Goodness of Coconut for the Skin

The beauteous Cleopatra only bathed in ass’s milk because she believed that it enhanced her beauty. Age could not wither her, it is quoted. However, had her mother spoken of the goodness of coconut for the skin, as modern mamas do, her beauty would have been unsurpassed! For a nut that is hard to crack, the coconut has a rather tender heart. As a child, I remember standing alongside my grandma, as she cut up little slivers of coconut to cook, and grabbing handfuls and cramming them into my mouth before she could stop me. In revenge, she would haul me into the bathroom, and douse me liberally with coconut oil, made from coconut roasted on the stove. The aroma of that oil has stayed in my memory, longer than the oil stayed on my hair and my body. Winters in Delhi found us on the terrace, while Mum rubbed coconut oil on our shivering limbs and made us bask in the warm caresses of the sun. As a teenager, I discovered coconut milk which not only tasted delicious in curries, but, when mixed with oatmeal, worked like a soft soothing layer over my skin, leaving it with a feeling of goodness. Friends pored over pimples, acne and spots on their faces, wondering how I had escaped the ravages of time. My preoccupation with the coconut sworked out rather well for me! And so the preoccupation continues! My hair craves for a nourishing coconut milk shampoo with oil that rehydrates and strengthens. The coconut conditioner, which boasts of Vitamin E as well, leaves my hair so lustrous that sun rays reflect off it, dazzling the eyes of the beholder! Bathing has always been a pleasure, with a coconut body scrub that I use about three times a week, which leaves my skin softer than a baby’s bottom. And then the ultimate joy of dipping into an exotic coconut body lotion that is not only light to use, but soaks into my skin like a hot knife into butter, enveloping me in an aroma that sings of tropical islands and carefree vacations. Coconut hand and foot creams are the ultimate step to feeling pampered, as they help repair the moisture barrier in the skin, and replenish and moisturize all the year around. Who needs a manicure or a pedicure when you have taken the coconut route anyway? And let me tell you that a coconut cream lip balm works wonders as well! And even as I write this, I am sipping at a glass of coconut water, sweet and refreshing, a glass that is low on calories, yet rich on taste, believed to have anti-aging properties! After all, hope lies eternal in the human breast!