Coconut Oil – is it worth the hype?

Coconut Oil is all over the place, heralded as the best oil for skin, nails, hair and health. Being able to cook with something that you can also use on your hair has always made me cringe but I have to say, I like it and it's doing wonders for my skin and bank balance. When it comes in a 500ml jar, has a sell by date of next Summer,  costs £4.00 and improves the hydration of skin, it's a good find!

THE PROS:

• A little goes a long way. What you see in the picture is enough for the face, neck and to use as a hand cream. 

• It really does hydrate but don't use too much because it will cause spots and nobody wants that. I melt it in between my hands and lightly press it into the skin. 

• It's helped to plump the skin, which is linked to the hydration but wrinkles have appeared finer, especially around the eyes. 

• It absorbs into the skin quickly and doesn't leave skin feeling greasy for hours. 

• It smooths and tames hair. I only use it on the ends but using a small amount. I would imagine that if I got the quantities wrong, I would have greasy limp locks. However, it is better than any other hair oil or serum that I have compared it with, including Moroccan Oil. 

• It can be used as a cleanser and removes makeup. 

• When used in cooking, it's a good source of saturated fat and boosts metabolism. 

THE CONS:

• It needs to be stored away from direct sunlight and that is for good reason. It goes from 100% cold pressed to full on oil, so be careful where you stash it. 

• I can only use this at night, as I find it doesn't hold my makeup in place. 

• When using it for cooking, I would recommend decanting or buying a separate jar for the kitchen. It prevents any beauty regime/kitchen cross over. It tastes nice when making something sweet, like banana pancakes (which if you haven't tried and can't eat wheat, I would strongly recommend), as the coconut oil is a nice addition. I find it odd tasting when cooking savoury food. It's great in smoothies though. 

• Raw versions of the oil tend to have better reviews because they haven't been refined using chemical processes that can make the oil taste a bit bland and don't have the same skin care benefits. However, not all refined oils have been chemically distilled, so worth doing some research. 

• To use the product, you need to scrape some of it out. To me, this is always a bit gross because it allows bacteria to go a bit nuts! 

All in all, I really like using it, mainly because its multifaceted. Although I don't tend to use it in cooking, it really makes skincare easier when cleansing, moisturising and taming stray locks with the same product, especially when it has the same effect as products that I have paid a small fortune for! £4.00 is an excellent price!