Health benefits of coconut oil

• Coconut oil strengthens the immune system. It helps in dealing with viruses and bacteria causing diseases such as influenza, cytomegalovirus, hepatitis and even HIV.
• Virgin coconut oil balances out-of-range cholesterol levels in the body.
• Coconut oil helps reduce risk for heart disease and stroke.
• Coconut oil helps reduce risk of cancer.
• Coconut oil helps in controlling blood sugar.
• Coconut oil enhances weight loss. Fats contained in coconut oil are easily converted into energy quickly, thus giving it no time at all to accumulate in the body. Coconut oil also speeds up metabolism, and boosts energy and endurance.
• Applying coconut oil to the head followed with a gentle massage helps in removing anxiety and stress.
• Coconut oil helps in preventing premature aging and degenerative diseases due to its antioxidant properties.
• Coconut oil helps in improving the digestive system and thus prevents various stomach and digestion related problems. Coconut oil also helps in absorption of important nutrients.
• As coconut oil improves the ability of our body to absorb important nutrients (including minerals, such as calcium and magnesium), it helps in getting strong bones and teeth.
• Coconut oil helps in preventing liver, kidney and gall bladder diseases.

Add coconut oil to your daily diet! It can be a healthy alternative to butter or margarine. It is also ideal for frying foods, as it possesses a high smoking point. Moreover, coconut oil is very stable, and has a long shelf-life.

Coconut oil for a healthy hair
Virgin coconut can give you stronger, shinier and healthier hair.  It strengthens your hair shaft and root, reducing split ends and hair breakage. Coconut oil is the best hair treatment for dry, damaged hair and itchy scalp. Regular massage of the head with coconut oil ensures that your scalp is free of dandruff, lice, and lice eggs.

Coconut oil hair treatment recipe:

• Scoop out some coconut oil into a cup. Put the cup in a pot with warm water to melt the oil.
• Pour some of the warm oil into hands and run your fingers through your dry hair.
• Coat your hair with the oil. Use just enough so that the oil will penetrate the hair, without leaving an oily or greasy look. Use more oil at the ends, less in the middle and near the roots.
• Put on a shower cap. For very dry hair, leave the treatment overnight; for oily or normal hair, leave it for an hour.
• Wash out hair with a gentle shampoo. Skip using a conditioner.

• For dandruff treatment, combine coconut oil with two-three drops of tea tree, rosemary, geranium, or cedarwood essential oils.

Coconut oil for a healthy skin
Virgin coconut oils will moisturize and nourish your skin using only its pure natural ingredients, without any preservatives, chemicals or solvents. It improves skin lipid levels, increases hydration, reduces roughness and scaling, and fights viruses and bacteria.

Deep skin moisturizing and conditioning treatment:

• Shower and exfoliate all over your body.
• While still in the shower take some virgin coconut oil and rub between your palms to melt the oil.
• Massage the oil onto your skin.
• After covering your body in coconut oil, rinse off in warm water.
• Step out of the shower and use your towel to gently pat dry your skin. This will leave a nice thin layer of coconut oil on your skin.

Do this treatment right before going to bed, several times a week, and you would not experience any dry itchy skin symptoms – even during the cold dry winter months.

• Virgin coconut oil is safe to use as a facial moisturizer. It does not clog pores. Moreover, it can help reduce acne symptoms.
• Coconut oil is gentle enough to use as eye makeup removal, and it can lubricate the skin for shaving.
• Coconut oil make it a great topical remedy for rosacea, psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and diaper rash.
• Coconut oil makes great massage oil. It is easily absorbed by the skin and promotes healing. It will make your skin soft, shiny, smooth, and mmm… yummy!

Dandruff is an extremely annoying skin disorder of the scalp. Dandruff can be a result of hormonal disturbances, faulty diet, emotional stress, an increase in serbum production, or a fungal infection. For a very stubborn case of dandruff, consult your health care provider; otherwise, the following recipes work quite well.

Rosemary softening rinse (Source: Tourles, S. (2007). Organic body care recipes.)
Heady with the heavy, stimulating scent of rosemary, this product gives any hair type luster and body.
4 cups water
½ cup dried rosemary
1 teaspoon borax

Bring the water to boil and remove from heat. Add the rosemary and the borax, stir, cover and allow steeping for 20 minutes. Strain into plastic squeeze bottle, refrigerate. Use as the final rinse after shampooing or simply conditioning. Do not rinse out. Use approximately ½ to 1 cup per application. Please note that this rinse may stain towels.

- Apply plain yogurt to your scalp and leave it for 30 minutes. Then use a regular shampoo.

- Mix 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar with 1/4 cup water. Pour this mixture into a spray bottle and spritz it on to your hair and scalp. Cover your head with a towel or a shower cap and leave for about 30-40 minutes. Wash your hair. Repeat 2 times a week until your dandruff goes away.

- Crush 10 aspirin and add them to 1 tablespoon shampoo. Wash hair as usual, massaging the scalp gently. Let the mixture sit for a minute and rinse.

- Instead of shampooing, take a palm full of baking soda and rub it on your wet hair. Wash it off with water.

- Massage your scalp with carrot juice once in a week to cure dandruff.

- A teaspoon of fresh lime juice or cider vinegar added to the final rinsing water after shampooing helps to prevent dandruff.

Now you are ready to wear black