Coconut oil: Skins defense system - Luminescence by Erika

By Erika Tennenbaum

Coconut oil!!!

There is an old story of a farmer who wanted his cattle to yield a good price when he sold them at market. As a means to this end, he began to inquire about methods of fattening up his herd. He learned that coconut oil is an inexpensive and natural vehicle for fat. He thought; “this is great! I’ll feed the cows a bunch of coconut oil and get them good and big.” Since coconut oil was not too pricey, the farmer was convinced he’d make a handsome profit.

After weeks of mixing coconut oil into their feed, the farmer noticed the herd beginning to change. To his dismay, the farmer watched as the cows got leaner and more active. Needless to say, the farmer was left with a very healthy herd and sadly, very confused…

Oils are the elixirs of life

Over the last 20 years I have been a professional aesthetician (skin care specialist). I have worked with thousands of people helping them properly treat and heal their skin. For my first 6 years in the industry, I worked for a world renowned cosmetic surgeon. I helped with recovery protocols for a host of procedures. While I worked in the cosmetic surgery center, I learned from many reconstructive surgeons, worked alongside dermatologists, gynecologists, and many other medical professionals. During my time with the doctors I learned two very specific and important things:

Keep the care of the skin simple. Many of the products on the shelves are loaded with preservatives and perfumes, which contribute to irritations.
Truly healthy skin comes with balance from inside out. If the internal climate of the mind/body isn’t properly nourished the skin will tell the tale. It wouldn’t matter what you used topically.

Experience is the key

Once the doctor retired, I found myself working in a busy salon. While I was building my aesthetic business, I began training as a yoga teacher and a yoga therapist. My yoga education reinforced and polished my skills, which elevated my confidence. Having confidence in what you do allows freedom. Freedom comes with learning that there are no absolutes. It was time to question my approach to skin care. Were these products that I was using on my clients truly working in the favor of authentic healing? The beauty industry is flooded with so-called “miracles.” I have been presented hundreds of these products from countless companies, and they always led to my questioning everything. So, I decided to roll up my sleeves and do some research!

What I discovered would go against almost everything that had been trending in the aesthetics business. I put my creams, lotions, butters and serums away. In honor of my holistic side, I turned to food as the source for wellness of my clients’, and my own, skin. I knew a healthy gut was vital to healthy skin, but what If I used the same foods I was using to heal the inside and used it on the outside? Through experimentation with my clients and friends, the world of food opened up some very interesting and potent combinations. I was having so much fun with the possibilities as there were so many!

Later, I realized that my mad scientist skills using food in the treatment room may have been appropriate for me, it would however, be too complicated for my clients’ daily home care. I turned on my yoga therapist mind and asked some more questions. How can I achieve the same results, for daily use within a simple regimen? Can we keep it inexpensive? Will it be accessible? How do I help people, as the doctors taught me years ago, to keep it simple? What could be so far reaching as to fortify my clients from the inside out. I knew that everyone wanted two things:

To have a pleasant reflection in the mirror.
To be satisfied with the texture they felt under their fingertips.

Youthful, soft, smooth, calm, resilient, bright, clean, and even toned skin is the desired combination. What could do all of this on a daily basis? What would guard the health of the entire body as well as protect the wallet? The world of commercial products can be very overwhelming as well as very expensive. This is why the farmer chose to use coconut oil. It’s abundant. It has been used for thousands of years, and its worldwide cultivation and use leaves us with some extra cash in our pockets.

In my experience, I’ve found coconut oil to be helpful with a myriad of things. In fact, all naturally derived oils, such as argon, avocado, pomegranate oils to name a few, will be beneficial as well. Oil is potent due to its viscosity. If you were to look at oil under a microscope, you would see little appendages or tentacles extending outward from the oil molecule giving it it’s viscus nature. These sticky extenders will grab onto and adhere to whatever it’s touching, dragging the debris along. Knowing this, you can see how oils will purify the body. They slide through the intestinal system pulling out the gunk along the way. This is also true when used topically. Oils are the essence of all life forms, thereby making them elixirs for life!

All oils are wonderful, but coconut oil is the best!

In honor of continuity, I’ll keep the focus on coconut oil. Let’s think for a moment about what thrives in the places where coconuts grow. A tropical environment welcomes much bio-diversity. Amazing primal creatures are able to survive. Alongsidea plethora of animals comes abundant bacteria, microbes, pests, vermin and a host of other elements that can be dangerous to humans. Coconuts evolved with the ability to protect themselves from these destructive components. Those protective qualities are concentrated in the essence of the great coconut. It’s all in the oil! It’s antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antifungal constitution truly makes it an incredible cleanser for the entirety of the soft tissue of the body.

Along with its strength, coconut oil is also a natural preservative. It yields to the elements, making it buoyant to extreme climate conditions. When the environment is warm, the oil is liquid. When the oil gets cold, it hardens. So, when you see your coconut oil becoming liquid, it didn’t go bad, it’s reminding you of its unique ability to adapt. Using coconut oil correctly can really place a positive shift on your daily sense of wellness.

So, what are the most potent ways to use your coconut oil?

Oils are the most productive way to remove makeup. They preserve your eyelashes, while protecting the delicate skin around the eyes.
Take a hunk of your coconut oil and massage it on your skin before you shower. The warm water softens the skin and opens the pores, allowing the oil to penetrate. This leaves the skin soft and balanced. Your best results come from washing with oil during the day, and using it as a cleanser/moisturizer at night.
Let it be your lip balm. It will heal chapped lips and keep them strong in the face of the elements. Like the eyes, the skin on the lips is thinner and more vulnerable.
When you use coconut oil as a moisturizer, it will help you to combat the invasion of germs into your body by keeping the “mucous membrane” (the vulnerable connective tissue of the lips, nostrils and corners of the eyes) areas clean, resilient and protected.
Like the cattle from the story, getting naturally derived oil in your diet helps to protect the vital organs. It reinforces the wellness of the intestines, heart, and lungs, along with giving the full spectrum omega fats to the joints. The body receives a supportive boost, helping to sustain an active lifestyle.
As mentioned earlier, coconut oil has evolved to withstand much heat. Because of this, it also makes an excellent sunblock. Interestingly, it has a stronger SPF effect when taken internally as opposed to using it topically.
Homeopathy, an alternative medicine created in the mid19^th century that is still widely used, teaches us about the “Law of Similars.” Remember how the cows from the story got leaner when their “good fat” consumption went up? Coconut oil is a wonderful source for healthy fatty acids. Regular consumption of healthy fats is the best way to regulate unhealthy fat in the body.
So many health issues can be traced to poor oral hygiene. While mouth washes may kill bacteria, they can be very harsh on the soft tissue, leading to microbial and bacterial vulnerabilities. Use coconut oil to strengthen oral health through a technique called oil pulling. When you wake up in the morning, take a table spoon of coconut oil and let it swish in your mouth for 15-20 minutes. Spit it out in the toilet, instead of the sink, as it can clog your drains. Brush to remove excess oil and rinse. This simple practice has been hailed as one of the most powerful ways to keep the body’s defenses strong- as strong as regular consumption of clean water.

At the end of the day, we have a choice to make. We either listen to the advertisers and spend money on synthetic products that cause irritation and damage, or we have some faith in Mother Nature and take advantage of the natural cures all around us. Through practice and research, the course is clear to me. Give nature a try. It could open up a whole new world for you.