Coconut oil is all the rage these days. People use it to supplement their diet with a healthy fat source, or for oil pulling. Coconut oil is also reported to have positive effects on dry skin and hair.1
But how do you know if you’re getting a quality product? Skinny & Co. takes some of the guesswork out of shopping for this important fat source with their lineup. They sell a 100% raw product that is purely cold processed and never heated, in order to preserve the nutrient content.
I was a skeptic of coconut oil until I tried it. I received and tested Skinny & Co.’s coconut oil, body butter, and sugar scrub. I was impressed by all of them, and would actually spend my hard-earned money on these products for myself or as gifts.
Coconut Oil at Its Finest
Skinny & Co. coconut oil claims to be the only coconut oil in the world that is raw and 100% alkaline. The coconuts are harvested wild and aren’t from grown crops. The coconuts are cold processed, not just cold pressed, and contain no added chemicals or preservatives.
Coconut oil is solid until it is exposed to temperatures over 76 degrees. I’ve bought regular coconut oil before from the average grocery store, but the Skinny & Co. coconut oil seems distinctly different. It’s like opening a fresh jar of peanut butter as opposed to an old jar. It smells good and the texture is excellent.
If you haven’t tried coconut oil previously, some of the more common uses are using it as a skin or hair moisturizer, adding it as a healthy fat to smoothies, coffee or tea, and using it in place of butter or oil—I’ve tried it all. As a skin and hair moisturizer, it left both my skin and hair very soft. I used it primarily on my hands for two weeks and applied it to the brittle ends of my hair three times. It is very mild and I experienced only positive effects. Personally, I love coconut oil in my coffee or tea, but it can take some getting used to. The Skinny & Co. coconut oil melted into my hot drinks easily. I used it in a mango smoothie in place of my normal avocado and it blended seamlessly.
Better Body Butter
The Whipped Body Butter is made from the coconut oil and a few additions, like vitamin E, a blend of essential oils, and organic almond oil. It can be used to soothe diaper rash, as a shaving cream, as a conditioner, and on any excessively dry skin. It also can be used on stretch marks and for after-sun skin treatment.
I used the body butter on my (very) dry elbows before bed nightly for two weeks. I also used it to shave my legs five times in the duration of the two weeks. My skin was softer overall and there was no irritation caused from the use of it daily or with shaving. As a matter of fact, I think it helped prevent the wintertime razor burn I occasionally get. It has a fresh, gentle smell.
Keeping It Sweet
The final product I tried was the Exfoliating Vanilla Sugar Body Scrub. It is very granular, like sand, but bigger particles. It contains coconut sugar, vanilla, and coconut oil. It is used to scrub away dead skin on the whole body and is safe to use as a lip scrub, or prior to applying self tanner.
Because I was using the regular coconut oil on my hands and the body butter on my elbows, I targeted my knees with this sugar scrub. It does work very well without causing additional dryness or irritation. I was careful to not rub too hard, as the size of the granules could cause some irritation if one applied the scrub too vigorously.
Quality Oil for Excellent Products
The Skinny & Co. website offers video instruction for some of its products, and links to recipe ideas and other resources. Because the base coconut oil is quality, that is a huge benefit for many consumers who are trying to avoid any unnecessary additives. Overall, I give Skinny & Co. products a thumbs-up for good products, a great story, and responsible sourcing.
Not sure what to make with coconut oil?
Nourishing Date and Almond Energy Smoothie
Reference:
1. Agero, A. L., and Vermén M. Verallo-Rowell. “A randomized double-blind controlled trial comparing extra virgin coconut oil with mineral oil as a moisturizer for mild to moderate xerosis.” Dermatitis 15, no. 3 (2004): 109-116.
