Nourishing My Body With Coconut Oil

I always try to be mindful of what products I'm putting onto my body. I know there's always room for improvement, and I'm definitely not perfect, but when I'm pregnant, nourishing my body and skin with natural, chemical-free products is extremely important to me. I'm no longer only taking care of myself, I also have an unborn child I have to think about as well. So when Skinny & Co. Coconut Oil offered to send me some of their 100% raw, alkaline coconut oil products to test out, it seemed like fate. I was in need of something to help moisturize my body, especially my ever-expanding belly, that was not only safe, but also natural.

Their products all contain five ingredients or less, are non-toxic, and edible. Each oil is made in small batches, and the company is family owned and run, and Skinny & Co. sources 100% of their coconut oil from their own factory, and they hand pick all of their pesticide free coconuts from the jungles of Vietnam. Luke and Matt, the brothers behind Skinny & Co have a pretty inspiring story on how a childhood diagnosis led to a lifestyle of holistic living and later on, travel adventures, which opened their eyes to healthy foods around the world. You can read their story HERE.

I'll be honest, I have never used coconut oil for anything other than cooking and oil pulling. I'm well aware that coconut oil can also be used for many other things, I just had never gotten around to utilizing it in other ways. I also wanted to really give these products a chance before reviewing them, so please note that I've now been using the following products from Skinny & Co. every single day for over a month.

In my sample box, I received:

• Body Butter (coconut oil/organic almond oil/essential oils)
• Sugar Scrub (coconut oil/organic coconut sugar/vanilla bean)
• Coconut Oil (100% raw, alkaline coconut)
• Facial Oil (coconut oil/roman chamomile extract/lavender extract/essential oils)
• Oil Pulling (100 % raw, alkaline coconut infused with refreshing peppermint)

I'm a sucker for great packaging so I was delighted when I opened my box. I love the little glass jars, and the helpful cards included to remind you what to use each on. There was even a card included on uses for 'Mommy & Baby'. I never would have thought to use the plain coconut oil as nipple cream during breastfeeding or for a diaper rash. When I was nursing Sully, I would have used this all the time, so I am saving some for when the new baby comes!

I think one of my biggest misconceptions when it comes to using coconut oil on my body is that it's going to be super greasy, but over the past month, I didn't find that at all. There are definitely lotions and creams out there that are way worse for that. I do find that my face is naturally oily enough during pregnancy that I don't need to moisturize it too much, so I used a pea drop size of the facial oil or coconut oil at bedtime after cleansing my face. I am no monogamist when it comes to washing my face though - I like to jump around from different techniques and products (a rotation of Norwex cloths, face wash and disposable wipes - I know, I know - I never said I was perfect!). But, one thing I did do routinely was use the facial oil to remove my eye makeup. You guys - how have I never done this before?! I just applied a small amount of the oil over my eyelids and wiped with a cloth! No burning or itching and it removes mascara so well! 

I keep the sugar scrub jar in the shower and I use it for shaving my legs and my armpits. It smells heavenly and makes shaving so pleasant. Usually, after I shave my legs (without coconut oil), they are tight and it burns when I applied any type of moisturizer. Not with coconut oil though. Sometimes I applied nothing after shaving with the sugar scrub, and other times I applied the body butter, and my legs are so much happier, and smoother! And when I'm not in the mood to shave my legs (which is more often than not lately since bending down to do so while pregnant isn't fun or easy), I just use the  sugar scrub as an exfoliator. 

Hands down though, my favourite product of the bunch is the body butter. I use it every single day, usually twice, on my belly, chest and hips and it alleviates any itchiness and tightness I feel in those areas as my body continues to grow. Plus, it smells wonderful thanks to the addition of the essential oils, but it's not overpowering at all. I also love that a little coconut oil goes a long way so the jars have lasted me well over a month now. 

If you're interested in trying out any of Skinny & Co.'s products (they have many other products not included in this post as well!), you can use code SKINNYCO15 to receive 15% off your order! I think the pedicure kit would make an awesome Christmas gift or stocking stuff! 

*I received the above product in exchange for this post, but as always, all opinions and reviews expressed are my own. Thank you for supporting the companies that continue to make this hobby of mine possible! 

Do you use coconut oil for uses other than cooking?

What's your favourite way to use coconut oil?