Skincare ingredients are important; so important, in fact, that they often play a huge role in our decision to purchase certain beauty products. However there are certain ingredients that are so good, they provide beauty benefits all on their own. For example, oils are great at going solo because they are safe to use and provide a wide range of benefits. Olive oil, macadamia nut oil and argan oil are particular favourites, however this feature is all about coconut oil.
Coconut oil is a nutrient-rich ingredient that has antiseptic, antifungal and antibacterial properties. It is also packed with antioxidants such as vitamin E, phytosterol and phenol and it is unusually rich in short and medium chain fatty acids. These properties enable coconut oil to deeply nourish the skin, as well as repair skin and protect it from environmental damage.
Coconut oil also helps to improve hair health, thanks to its ability to nourish the scalp and treat problems such as dandruff. Cutting to the chase, coconut oil can be used for all kinds of things. I use it for just about anything - from softening my cuticles and removing makeup to cleaning my makeup brushes and shaving my legs! So the tip this Tuesday is simply to invest in coconut oil. It is cheap (around £3.00 for 500ml) and will cover a variety of your beauty needs. If that's not enough to convince you, Gisele Bundchen, Miranda Kerr and Angelina Jolie swear by it...and look at them!
Now, if you don't want to dive on the coconut oil bandwagon just yet, start with some products that contain coconut oil as a main ingredient. My current favourite coconut concoctions are the OGX Weightless Hydration Coconut Water Conditioner 385ml (£6.99 Boots / $7.99 ULTA) and the L'Erbolario Tiarè Crema Fluida Corpo 200ml.