As I still praise all the good things coconut oil has done for me over the years, I’ve decided to take a break.
My coconut oil downfall began near the beginning of my trip to Greece. Instead of packing my half empty jar, I decided to transfer the remaining oil to another container. I need to point out that it was solid before and after I left. With the heat rolling in about two weeks after I arrived, boy oh boy did all hell break loose. If you don’t know, coconut oil stays solid in temperatures under 76 degrees Fahrenheit. Greece started to reach the 80s and 90s which is when my oil melted. And when I say melted, it reached maximum liquid consistency, and the mess was unbearable. I thought I packed it in a decent container, but it became nothing but trouble for me. Seriously, oil was everywhere. I couldn’t stuff it in the fridge because I stayed with family – besides not wanting to explain what it is, their fridges are small with absolutely no room for even a small container like what I had.
So besides the melted aspect (which was a big reason why I dropped it – the mess was horrendous) I found it kinda stopped working well with my skin. They say that you have to change skin products every so often because your body eventually adjusts and stops working with the care products you use daily. I’ve been using witch hazel everyday this year and it’s been working real well with my skin, where as the coconut oil started to just kinda sit on my skin. It could have been because of the heat causing sweat which mixed badly with the oil, but it became frustrating and it wasn’t helping my case.
Do you ever experience razor bumps when you shave? Well, my skin is so super sensitive that I get them pretty often, mostly on my thighs. Coconut oil used to do wonders for my skin but lately it’s been contributing to the problem more. Coconut oil is known for clogging pores, and I think it was doing just that which made my razor bumps get worse. How frustrating is that? Greece during the summer without being able to wear decently short shorts? Not fun. Between the heat and the useless oil, shaving did not work in my favor and I was sweating even more.
I think my body just needed a break from the excessive oil I was piling on, whether it was natural or not. It was magic when I first began using it, but whether my body adjusted to the oil over time or not, I just needed a break. It was too much. I definitely did learn a lot about using natural over the years starting with lemon juice, then honey, then apple cider vinegar, then coconut oil, and lastly witch hazel. I have found that every natural product I tried next worked better than the previous, and I’m at the point where I want to keep it simple and fragrance free. The witch hazel is the best I’ve used to this day. It’s odorless, doesn’t sting, doesn’t dry, doesn’t make my face oily or feel weird in anyway. And it helps my skin recover quickly and prevent breakouts. My skin has never been this great before, especially during this hot summer with bangs, I still have great clear skin.
I’m not hating on coconut oil – I used it for over two years and it was fantastic, but if you find any product you use stops working the way it did, it doesn’t hurt to make changes and move on to something else. Coconut oil has lots of pros but sometimes your body chemistry changes and you have to keep up with that. So my moral of the story is that I’m listening to my body and I’m taking a break from coconut oil and sticking to witch hazel which my body seems to like.
Have you noticed any changes in your body chemistry that needs some attention?
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