Around October last year the delicate skin around my eyes became itchy and inflamed. I’m not sure if it was an allergic reaction to a new mascara or the result of stress but either way taking off my eye make-up became painful and I was left with red rings around my eyes which turned to dry, flaky patches the next day. Super attractive.
I tried everything to get rid of what my husband kindly referred to as ‘dinosaur eyes’ and spent a small fortune on various lotions and potions. Nothing worked.
Thankfully I was reading Charlotte’s post on eye creams and saw loads of reader recommendations for coconut oil and thought I’d give it a whirl. I’m a big fan of Lucy Bee or Groovy Food Coconut Oil for cooking but I also had a jar from Boots in my beauty cupboard. So many of you had mentioned it many months before on a beauty improvisation post but it had slipped my mind to try.
Literally overnight the dry patches disappeared and my skin returned to normal. This, my friends, is a wonder product. If you’re not in the know you need to get yourself a jar. This multi-tasker can be used as a moisturiser, hair mask, skin serum, lip balm, heel cream, cuticle softener, and if you fancy a bit of oil pulling, it’s also great for your gums. The list is absolutely endless and all for a few quid. I use the bog standard coconut oil in a small jar from Boots which costs just £2.54.
However I have to say I find it very tricky to apply. At the moment I take a cotton wool pad and smear it in the jar to take out a blob of the oil. I then apply the pad to my eyelid leaving for a few moments to melt before sweeping off the eye. Am I doing it right?! How do you get the solidified oil out of the jar? Am I missing a trick? What do you use coconut oil for and what’s your favourite brand to use?
My love for coconut oil is great. I use it for everything. I tend to buy the food standard oil as someone told me it’s better quality. It’s £5 for a jar that lasts months. To get it out of the jar I use a teaspoon to scrape a bit out, I then put it in my hand to melt it or if I’m super lazy a blast with the hair dryer! Then apply it to my skin as an oil. I use the tiniest amount.
If you want a softer version you can melt a larger quantity and add Argan oil to it. Store in a small jar. Then when it solidifies it’s not quite as hard & you get the benefit of added Argan which is lovely! Glad you discovered coconut oil. People think I’m mad when I say I use it but it does really work!!
Thanks Alice this is really helpful. Great tip on combining with argan oil too.
I have started using coconut oil recently and love it. I only use it at night to tackle dry skin on my face, and it has also been great on my eczema. I use a similar approach to you to apply it though, so will be interested to see what others do!! xx
Glad you’re sharing the love for the coconut oil Emma x
This post couldn’t have come at a better time! I was literally just wondering what to buy to soothe the skin on my face which has been very tight and blotchy of late (I’m a new Mum so definitely not getting enough sleep at the moment!). I’m going to go and buy some coconut oil this morning and give it a go! Thanks! X
Congrats on your new arrival Nathalie. Hopefully coconut oil will do the trick on your skin x
Oh my goodness, I agree 100%. I have a massive jar of coconut oil and literally use if for EVERYTHING. It is a wonder oil. It melts from solid quite quickly in your hands, so I tend to just scoop a bit out with my finger or a spoon and leave it to melt in my palm before applying. Alternatively, you can leave it sitting near a radiator so it is always liquid (I have a small amount in a plastic container like this to use a hair mask whenever I fancy it). My mum uses coconut oil, mixed with olive oil and and pure shea butter as a body butter (homemade) and has the softest skin ever. Literally! She tends to leave this near enough a radiator so that it’s soft and buttery, but not liquid. As a random aside, mashed up avocado mixed with coconut oil makes a brilliant hair mask. My hair has never been softer. Although I love eating avocado, so it doesn’t normally last in the house long enough to be used as a hair product!
I think I need to try the spoon technique Amma. I know it melts but I hate it when it gets stuck down my fingernails.
Will have to give your mum’s mixes a try. Great tips! x
LOVE coconut oil! I buy coconoil online which can be used in the kitchen too. Used it all through my pregnancy on my belly and no stretch marks, plus used it on dry skin on my feet caused by carrying the extra weight (!!) and it is amazing. Always get comments for days after using it as a hair mask, and it’s the best face serum when used sparingly. It really is a wonder product! My tip for keeping it soft is just to keep it in the bathroom and the steam/heat makes it more pliable.
So tempted to use as a hair mask. The list of uses could go on and on!
I love coconut oil as a body cream, it lasts forever and a little goes a long way! I whisk a batch of coconut oil and store in a container. It becomes really soft and frothy and I find it’s much easier to use! x
Soft and frothy sounds far better Deepa. Thanks for the tip x
Oooh whisking sounds like a great idea!
My coconut oil has been used from the moment I fell pregnant on my belly, chest and legs and I am happy to report I don’t have one stretch mark and I’m now 36 weeks. It’s honestly magic. I have used all sorts of expensive products on my face lately as noticed my skin is a little dry but nothing made an impact. Then the light bulb moment … used coconut oil twice a week on the face at night time has got my skin back to glowing. I will never be without it. I just rub it between my palms for it to melt so I get even coverage.
Not long to go Emma! We need to mention coconut oil over on RMF! x
I only got on the coconut oil bandwagon recently and am sold. I have a newborn baby and all the midwives and Health Visitor recommended it for her dry skin – so definitly something for RMF. Now I have two large jars (Holland and Barrett penny sale) which can be used for your skin, cooking or whatever takes your fancy!!
I must give this a go! We use coconut oil for cooking (and the husband loves a tiny bit in his coffee!) but hadn’t really thought about using it on my skin. My hands are so dry and itchy recently and my face is also not anywhere near its best (I blame pregnancy hormones…). Thanks for the tip 🙂
It’s definitely worth giving it a try Maike. Let me know how you get on x
LucyBee is worth the extra money. Its more pricey but better quality and also Fair Trade. Their instagram has some great beauty tips including oil pulling etc as well
I must check out the Lucy Bee website. Big fan of their oil x
Oil pulling is great and not at all icky as I’d always thought it’d be!! Once it’s melted it’s just like water.
I’ve tried it a couple of times Alice but always find I need to have a chat just after I’ve put the oil in my mouth!
We use fractionated coconut oil on everything. So it’s in liquid form making it easier to work with. I mix it with essentials oils which have pretty much replaced all the pills and potions in my medicine cabinit, all natural and way better for our family.
I love it when you find a natural solution that just as effective as the chemical stuff x
Jumping on the I Love Coconut Oil bandwagon here! Would recommend http://kokoso.co.uk/kokoso-baby-shop for all uses and also baby friendly! Winner!
LOVE coconut oil!
After a bit of google searching I’m currently oil pulling….weird. I do like the idea of whiter teeth though!
X
Hi Lauren,
Just wanted to say, this post has been lifechanging for me (not to be dramatic…)! I’ve been battling with something that sounds very similar to your ‘dinosaur eyes’ on and off for almost two years now. Saw two different GPs who gave me two different diagnoses and two diffrerent sets of prescriptions and eye care regimens, each of which helped a little, but didn’t really get rid of the irritation.
I read your post and decided I might as well give it a go as my current regimen wasn’t working and OMG…I think the coconut oil has actually returned my poor eyes to normal! I can’t believe it! No more redness, no more flaky skin and no itching at all since I started using it. What a relief.
I can’t thank you enough for blogging about this. I’d tried oil pulling but never thought of using it as an eye cream but it has really made all the difference!
Oh Helena, I’m sat here with a big smile on my face because it’s lovely to know we’ve been able to help you out. So glad your dinosaur eyes are now extinct! Have a fab weekend x
I love coconut oil, not a day goes by where I don’t use it for something. Use it two nights a week on my face, everyday on my body, oil pulling 3 times a week…dentist was impressed with the transformation with my gums!!
It’s fantastic at getting rid of stubborn mascara and a teaspoon in coffee, but only in the morning, is a great energy booster. It even helped with my toenail when I had a fungal infection. Love, love, love it!!!!