Coconut oil has become incredibly trendy in the beauty community. Coconut oil is infused into hundreds of beauty products – lipsticks, primers, lotions and the list goes on. Odds are, you have a jar of coconut oil at home, but have you ever used it as a beauty product? It’s known for being hydrating and soothing to the skin, but even better – it’s a great makeup remover. Here’s what you need to know:
5 Reasons to Use Coconut Oil as Makeup Remover
1. It’s safe for your skin – it’s antibacterial, anti-yeast, soothing and extremely moisturizing. It can even help reduce rashes, prevent acne and heal wounds due to the high fat content in the oil. It works as a natural sunscreen, too!
2. It breaks down the tough ingredients that water can’t break down and it’s extremely gentle. It even breaks down products that chemical makeup removers struggle with. Plus, it also works faster than other makeup removers so you avoid having to “scrub” your face to get makeup off. I still haven’t found a waterproof mascara that coconut oil won’t break through.
3. Unlike makeup remover wipes and other traditional removers, you don’t have to pull and tug at your skin when you use coconut oil.
4. It’s affordable. You can get a quality jar of coconut oil for less than $10 and it can last 6+ months or longer if you use it correctly. It saves a lot of money in comparison to makeup wipes that can cost $5 to $10 for 25-30 wipes (if you only use 1 per day, it will last only a month).
5. It smells much better than other makeup removers!
Why NOT Use Coconut Oil as Makeup Remover
1. It’s not the best choice for everybody. Coconut oil has actually given me clogged pores and blackheads. I’ve tried using less oil to see if maybe I was just overdoing it, but no matter what happens, after a few days of using it, I will start noticing clogged pores.
If you notice this, don’t quit cold-turkey on your daily skincare routine. I use coconut oil strictly as a makeup remover and continue with my normal face wash and skincare routine, so I know the oil is removed from my face. Many people use coconut oil as a full face wash and skincare regimen, but that doesn’t work for my skin.
2. While it easily breaks makeup down, it sometimes it leaves a greasy film. I notice that if I use coconut oil around my eyes, it tends to leave a greasy film that requires me to wash the product off with a soap or cleanser.
3. It’s not the easiest to travel with. I travel quite a bit and I find that it’s more complicated to travel with coconut oil – especially on an airplane. Since I buy a large jar of coconut oil, I’d have to transfer coconut oil into another container. Coconut oil is liquid in warmer temperatures and solid in cooler temperatures, so if you’re traveling somewhere warm, you have to make sure your container isn’t going to leak in your bag. For me, it’s really just easier to carry makeup wipes that can be thrown in a bag.
Which Coconut Oil to Buy for Makeup Remover
This is the most important part about using coconut oil in your beauty routine is to choose a high quality oil. You want to look for: Organic, Extra Virgin, Cold Pressed, Unrefined Coconut Oil. If you don’t buy cold-pressed and unrefined, the oil has gone through extra processing which typically means the natural oils have been extracted and combined with chemicals, so the ingredients are not as quality and could impact your skin differently.
It’s worth the few extra dollars to make sure you’re putting the high quality ingredients on your face plus the high quality oil will also leave your skin less “greasy” and more moisturized.
How to Use Coconut Oil for Removing Makeup – 4 Easy Steps
Step 1: Scoop a small amount of coconut oil out of the jar. A dime-size amount is more than enough to remove makeup from your entire face. A little goes a long way and, if you use too much, you’ll turn out too oily.
Step 2: Rub the oil between your fingers until it becomes liquid. Using a circular motion, massage the oil over your face and eyes. Sometimes it helps to open your eyes and use the oil directly on your lashes to remove any waterproof mascara. I’ve also noticed a coating of oil on my lashes helps to keep them moisturized.
Step 3: After you see the makeup has been removed, use a warm, wet washcloth to wipe away any of the excess oil. Finish by splashing your face with excess water.
Step 4: If you want to use the oil as an overnight moisturizer, add a little extra to the top of your skin after rinsing off the residue in Step 3.