"Beddy Beddy Sweet..."

Thirty years ago, my brother got married in Puerto Rico and my entire family took the trip to the locale. One of my most vivid memories of while I was there was of a man walking up and down the beach on shore line dragging a little cart. He was saying over and over again, "Beddy sweet pineapple, coconut. Beddy, beddy sweet." He would stop his cart, pull out a huge knife and slice up a pineapple or coconut right there on the beach for you to enjoy. I always loved coconut, even as a child. My mom used to buy us a hairy brown coconut at the supermarket and we would grab the hammer, go out in the garage and smash it. To me, the delicious, white center was the stuff of Gods. Today, any coconut lover has it easy choosing from an array of available products like candy to water to Creme de la Coconut to satisfy a craving. So you can imagine my enthusiasm when I learned that the newest beauty craze has to do with coconuts! Coconut oil is making a huge splash in beauty products and it's actually being touted as a healthy food additive in small amounts. 

While at the store on Sunday, I came across a jar of coconut oil that wasn't exactly what I expected. It was a white solid, lard looking type of substance that didn't move. Still, I bought the $8.00 jar with high hopes for my newest beauty secret. I was not disappointed! When I opened the jar, I found the solid mass to be like a butter that emulsified immediately into an oil upon my touch. To my delight, as I applied the oil to my arms and legs, it soaked into my skin leaving hardly any oily residue and gave the skin on my body a supple sofness. It passed my first litmus test for a body oil easily, and the light, natural scent of coconut gave me a love for this product. The scent, nothing like the man made, "tropical" coconut scents you find in beach/sun products is actually a very light coconut scent and not  long lasting. The hydration it delivers is another story. 

I have heard about the benefits of "oil pulling", a technique where the user swishes coconut oil in their mouth for 20 minutes. It can get rid of bacteria and fungus in the mouth and whiten the teeth, but I have yet to try it. I am still in awe over the multiple ways my little "miracle in a jar" can help me in my everyday beauty regimine. 

Its a great eye makeup remover.

An anti-aging face and body moisturizer.

Great for hair! Use on the ends to condition and smooth split ends. It also reduces frizz.

Used on the scalp as a treatment to prevent dandruff.

It can be used during pregnancy and may help to prevent stretch marks.

Ingested, it has been suggested it boosts metabolism and can aid in weight loss.

It is a natural deodorant!

Cures chapped lips.

Used daily it can reduce the appearance of cellulite.

I can't tell you how cuckoo for coconut oil I have become! Give it a try yourself and you will see. While I won't be chanting up and down the shore of the beach any time soon, I will say that this whole coconut oil experience has been "beddy, beddy sweet" indeed.