What you put on your skin really does matter
It is becoming more apparent that coconut oil is very beneficial for use in cooking, but did you know that the super versatile oil makes for the ideal substance to use for moisturizing and restoring your skin? Whether it’s recovering from a day in the sun at the beach or going through the cool, dry air of winter, many people are looking for solutions take care of their skin. To the casual consumer does it really matter what kind of lotion we use? The labels of most skin moisturizers and lotions reveal that one of the main ingredients found in these products is water. When these lotions and creams are applied to the body, their moisture is rapidly absorbed into the skin. As the water absorbs into the skin, it expands the tissues, similar to filling up a balloon with water, so that any wrinkles briefly fade away and also causing the skin to take on a smoother feel. However, as soon as the moisture in the lotion or cream evaporates or is whisked away by the blood stream, the skin nearly always returns to it’s dry, wrinkled condition. Our skin is made up of connective tissues that make it strong and elastic with strong connective fibers causing our skin to be youthful in appearance, supple and strong, much like the skin of most youths. Unfortunately, as we become older and these fibers are constantly exposed to free-radicals, they tend to break down, resulting in connective tissues that become more hardened as they slowly lose their strength and elastic qualities. When the skin is no longer able to hold itself together it begins to develop wrinkles, and often takes on a dry, leathery, and even “droopy” appearance.
Even though we may be very diligent with our skin care routine, we will never really be able to permanently conquer dry, wrinkled skin with commercial skin care products. In addition to containing water as a primary ingredient, most lotions have some type of heavily refined vegetable oil that lacks the natural protective antioxidants which makes them highly likely to cause free-radical development on the inside and outside of the body. This is just one reason why taking in processed vegetable oils can lead to a deficit in vitamin E and other antioxidants, which are used up in battling free radicals that cause permanent damage to connective tissue. As we consider this, we should be more discerning about the types of substances we use on our skin. Using products that contain a refined oil has the potential to cause skin to age more rapidly. Although moisturizers and skin creams can provide us with what seems to be temporary improvement, they are actually speeding up aging of the skin and even encouraging more serious damage due to the free radicals that are readily developed from the refined vegetable oil.
After free-radical reaction is initiated it often gathers momentum causing a domino effect which causes additional development of free radicals, which ends up damaging large numbers of molecules in the skin. The human body utilizes antioxidants to fight these damage causing free-radicals. The chain reaction of free radical development is hindered when they come into contact with antioxidants which which the body uses as a defense against these damage causing cells. The amount of antioxidants contained in our tissues is mostly affected by the nutrients in our daily diet, which leads us to……..
Coconut Oil as Nature’s perfect skin care remedy
Raw, virgin coconut oil is perhaps the best natural ingredient for skin care available as it softens the skin and safeguards it from damage, encourages healing, resulting in a more healthy appearance. Coconut oil provides protection against damaging free radicals and even offers the added benefit of keeping the skin from forming liver spots and other blemishes that are brought on by aging and over exposure to sunlight, which are signs of free-radical deterioration of the lipids in the skin. Dr. Ray Peat, a biochemist who has written about the antioxidant properties of coconut oil, has stated, “It is well established that dietary coconut oil reduces our need for vitamin E, but I think its antioxidant role is more general than that, and that it has both direct and indirect antioxidant activities.”
In addition to providing protection from free radical damage, coconut oil also assists with maintaining strong, supple connective tissue, preventing the skin from having a wrinkly and sagging appearance. In some cases it might also heal and even restore skin that has been previously damaged. As the oil is absorbed into the skin, it penetrates beyond the surface going into the deeper layers of the skin, strengthening the underlying tissues, resulting in limiting the damage caused by over exposure to the sun. Unlike many common moisturizing lotions and skin care products that usually have only temporary benefits, coconut oil will have lasting effects that can help return the back to a more healthy, smooth appearance. One reason why this happens is because the coconut oil aids in the removal of the outer layer of dead skin cells, which results in the skin feeling and appearing smoother with a healthy glow. Coconut oil will also help to decrease chronic skin inflammation within days and also serve as a soothing and healing treatment for skin ailment such as minor wounds, blisters, and rashes. It is an excellent ingredient to use in healing ointments and has even proven to be very beneficial as a hair conditioner. With so many versatile and positive qualities, extra virgin coconut oil deserves a place as a regular part of out diet.
