in the philippines, a lot of people claim that coconut oil is a healthier alternative to available commercial cosmetics. i have been able to try using virgin coconut oil on my hair before i rinse it off with shampoo, and true enough, the result’s as good as going to the salon for hair treatment.
one of the drawbacks, though, is that some people find the smell unacceptable. although coconut oil in itself does not stink (smells like sweet kutsinta garnish, actually), i learned that you may smell like your grandma’s oily scalp if you weren’t able to completely rinse it off.
if you’re easily allergic to cosmetics or low on budget, coconut oil is also perfect for removing makeup. it may not have the wow factor of shu uemura’s cleansing oil, but it’s as close as it can get.
anyway, i have a dog who’s having itchy skin problem, causing her to stink like a jar of anchovies. all of the specialized dog shampoos did not work for her, and this quack of a vet even recommended to inject the poor thing with numerous “pet skin meds”. my sister’s friend, who is also a vet, recommended using maja de cacao, but we weren’t able to find any in the wet market. then i remembered a relative giving us a sample bottle of their virgin coconut oil product, it was ylang-ylang scented. we used it on the dog and we were happy to see improvements on her skin and fur.
i’m going to find out if it’s ok for dogs to ingest coconut oil, because if it’s ok, i’d start feeding her some so she’ll be a healthier dog. ^^