Welcome to another mix-up! Today’s mix-up is coconut oil and cheap store bought lotion. Many moons ago, when I was still a young girl with bright eyes and foolish expectations, I used to enjoy watching a parent of mine undergo the very tedious process of making coconut oil. I used to wonder why this parent bothered.

There would be the grating of so many pieces of dried coconut flesh . Then there would be boiling, skimming and other “ings” I can no longer recall. And all that for some pitiful little bottle of yellow oil to be used on some baby sibling’s skin or hair. I used to stick around not only for the magic of the performance, but also to hear the stories that would eventually get told during some part of the process.  I’d hear stories about how back in the day, “sweet oil” (coconut oil) was what houses across the island used to fry foods (or put in lamps). Not the light looking vegetable oil nonsense that floating about nowadays, you see.

There would also be stories of children with skin glistening (like lovely little vampires) in the day’s sun on account of them using coconut oil as a lotion. As I understood it, back in the day, coconut oil was very popular as a lotion and defence against dry and rough skin.  Thankfully, around the time I was born, this use of coconut oil was no longer popular.  So, I was never made to glisten…and I have no pent up anger related to parents who made me glisten as a child.

The mix-up plain and simple:

It wasn’t until a few years back, when I was experimenting with a particular soap which proved a bit drying, that I hearkened back to my “roots”.  I really didn’t want to ditch the soap so early in the game and so the flashbacks came at the right time.

This mix-up is quite simple really. All you need is a bottle of lotion and a bottle of coconut oil.  I try to buy a brand of coconut oil that is as natural/organic/pure as it gets. (You know I’m not making a habit of making that thing from scratch!)  It’s what some folks took to doing after using the “raw” oil alone (and the scent) was deemed unfashionable.  They’d buy a bottle of lotion (very cheap lotion), use a bit or remove ¼ or more of it (pour it in another empty container or something), then, they’d add some coconut oil to the bottle of lotion, shake or mix and presto- a more potent lotion with which to do battle against dry skin.

Of course, these folks could never help you with any sort of measurements as to what proportion of oil to lotion would make the potent lotion you needed. They'd instead tell you to experiment to find the mixture that’s suitable for the level of your problem.  In this case, your best bet is to add a little at a time until you think there’s enough to give dry/rough skin a headache.  Also, do remember that coconut oil isn’t odourless…so don’t overdo it, particularly if you wish to still preserve the scent of the original lotion.

Disclaimer:

The contents of this page are meant for educational and entertainment purposes only. Statements published here ought not to be taken as expert medical advice designed to treat/cure any diseases or health related conditions. Please talk to your doctor or any qualified healthcare professional if you need medical advice (Believe me, WE at RE:BELE would!)