Tuesdays Tips & Tricks 
“Are you suggesting coconuts migrate?” – Monty Python and the Holy Grail

In the last several years as a Beauty Therapist and Hairstylist, my bathrooms in all the places I have lived have been littered with a vast array of beauty products.  Though some have come and gone, others made reappearances through out the years.

Coconuts.  I grew up thinking they were funny. I also grew up with monty python and if you did too you can connect the dots.  On my honeymoon in Cozumel, Mexico I realized just how yummy coconuts can be.  A few years later my husband and I  had the pleasure of living in Hawaii, on the island of Oahu, for four years. My youngest was born there and my kids grew up with the sweet pleasures of island life.  Though we no longer live on the island, you cannot take the island out of this girl.

Coconuts for cooking? Yes, please!

I love to try new things and a couple of years ago we tried coconut oil in our coffee for health benefits.  This went on to be used in replace of other oils in a lot of our cooking.  Thanks to sites like Pinterest the many uses of coconut oil has been revealed to so many.  To be fair since we began buying it by the jar fulls, I feel like I am a constantly finding new uses for this miracle oil.

When it comes to facial cleansers I am a hopper.  I will try this one for a while and then try something else.  Maybe perhaps because my skin is never normal.  It may be beautiful and perfect for a few days then the next week its broken out and then the next its really dry.

What is a girl to do when she is unhappy?

Break up.

Since 2003 I have been using a little bit of bicarbonate soda (baking soda) mixed in my facial cleanser of choice a few times a month to exfoliate the skin.  So when I heard I could mix it in with coconut oil in lieu of my facial cleanser it made perfect sense.

Here are my tips for breaking up with your facial cleanser with a DIY option:

What you need:
Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
Bicarbonate Soda/Baking Soda
Baby hair brush
Water
Facial towel

Steps:
1. Flush your face with warm water to open up your pores.
2. Mix a small amount of bicarbonate soda in with the same amount of coconut oil.  My oil tends to be in a solid state.  Make sure to warm it up in your hands to cause it to liquify.
3. Once the two ingredients are mixed together well you can apply it to your face.
4. Rub gently in circular motions with the pads of your fingers.
5. Using your baby hair brush which you have warmed up under hot water, continue to rub your skin in soft circular motions.  Only do this step once a week for extra exfoliation.
6. With your hands rinse your face with water.
7. Use really cold water at the very end, flushing your face a few times.
8.  Pat, do not rub, your face with a clean facial towel.

Advice:

• It is advisable to try using the bicarbonate soda every other day and use just coconut oil for washing your face the days in between.
• Your face will appear oily as soon as you are finished but the coconut oil will absorb into your skin within minutes.
• Use extra coconut oil (small amount works wonders) on any spots as an acne treatment.
• Consult your doctor if you are unsure about any sensitivities you may have as I speak just from my personal experiences from using this on my skin.  It works GREAT!