Mowing the Lawn with Coconut Oil

Today's forecast for Lower Alabama: 92° with a slight chance of rain. PERFECT! These are ideal conditions for Mowing the Lawn with Coconut Oil!

You have probably read all about the benefits of coconut oil - if not, there is an interesting article HERE.

But mowing the lawn with it? That's absurd! Unless you've got all the details.

As I mentioned in PIN REVIEW: Homemade Moisturizing Lotion, I use a lot of coconut oil. It is a great moisturizer for skin and hair because it is one of the few oils that penetrates rather than just coating. It effectively removes makeup and moisturizes the delicate under-eye area. I massage it into my puppy's hide, he has very dry skin, because it hydrates his skin and it's lick-safe. I even have a friend who uses coconut oil in place of butter in her cooking (bless her heart!)

But this post is Mowing the Lawn with Coconut Oil! What's that about?

It's really about a coconut oil health food mask that leaves dry, brittle hair in amazing condition! The mask is a simple pre-wash treatment that only requires 3 items: coconut oil, a plastic shower cap, and a heat source.

To use this miracle treatment, start with a big dollop of coconut oil - my hair is thick and curly so I require an extra large serving. The oil is going to be solid at first but the heat from your hands will melt it.

Start at the roots and begin working the oil through your hair. I put some effort in at the roots as scalp massage is supposed to stimulate growth! Saturate your hair, working the oil in with your fingers and directing it toward the ends and any area prone to dryness. When your hair is completely soaked, cover it with the plastic shower cap; if you have long hair, you may want to twist it up on top of your head first. So now your hair is ready but your hands are slick with coconut oil! Take it to your skin, your knees and elbows will thank you!

Applying heat to the hair mask is not absolutely necessary but it does seem to open the hair cuticle, allowing for even better absorption of the coconut oil. Without heat, I typically marinate my hair for at least two hours - with heat, at least an hour. I have been known to run around all day painted up in coconut oil!

If you choose the heat method you have several options including the blow dryer or a hot towel. My preference is natural heat - and THAT is where the lawn mower comes in!

Cutting grass at 92° burns calories, loads me up with Vitamin D, sweats the pores, provides the cows a tasty green snack, and generates the heat to help hair soak up the benefits of coconut oil! Before I crank up Ol' Blue, I also slather my skin with coconut oil. Coconut oil has an SPF somewhere between four and ten and, mixed with a few drops of peppermint oil, it is an effective (and safer than deet) insect repellent.

Ol' Blue

When your time is up, and before shampooing, rinse hair with cool water to help close the cuticle and seal in all of that good coconutrition (I totally just made up that word!). Then shampoo, focusing on roots, and condition as you normally would. You should see a difference after only one application but your hair will continue to improve with repeated use. This coconut oil hair mask can be used every time you mow the lawn or as often as you like - I have found that a once a week treatment leaves my naturally curly hair soft, silky and nearly frizz free.

Have you gone nuts over coconut? I would love to hear how you are using coconut oil - your comments are always welcome!