Coconut Oil During Pregnancy
Contents:
- Coconut Oil in Pregnancy
- Why Coconut Oil is So Good for the Skin?
- How to Use Coconut Oil to Prevent Stretch Marks?
- How to Choose the Best Product?
Coconut Oil in Pregnancy
Many women develop stretch marks during pregnancy. It’s a common problem and you should be ready to deal with it. Stretch marks, also known as striae, start to develop as early as the second trimester, when a fetus’ rapid growth makes the uterus stretch and mother gain weight.
You need to start acting straight away or your stretch marks might stay with you forever. The best defence is to prevent them from appearing and, as specialists say, coconut oil is your ally in this war. So how to use it? Which one to choose and how? Let’s find out in detail.
Why Coconut Oil is so Good for the Skin?
Coconut oil comes from the coconut or its flesh. It has a creamy color, dense texture and a very pleasant aroma. Coconut oil hardens at low temperature but still keeps its healing powers. Coconut oil can be refined or unrefined. It contains plenty of ingredients that improve skin elasticity. For example, lauric acid, which is an antioxidant, or hyaluronic acid that moisturizes skin and helps it to regenerate. Coconut oil also contains medium chain triglycerides that nourish the skin and restore its elasticity.
There are capric, oleic, stearic and linoleic acids in the coconut oil as well. It has polysorbates, iron, phosphorus, vitamins E, A, C and B-complex vitamins. Such a rich composition makes coconut oil so good for maintaining skin elasticity, stimulating the synthesis of elastin, helping skin retain moisture and relaxing the skin. Experts recommend using a cold pressed coconut oil to prevent skin stretch marks.
How to Use Coconut Oil to Prevent Stretch Marks?
To effectively prevent stretch marks with help of coconut oil, you should use it wisely. Apply it onto the clean skin before going to bed. Stretch marks usually appear on thighs, stomach and breasts. Rub it gently to the problem zones. Try to make it a daily habit to get the best result. Start using coconut oil in the second trimester when stretch marks start to develop. When applied to the skin, the oil creates a thin film on the surface that retains the moisture.
Natural ingredients make using coconut oil safe for everyone. The only exception is an allergic reaction that makes skin red and irritated, but it’s a rare case. To make sure you don’t provoke any allergic reaction, you can use coconut oil with a bit of olive oil or make a lotion mixing coconut oil, honey and cream. If you are not allergic to anything, you can add essential oils of lavender or rosemary.
How to Choose the Best Product?
Only a high quality product will be effective. A poor quality coconut oil can be dangerous for the health of an expectant mother and her baby. Don’t buy it at a random one-day market without reading the label carefully. It should have either a “Bio” or “Organic” marking on it. It means that no chemicals or pesticides were used for growing these coconuts. The quality of a coconut oil can be tested easily: when put in a temperature lower than 25 degrees it should get a thicker texture, i.e. gets solid.
A high quality coconut oil can be purchased at the online organic shops. It usually comes from Dominican Republic or Thailand.
Beauty specialists always recommend testing a product to avoid an allergic reaction. Just apply a tiny amount of the oil on the back of your wrist or on the inside of the elbow. Wait for a half an hour and see if your skin is red or itchy. If all is good you can go ahead and use coconut oil to fight your stretch marks!