Why Avoid Storebought Face Moisturizers?
Most storebought face moisturizers contain ingredients I'd rather not apply to my skin. Chemicals in contact with skin can be absorbed into our bodies. According to the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep website, storebought moisturizers such as L'Oreal and Olay contain ingredients that can potentially cause cancer, endocrine disruption, and reproductive toxicity.
What About Organic Face Moisturizers?
Organic face moisturizers generally contain better ingredients, but they tend to be very expensive. And I have found them to be totally unnecessary, since my One Ingredient Face Moisturizer works wonderfully. If you eat real foods, this is probably something you already have on the shelf!
One Ingredient Face (and Body) Moisturizer - Unrefined Coconut Oil!
I've been using unrefined coconut oil as a face moisturizer for over a decade. It smells great and works wonderfully. When applied sparingly, it is readily absorbed by the skin, and will therefore not lead to an oily appearance. Unrefined coconut oil is also very healthy for the skin. It contains lauric acid, which is antimicrobial and antiviral, so it is great for acne-prone skin.
How to Use Coconut Oil as a Facial Moisturizer
This is the method I use for applying unrefined coconut oil as a facial moisturizer:
First, I wash my face with warm water. On days when I shower, I wash with a mild soap and warm water. On days when I don't shower, I wash my face with a warm wet washcloth only. The warmth helps my pores to open up, and makes the coconut oil absorb better once applied.
Then I lightly blot my face dry with a towel, leaving it still damp.
Right away, I scoop a very small amount of coconut oil onto my hands. I rub this into my hands (front and back of hands) and then use the very small amount left on my palms to apply coconut oil to my whole face and neck. NOTE: if you don't apply the coconut oil right away after washing your face, it will not be absorbed as readily so you may end up with an oily face.
It Works Great All Over the Body Too!
I also like to use unrefined coconut oil as a moisturizer all over my body. The same rules apply: washing first with warm water, lightly blotting the skin dry so that it is still a bit damp, and then applying the coconut oil right away. Goosebumps definitely seem to keep the oil from absorbing, so I apply it while I am still toasty warm from the shower.
(My hands need a heavy-duty moisturizer, so I use hard lotion as a hand moisturizer.)
How I Use Coconut Oil Moisturizer in the Winter
In the winter, because our bathroom is rather cool (~62 degrees), my coconut oil moisturizer gets hard and grainy. We use a small space heater in the bathroom when showering in the winter, so I put my little jar of coconut oil in front of the space heater while I shower. That softens it up so it is easy to use when I'm done showering.
How to Travel with Coconut Oil Moisturizer
Traveling (especially during the summer) poses some special concerns with coconut oil since it melts at 76 degrees. When I travel, I double-package my unrefined coconut oil moisturizer to make sure it does not leak. So I place the small glass jar within a plastic snapware container that has a rubber seal. This has worked well and prevented any coconut oil from leaking onto the rest of my luggage.
What do you use as a face (and body) moisturizer?
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