Many people suffer from skin problems such as wrinkles, sagging, dryness, brown spots and freckles. Skin damage is caused by aging, nutritional deficiencies and free radicals. Coconut oil is the best natural skin care lotion for such people.
Our skin is constantly subjected to free radicals which damage the skin cells. The brown aging spots or liver spots are caused by free radical deterioration of fats in the skin. Free radicals are created by pollution, toxins, smoke, radiation and oxidized vegetable oil.
One of the best ways to protect the body from the damaging free radicals is to increase our intake of antioxidants such as vitamin A (Beta Carotene), vitamin C, vitamin E and Zinc in our diet. This is why it is very important to reduce the amount of processed food in the diet and increase the amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Refined polyunsaturated oils are devoid of natural antioxidants due to their processing. These oils get oxidized both inside and outside of the body. They get oxidized by heat and light and also when they come into contact with oxygen. These oxidized oils generate large amounts of free radicals in the body which damage the skin and cause many chronic diseases (1). Therefore, polyunsaturated oils such as Soybean, Corn, Sunflower and Safflower oils should be avoided in the diet.
Most creams and lotions contain a lot of water which quickly gets absorbed by the dry skin resulting in temporary smoothness and fading of wrinkles. However, once the water evaporates the dryness and wrinkles return. Some creams and lotions use polyunsaturated vegetable oils which do more harm than good.
When Coconut oil is applied or gently massaged on the skin, it:
One of the best times to apply coconut oil is at night before going to bed. This way, it will heal your skin overnight. It can be applied pretty much on all parts of the body, such as the face, neck, shoulders, arms, legs, chest and back. It provides immediate as well as lasting improvement that makes the skin look young, healthy, shiny, soft and supple.
The virgin or extra virgin coconut oil is of a superior quality as compared to the one obtained by pressing dry coconut (called Copra in South East Asia). When added to the diet, it has been found to give antioxidant protection to the body (3).
You will find that many good quality bathing soaps, especially Ayurvedic soaps, use coconut oil as the base. The large amount of coconut oil in these soaps makes them ideal for everyone.
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Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.