaxing to massage my face with virgin coconut oil after I’ve washed it with soap. I could choose to wipe it off before applying a lotion but I leave it on most of the time. Some persons do not take to the scent of virgin coconut oil as much as others do. I DO MY BEST NOT TO WEAR MAKEUP though I may have no choice to wear it once or twice a year, which isn’t so bad. I’m not perfect when it comes to doing things but I try as much as possible. These days, you can’t 100% please yourself when you have other people to think about. I remember a fellow trainer Mark who once told me to “put a face” when I went to work with inadequate makeup. Anyway, that was a long time ago and I definitely do not want to return to a job that requires me to put makeup on everyday because it just destroys my face.
Also, virgin coconut oil makes a great eye makeup remover. Yes, there is petroleum jelly but it isn’t any near as healthy as virgin coconut oil, which I also happen to use as eyedrops to lubricate and clean my eyes on a stressful and tiring day.
MOUTH
I use it as a mouthwash. Some people may gag at the idea but you just have to think about the benefits. It disinfects your mouth and part of your throat. You never have to worry about bad breath or halitosis. I spit the oil out sometimes but it is perfectly ok to swallow what you gargled.
I also take at least 3 tablespoons of oil everyday on an empty stomach as soon as I wake up in the morning. When I’m busy, I sometimes forget to eat and it’s not healthy for stomach acid to build up because of that so drinking virgin coconut oil is the solution. It normalizes the PH balance within the internal system and serves as nourishment as well until my next meal.
For my baby, I use a dropper to give her virgin coconut oil. She has no problem taking it along with her doctor-prescribed multi-vitamins. I am just fortunate to have a child who eats everything her mother gives her. I won’t say she never gets sick but she rarely gets the runny nose, cough and/or fever that other children often do after having been outside with strangers, visited the doctor’s clinic, teething or just received a vaccine.
STOMACH
I like to drink a mouthful of virgin coconut oil on an empty stomach and wash it down with a glass of alkaline water. This is done everyday. My stomach and intestines get cleaned and are prepared to welcome future food intake. Everything we eat may or may not be healthy and does its damage on the stomach walls. Virgin coconut oil helps to repair any damage and maintain healthy conditions.
THIGHS
I worry about cellulite all the time and as I welcome my 40s, all the more so to be routine with massaging my thighs on a regular basis to help keep my skin firm. I also use a massage roller sometimes after I’ve applied virgin coconut oil. Naturally, I do all this while I’m watching television or reading something on my computer. Please note that I still do some form of exercise to keep myself overall healthy. Doing one thing is not enough to achieve overall wellness so it is also important to include some reasonable amount of exercise, healthy habits, and a nutritious diet free of pesticides
FEET
I like to soak my feet in virgin coconut oil (if not massage them) to keep the fungus away such as Athlete’s Foot, which can spread to the toenails and hands. It’s effective in preventing dry, cracked, flaky skin that can produce bad odour.
WHOLE BODY
Virgin coconut oil combined with sea salt crystals (cheaply easily available at the wet markets in the Philippines) makes for a great body scrub. I do this for myself whenever I can. You want to make sure you have covered every accessible part of your body. It may sting. Just go with what you can tolerate. After the scrub (normally lasting 30 minutes or more) and shower, you will feel lighter and renewed.
I love to massage Alia with this, which also allows me to bond with my child. Also, it helps to rub a little oil on her back, chest and head before a bath.
PETS
I massage my dogs with virgin coconut oil. They love it. Maximillian, my black dachshund, has shiny thick and tight fur. Bogart, my other dog, also is fed with VCO from time to time. He doesn’t have any particular breed and I let him out of the gate for his regular walk around the neighbourhood (we live in a somewhat provincial area where many dogs roam free). I like to mention this because he’s one dog with great skin because the other dogs in the neighbourhood are in bad condition either because they’re neglected, have mange or they don’t have owners. My cat Marmalade has no eyeballs or to put it more correctly, she has underdeveloped eyes so they don’t bulge and you can probably just see the surface of them behind what may be cataracts. Everyday, we wipe her face and eyes with virgin coconut oil as her eyes produce yellowish mucus or brown pus. It helps. She’s had this from the time we picked her from the streets. Marmalade may be short-sighted if not blind but she’s a happy cat who hates to be given virgin coconut oil orally. My poor Julia is missing at the moment. She’s a cat who loves to wander around in the neighbourhood. Sometimes, she doesn’t come home for 2 days. Now, she’s been gone for 3 weeks. Hopefully, nothing has happened to her.
SUMMARY
Virgin coconut oil is your drugstore in a bottle. It works for my family (dogs and cats included) and me. If you’re planning to take virgin coconut oil for the first time, I suggest to start with 2 tablespoons. If you find that there seems to be no effect within 30 minutes, then add 1 more tablespoon. I had diarrhea when I first took it many years ago but I now take at least 5 tablespoons a day. Once in awhile, I can forget that milk and virgin coconut oil are not supposed to be taken together and I do get diarrhea. Unfortunately, virgin coconut oil doesn’t really help me with my bad memory that seems to get worse all the time. For that, I should probably take more turmeric.
Anyway, different people have different side effects. Others may experience dizziness, headaches, a lack of appetite or suddenly sprout pimples! Should you feel the reaction is severe, then decrease the intake the following day. Side effects are still a good indication that virgin coconut oil works on you and may take up to 2 weeks to recover from them. Hang in there. I have been using virgin coconut oil for more than a decade already.
If you have questions, you’re free to email me at lora@yours-naturally.com I’m always happy to share my positive experiences with those who want to try virgin coconut oil.
Lora
Tuesday, 17th January, 2017
