Wednesday, October 5, 2016

My Obsession with Coconut Oil + Manuka Honey


I had alluded to my love for coconut oil and Manuka honey in a 5 Things Friday post, so today I wanted to elaborate and tell you why I love them and share some of the health benefits.

It's an awfully long list, so I am going to get started!

First off: Manuka honey

I actually used to work for Wedderspoon Organic, which is where I was first introduced to the world of raw honey and, specifically, Manuka honey. Honey is anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, and virtually no living organism can survive in honey because of it's strong anti-bacterial properties.

What do I use it for?

I mainly use Manuka honey as a skincare treatment. Honey is super moisturizing - slather it all over your face for a face mask and your skin will be plump and glowing after - or spot treat it on your skin if you need some extra TLC on dry spots. On a similar note, honey can help heal wounds, so say goodbye to any bumps, scrapes, and bruises and throw some honey on it. The biggest thing for me is honey reduces any inflammation in my skin. I chatted a while ago about how I get eczema on the back of my knees and inside of my elbows. Of course, this depends on what I have been eating, but using Manuka honey on these areas help calm the eczema down and adds moisture to the skin, too. Winning!

You can also use Manuka honey on your nail beds to add extra moisture to your nails (just be sure to let it sit for about 15 minutes before gently rinsing off in warm water), or mix with sugar or salt for a DIY body scrub. This is especially nice paired with my next little favourite below... : )


Next up: Coconut oil

Having a bad hair day? Coconut oil

Skin is feeling dry? Coconut oil

Boyfriend acting up? Coconut oil

Seriously, coconut fixes everything. I can't say that it works for when your boyfriend is driving you crazy, but give it a shot and let me know how it works out!

I use coconut oil as a body moisturizer and hair mask. It is seriously nourishing to the skin and hair, and like Manuka honey, is anti-bacterial and anti-microbial. You can make your own toothpaste out of coconut oil, it's that good. When taken internally, coconut oil can help lower bad cholesterol, raise GOOD cholesterol, and therefor help reduce the risk of heart disease. Crazy, right? On a similar note, coconut oil can also reduce inflammation, protect against UTI's (because who wants one of those anyway, right?), and boost the immune system.

See what I mean? What can't coconut oil do?

From a beauty perspective, you can bathe in coconut oil and reap the benefits. No, seriously. Throw some coconut oil in your bath and let it soak into your skin, then throw some more on your skin once you have patted dry. I will often do this when I do the whole, exfoliate, shave your legs deal, because why not have extra silky skin? I then proceed to throw on my Christmas fuzzy socks and pajama pants - don't forget to tuck your pants into your socks so your dog doesn't try to lick all the coconut oil off your legs - and wrap yourself up in a big sweater to make sure that coconut oil ain't goin' no where.

Sexy, right? Muahaha.

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I hope you guys enjoyed this post! Let me know if you are a coconut or honey lover, too!

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