I’ve been reading up on the hype of coconut oil and coconut water and I must say it has me a little curious. There is so much information and testimony out there about the many benefits of coconuts. It’s apparently a very good source of moisture for your hair, skin and overall hydration. However, as you can’t believe everything you read, I decided to test it out for myself. I bought a jar of virgin, cold pressed coconut oil for the purpose of my experiment and tried a couple of different coconut water drinks. Here’s what I have discovered so far:

COCONUT OIL

As a lip balm: It’s natural, tastes nice and keeps your lips moisturised (if you can manage not to keep licking it off) and it has a similar texture to some of the Nivea lip balms which was reassuring. Seeing as I wasn’t about to wander around with a jar of coconut oil in my handbag I ended up putting some in a small container I had handy (It was a contact lens holder/container I had never used, and it is the perfect size).

As a makeup remover: Removes makeup nicely. This surprised me. Again, the fact that it is a natural product adds appeal to choosing this over a chemically enhanced product.

As a hair treatment: It seems to add some softness to my hair but the results weren’t dramatic. I’d continue using it to see if there’s any long term improvement but I don’t have high hopes. Tips: shampoo twice just in case and when you do have it in your hair don’t lean your head on anything material. Also, try to keep the oil on for at least an hour.

As a skin treatment/moisturiser: It’s oil. It can be greasy. Don’t over do it as your skin can only absorb so much. Once I washed my face with a scrub I found a small amount applied thinly actually felt nice. Too much did not.

COCONUT WATER

Pros and Cons: Cocobella coconut water with pink guava is delicious and refreshing. The level of sugar and sodium concerned me a little. I tried the Straight Up coconut water also by Cocobella. I did not like the taste at all. To be honest it reminded me a little of sweat and not fruit. For me, coconut water needs some fruit juice (this is coming from someone who has two sugars in coffee and loves chocolate, so I may be biased here). I also tried the King brand of coconut water with pink guava and it did not taste as nice or as sweet as the Cocobella version.

Verdict: I am not fussed about coconut water as I am just as happy to drink plain water to stay hydrated. I will, however, continue to use coconut oil to see if it has any long term benefits for my hair and skin. I am happy to use the oil in addition to my existing beauty products but I would not rely on it to “work wonders” all by itself.