I Poured Coconut Oil on My Entire Life — Here’s What Happened
In a little experiment we wanted to see what effect “pouring coconut oil over one’s whole life” would have.
The results: addiction.
Everyone on the internet seems to think that coconut oil is life’s greatest elixir. And for a long time I shrugged them off as overly dramatic bandwagoners.
To me, the memes, the Facebook statuses, and the tweets were a little OTT and repetitive. Part of me shunned the craze because I simply didn’t feel like worshipping at the altar of coconut oil and part of me just wasn’t convinced that one product could be the key to skin, diet and boyfriend problems (okay – jury’s still out on the boyfriend problems).
In a week-long experiment to use nothing but coconut oil, I discovered that one product really could replace almost every product in my beauty regimen.
1. I Used It As A Daily Moisturizer
I have dry and sensitive skin and I’m prone to ailments such as eczema. This means my skin is quite sensitive to changes in temperature and products.
This was my first concern when starting this experiment; would my skin react negatively to my new routine?
Luckily – no.
If you’ve ever had eczema, you would know that a major part of keeping it under wraps is keeping the skin well hydrated and coconut oil does just this.
My second major concern was the possibility of my skin feeling and looking a little too greasy – again, my concerns were unfounded.
2. I Used It As A Daily Cleanser And Makeup Remover
I am a self-professed makeup fanatic. I wear foundation, powder, highlighter and mascara every day and some days I slap on a little eyeshadow and eyeliner for good measure.
Because I don’t want to drastically age myself, I know better than to sleep with a face full of makeup. This makes taking off my makeup a big part of my routine.
A little coconut oil spread on a round cotton pad turned out to be a great cleanser and makeup remover. The oiliness of the product meant that dirt and makeup could easily glide off and when tackling delicate areas like my eyes, I didn’t have to try hard.
3. I Used It As A Conditioner And A Replacement For Hair Silicone.
Because I have extensions, I wasn’t crazy about using coconut oil as a conditioner and I definitely wasn’t into the results.
My main concern was that it would weigh my hair down and when I used it – it did.
It left my extensions looking a little greasy and because my natural hair is covered by extensions, my hair didn’t get any of the benefits coconut oil provides.
However, as a replacement for hair silicone – in very small doses – it gave my hair shine and worked as a great anti-frizz serum.
4. I Used It As Chapstick
Coconut oil makes a great moisturizer and the effects are true for the lips.
It tasted good, smelled good and acted as a good base / primer for my lipstick.
5. I Used It As A Teeth Whitener
I definitely didn’t use coconut oil long enough to see definitive results here but I’ve convinced myself that it works.
Here’s my logic – if my teeth weren’t any less white by the end of the week then they weren’t getting stained / worse. If they’re not worse then they’re either staying the same or getting better.
And that’s progress!
6. I Used It As Edge Control.
TBH, I didn’t love it as edge control. It added shine and moisture to my edges but it didn’t lay them down effectively.
Overall, I was highly impressed with the results – smoother, softer skin, more moisture, more shine and lots of benefits not visible to the eye.
And the results that weren’t great – i.e. the conditioner – weren’t so terrible that I would write off coconut oil forevs.
Beauty is all about trial and error, and what works for one person may not work for another. The great thing about coconut oil though, is it’s so pure it (probably) won’t have any disastrous results.
