I used to have flawless skin… and then I started modeling. Somewhere between turning 18 and rushed backstage touch-ups at fashion shows, I developed (what I thought of as) horrible skin.
Now, granted, it was not as bad as some. However, when a person goes from flawless skin to acne-prone-incredibly-dry-but-terribly-oily-red-and-very-irritated skin, things get a bit emotional.
It took me an entire year to figure out how to nurture my skin back to its “flawless” state. With that said, I think I may be able to say with confidence that I – myself – have research, tried, and seen results with a natural cure for acne:
Coconut oil.
Make sure you’re using organic, extra-virgin, unrefined coconut oil.
When I first heard I should put coconut oil on my naturally oily skin I thought, “These people must be insane.” But I did it anyways.
Apparently fighting oil with oil is a proven method to get rid of your skin’s overproduction of oil. Through research I’ve found that skin naturally produces oil when it’s too dry, which causes oily skin and acne. When you moisturize with oil, it actually nourishes your skin and helps to restore its natural oils, thus making it less oily, extremely moisturized with a natural glow, and less prone to breakouts.
It works! Not only did it immediately cure some of my current breakouts (coconut oil is a natural antibacterial), it also made my skin glow! I woke up the next morning with milky white skin and exponentially less breakouts.
Makeup free! This is after I’ve applied the coconut oil to my face.
Here’s my method for using coconut oil on my face:
- First, make sure you’re using organic, extra-virgin, unrefined coconut oil. It’s actually incredibly easy to find – check your local grocery store.
- I warm the coconut oil between my fingers and rub it on my face. This dissolves all the makeup on my face and “lifts” it off my skin. You can use the oil to remove your eye makeup if you would like. (Do not use the oil to remove your eye makeup if you have eyelash extensions. The oil will separate the lash from the glue in half a millisecond… whoops.)
- Wash your face with your favorite face wash. I use a glycolic wash (removing my makeup with coconut oil makes this face wash much less drying for my skin).
- I dry my face and finish by rubbing a sparing amount of coconut oil into my skin. It will not rub in completely, so your face should not be ridiculously oily, just a bit shiny.
- Go to sleep!
- I wake up and wash my face like usual.
Because I had so much success with my skin, I began putting the coconut oil in my hair at night and washing it out in the morning. I massage it into my scalp for about four minutes, and then pull it through to the ends to make sure my split ends are coated. Then I put my hair into a bun and go to sleep.
After I’ve saturated my hair with the coconut oil.
In the morning, I wash my hair with shampoo (if you’re worried about the oil leaving a residue, shampoo it twice) and finish with conditioner. I notice my hair has so much body when I do this!
Within the first week of trying this, I had multiple people ask me if I had extensions in my hair and comment on how healthy and shiny it was. The oil and scalp massage will stimulate hair growth, and putting oil on your ends will help seal up some of the split ends and protect your hair a bit more than leaving it “natural.”
The uses for coconut oil are endless. Here are a few more I either use personally or highly recommend:
- Use it to shave your legs – it will give you a beautiful glow and moisturize them, reducing razor burn or bumps
- Put it in your coffee as a healthy substitute for sugar
- Use it to cook as a substitute for olive oil
- Use it on your lips! It’s a great moisturizer for dry, chapped lips
- Use it on your cuticles, elbows, knees, or any other very dry areas
- Use it to tame fly-aways or protect your hair from heat by running a tiny tiny bit through the ends of your hair before using heat tools
- Use it to whiten your teeth
- Use it to get rid of cellulite – sometimes overnight!
So, what are you waiting for? Go out and buy a jar right now.
