Being in the Island of Marinduque for the entire quarantine season and because of the unavailability of my preferred skin care products, I have unintentionally looked into nature as a source for some of my DIY skin care treatments.

I have now used the Coconut for my skin care.

 

The idea came to me when I remembered the video I made a few years ago, featuring my friend, Modesta, who used Coconuts as her hair care system. And I said to myself – why don’t I use it for certain skin care treatments. After all my skin care system has derivatives of Coconut Oil in them.

Click here to read by blog and to see the video “Modesta’s Way: Traditional Hair Care Methods Using The Mighty Coconut.”

As I have said before, the milk and its oil is known to have anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties that makes it a very sought-after ingredient. Coconut is known to possess certain proteins, vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to the human body.

According to Wikipedia here is what constitutes a Coconut: Saturated Fat, Monounsaturated Fat, and Polyunsaturated Fat.

The Proteins: Tryptophan, Threonine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Cystine, Phenylalanine, Tyrosine, Valine, Arginine, Histidine, Alanine, Aspartic acid, Glutamic acid, Glycine, Proline, and Serine.

The Vitamins:  Thiamine (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Niacin (B3), Pantothenic acid (B5), Vitamin B6, Folate (B9), Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Vitamin K.

The Minerals: Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium, and Zinc.

Coconut milk is known to have Lauric acid, when taken into the body it becomes Monolaurin, the compound that is known to have antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflamatory properties. Monolaurin is one of the key ingredients in the product line of VMV Hypoallergenics.

As I stated in the video you can mix in some Green Tea with the grated coconut to increase its “power”. What I mean by this is that, Green Tea is also known to have antioxidant and inflammatory properties. I came to this conclusion because some of my skin care products have a combination of derivatives of Coconut oil and Green Tea. They work well together.

The idea of using grated coconut as my facial scrub came from the fact that for a time, I used the Coconut and Coffee scrub from St. Ives. I have those two ingredients here and I decided to make my own. I also have to say that using grated coconuts as a body scrub is very helpful in keeping body odor away. Remember, bacteria is what makes your underarms smell – coconut milk fights bacteria. Realistically, it doesn’t remove 100 percent of the smell – there is still a faint smell, especially after 24 hours. BUT it certainly is not as pungent and as strong when you only use soap and water – two to three hours after you shower.

The non-woven sponge that I used was conveniently located in my medicine cabinet. It is used for dressing or prepping wounds. It holds liquids extremely well. It measures at 4 inches by 4 inches which was suitable to use as a facial sheet mask. I kept the coconut milk in the ref for a few minutes because I wanted it to be cool on my skin. It is very hot here in Marinduque at the moment and the cool milk was very refreshing and relaxing on my skin.

You want the milk to be warm? I don’t how chemistry works, but since there is oil in Coconut milk – I do not want to chemically alter it’s composition by heating it. As it has been written in journals – people only react to coconut oil when it is heated. If you prefer it not cold, I suggest to use the Coconut milk at room temperature.

Coconut oil is also used as a moisturizing agent and for it’s healing properties. Now it is said that, cold pressed extra virgin coconut oil is to be used for this. If “all natural” is the name of the game, nothing gets as natural as getting the oil direct from its source – especially if it is located right in your back yard.

One thing you guys have to know is that, grated Coconut spoils fast – with in a few hours. The grated Coconut meats turns yellow. It is a bad idea to store them longer than 24 hours in the refrigerator – especially the milk. Even the people who use it here in the province for cooking do not advice storing it for long – it can turn rancid and sour.

I hope you find this latest blog/vlog entry of mine insightful. Please do let me know how it worked out for you if you decide to try this out.

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Let me say that I am not a dermatologist, if you have any more questions about using this as a skin care product, ask one. The products I am using has worked for me and it might not necessarily work for you. Always be discerning when purchasing cosmetics or skin care products. Always read the label and the literature! Always do a patch test before you purchase a product for the first time to see that you are not allergic to any of the ingredients listed.

This video/post is not sponsored. The products that are shown here are the products that I always use, love and live by.

The videos and pictures were shot using an Iphone 11.

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