I am a firm believer that external beauty starts from the inside. When skin is glowing and the overall look is vibrant, I feel like that means everything on the inside is working in harmony as well. So when Ovation reached out to me about their new series Rachel Hunter’s Tour of Beauty, in which supermodel Rachel Hunter travels to exotic locations like Fiji to get the scoop on indigenous beauty regimes of diverse cultures, I was interested.
They asked me to watch last night's Fiji episode and do a little write up. The Fiji episode was fascinating because they talk about two main products: coconut and kava. Both are things I use daily! I drink Kava tea every night before bed. It makes me so sleepy and gives me the most vivid dreams.
But coconut?
The real question is what don’t I do with coconut?! I thought I’d take this opportunity to share all the ways I use coconut oil:
Toothpaste - About a year ago, I was having a lot of inflammation throughout my entire body, including my gums. I switched from my conventional toothpaste to coconut oil and baking soda and not only did I see relief from inflammation, but I swear my teeth looked whiter!
Oil pulling - Just as an experiment, I oil pulled (swishing oil in your mouth for 20 seconds) over the summer for about six weeks when I was super stressed out and experiencing major jaw pain. It was really tough to do at first, but by the end I sort of really liked starting my day with it!
Body oil - I’ve used coconut mixed with lavender essential oil as a body oil. I prefer body oils to body lotions after the shower because I feel they’re more hydrating.
Massage oil - Every time I get a massage, I bring my own coconut oil and ask them to use it. Unless I’m going to a very high end spa (and seriously, who has money for that?!) I find that the coconut oil is a superior product to whatever it is the spa would be using.
Tattoo healing - I always use coconut oil to heal my tattoos. I only dab a little on so that the skin can still breathe. I’ve found that it speeds up the healing process big time.
Sunscreen - Coconut is a natural sunscreen! I use it whether I am at the beach in Connecticut, Miami or Costa Rica, and I’ve never once gotten a burn.
Hair mask - Lather a little coconut oil on your hair and let it soak in for a few hours. Wash it twice with shampoo and conditioner and you will be left with the silkiest, shiniest hair ever!
Take it as a capsule - I buy coconut oil pills because taking a teaspoon of coconut oil and swallowing it makes me want to gag. Coconut oil is a great source of healthy fat and helps boost immunity!
Cook with it - Coconut oil doesn’t smoke when you put it over high heat, which makes it perfect for cooking anything and everything. I especially like it with diced zucchini. It adds such a great flavor!
Bake with it - I put it in everything from cookies to brownies. Again, because it stays stable in high heat, it’s perfect for baking!
As a salve for wounds - Coconut oil is antibacterial so it’s a great natural option to help heal minor cuts and wounds.
In the bath - I’ll put a tablespoon in the bath with epsom salt and lavender essential oil. It makes my skin silky smooth!
As a shaving cream - Ok, so it’s not exactly creamy, but it will leave your skin so smooth if you use it for shaving.
I’d love to know how you use coconut oil! And if you’re interested in learning about other cultures’ beauty regimens, check out Rachel Hunter’s Tour of Beauty which airs on Ovation TV on Sundays at 8pm EST. And - this is so cool - enter to win a trip to any of the 13 cities Rachel travels to on her tour our beauty by clicking here: on.fb.me/1nAhgMd
