Much like Kate, when I was working as a full-time pharmacy assistant my bathroom cupboard was overflowing with every type of beauty product you could possible think of. Not only were these products frightfully expensive and making a significant dent in my bank balance, they were also full of chemicals and questionable ingredients which on one occasion caused a serious allergic reaction, leaving me with swollen and blotchy welts all over my face. This lead to me seriously questioning the quality of my cosmetics and having a little bit of a beauty detox.
I started making my own beauty products when I squeezed the very last drop out of my beloved Shiseido Cleansing Oil and being a full-time student, I could not justify buying a new bottle. So I applied my chemistry knowledge (all those hours spent in labs had to be good for something, right?!), figured I needed some kind of non-polar substance like oil to dissolve my waterproof makeup and thought “Kate’s coconut oil smells great and tastes pretty good too, I could probably use that.” Not only did the coconut oil dissolve my heavy foundation (you know the ones that are designed to last 24 hours without requiring touch-ups), smudge-proof eyeliner and waterproof mascara, it moisturised my skin, reduced my breakouts and decreased the amount of moisturiser I needed to use. My coconut oil has pride of place on my bathroom sink and is by far my favourite beauty product.
If you wear sunscreen (which you should, and if you don’t you should definitely start) or makeup, you should always remove it before cleansing your skin. This allows your cleanser to properly go to work on your skin and it does not have to plough through the day’s sunscreen and foundation to get to your skin. Simply pour or scoop a 50c piece amount of coconut oil into your palm and then rub it all over your face and neck with your fingertips. Delicately rub your eye area to remove eyeliner and rub your eyelashes between your ring fingers (your weakest fingers) and thumbs to remove mascara. Then use a damp face washer to remove the oil and makeup from your face and then cleanse your face like you normally would. I store my coconut oil in a small jar and pour out what I need and I in winter I just remove what I need with a small spoon and then melt it in my hands. Exposure to sunlight damages the chemical bonds in coconut oil so it is important to keep it in an opaque jar or bottle.
Organic coconut oil is very affordable compared to the ridiculously expensive cleansing oils and make up removers on the market and you don’t need a PhD in chemistry to decipher the ingredients list. In a world where we are bombarded with chemicals every day, using coconut oil is a simple and economical way to reduce the amount of chemicals you use in your beauty regime and use its awesome properties to improve your skin’s condition.