Are Shea & Coconut Oils really that moisturizing? Confus
EDS Skin Care Forums Forum Index » Skin Care and Makeup Forum

free skin care · Fri Oct 26, 2007 2:20 pm

I've recently purchased Shea and Coconut Oils separately. I feel disappointed by them. They are supposed to be pure and organic as well! Both are quite solid, the shea feels quite grainy and whilst it acts like a barrier oil, it doesn't actually feel like it's having a softening nor moisturizing effect on my hands.
When I opened the coconut tub, I naively expected it to have an exotic, coconut scent. Wrong! It smells very industrial. The smell is so bad that both my husband and I are sitting here with that sort of irritated lung, tickly cough thing happening every 30 seconds. I don't understand why? The coconut one can be consumed too! It smells nothing like the coconut milk you buy to add to curries.
Any suggestions? Perhaps I really am better sticking to my paraben loaded, commercial skin creams Crying or Very sad

free skin care · Fri Oct 26, 2007 3:49 pm

Hey Camelia, don't give up! Here are a few oil pointers:

1) Unrefined makes a big difference. Most food-grade coconut oil is highly refined -- but even so, it usually retains a coconutty scent to it. What brand is yours? It sounds like there may be a real problem there. Sad

But a good, organic, unrefined coconut oil will be yummy smelling, but it'll also be very rich/fatty smelling. It will be solid and slightly grainy at room temperature, because it has a higher melting point than unsaturated oils. If you warm some up between your palms and rub it around, it should liquefy enough to be able to spread well. But coconut oil does not tend to sink in as much as some other types of oils.

2) Shea butter is also waxy and harder at room temperature, as it has a very high melt point. It's great for protecting really rough or chapped areas, but some people find it too greasy for regular, everyday use. What did you purchase it for, just your hands? If you want to use it on your hands, do so right after you've washed them and they're still damp -- that way the shea butter will seal in the moisture. It's more of a protector than a softener, though.

3) Some great oils that do really sink in well are macadamia and camellia (like you!). I highly recommend giving one of those a try!

4) If this isn't enough, there are a LOT of lotions out there that aren't chock full of parabens. Let us know what you're after and we'll offer up some suggestions.

5) I truly believe, more and more, that oils are a better alternative than lotions in most cases, at least for skin on the body. Try putting the stuff you've bought on your hands at night, and either wearing cotton gloves or just leaving it and letting it sit on the skin overnight -- it will soak in more with time, and your skin will gradually improve from this.

Hope this helps -- like I said, we can probably help you troubleshoot more if you want to provide some more info! Smile

free skin care · Fri Oct 26, 2007 4:06 pm

Hi ginnielizz

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to my question. Very kind of you.
Both tubs are from a company called Now. Do you know anything about them? Both oils do melt easily though.
I'm trying to experiment with oils at the moment and do feel a bit disheartened! I've found Jojoba oil to be excellent and I think I've run before I've learnt how to walk with these oils. Finding the best oil for your skin really isn't easy. I was planning on putting the Coconut oil on my hair before shampooing but I find the smell is so bad, I think I would wretch, not a yummy scent in the least. Into the garbage it goes tomorrow.

I'll definately give the camelia and macadamia a try!
My main concerns are very, very dry hands and dry ends on fine, colored hair.
Thanks again!
Camelia

free skin care · Fri Oct 26, 2007 4:22 pm

No prob, EDS has been great to me so I love to pay it forward and help in areas where I have something to offer. Smile

I often use coconut oil on my hair, but the stuff you got sounds sadly off, perhaps rancid. Try Spectrum Naturals' organic unrefined coconut oil -- hopefully you'll have better luck with that!

free skin care · Fri Oct 26, 2007 4:51 pm

I've been reading more and more about oils and wanted to give them a try in an effort to get away from all the chemicals. I've used pure shea butter on my body, lips, pregnant belly and hands and liked it. I purchased coconut oil by Jungle Products that can be eaten and used as a moisturizer. I bought a small container to put some in for ease of use. I just scoop a little out and it melts quickly from the heat of my hand. It smells wonderful, coconut. I agree with ginnielizz that something must be wrong with the coconut oil you have now. It shouldn't be an offensive smell at all, most of these simple oils are very subtle. I have used the coconut oil on my face, eye lashes and hands and really like it. Only problem is that it doesn't absorb fully so there is some greasiness but it's nice for a nighttime moisturizer. Grape seed oil is a nice body moisturizer too. I lived in the Caribbean for 4 years and used oils on my hair to protect from all the sun and sea damage but it can get greasy at the scalp so I would stick to just putting it on the ends. Hope this helps. Now I alternate between oils and the usual lotions and potions but prefer the oils most of the time.

free skin care · Fri Oct 26, 2007 5:35 pm

Not a big fan of the Now product line. I have tried their Shea butter. It's ultra refined. Basically - all the real goodies have been cooked out (think over steamed fresh veggies).

Real, unrefined Shea butter is an off white to cream & sometimes greenish tinted chunky substance. It has an earthy smell (some love it, I detest the scent).

I haven't tried their coconut oil. Went to their site and it offered several versions - not sure which you have.

To try the 'real-deal' & fall in love with these 2 items I would suggest you visitwww.GardenofWisdom.com - Markey carries these, and you can get only an ounce or 2 to play with.

ETA - Coconut oil, refined should have almost NO scent - it's the unrefined that smells yummy. And if you really want to try a yummy coconut product, get an ounce or two of unrefined cocoa butter...smells like chocolate!!

free skin care · Fri Oct 26, 2007 6:06 pm

I have purchased L'Occitane 100% Shea Butter and did not have problems with it. It is a hard waxy texture but they are perfect for my feet and hands. AHAVA is really nice also.

free skin care · Fri Oct 26, 2007 6:06 pm

Gosh, thanks guys! Trust me to get it all so wrong. I simply thought, pure + oil = the best oil you can get, it seems there's a lot more to it than just that. Reading this page you would think that their coconut oil would be fine: http://www.nowfoods.com/?cat_id=3171

On this page, they guarantee that the oil is 100% natural:
http://www.nowfoods.com/?action=itemdetail&item_id=3565

Either it's off or something is going on. The Shea Butter did look too white to be truly natural.

Without your help, I would have just dismissed these oils forever! I'll be exploring some of your brands recommended for sure and give them another try.

Thank you very much indeed.

free skin care · Sun Oct 28, 2007 10:57 am

Camelia,

From my understanding, butters and carrier oils aren't moisturizing by themselves since they contain no water. since they are oils, they lock in moisture/water that is already on the skin. that's why i spritz with a hydrosol or toner before applying shea butter or a carrier oil to my body right after a shower.

I am not sure about the brand you're using as I haven't ever heard of them, but the shea butter i use is really creamy like a beaten butter. i get mine from Garden of Wisdom. i also buy my oils from there and mountain rose herbs, and the coconut oil is extra virgin, cold pressed, all the good stuff and smells divine. btw, coconut oil is not the same as coconut milk.

HTH, Kris

free skin care · Sun Oct 28, 2007 3:11 pm

Camelia, I had to laugh when I read your post because the same thing happened to me. I read about people using coconut oil in their hair and how great it smelled, so I went right out to the health food store and bought the Heartland brand of expeller-pressed coconut oil. I opened it up and it looked like lard and had no smell at all. I have tried it in my hair once, but I found it hard to wash out. It wasn't the tropical smelling experience I expected so I keep forgetting I even have it. I guess I will try the unrefined next time.

Automatic Message

If this is your first visit to the EDS Forums please take the time to register. Registration is required for you to post on the forums. Registration will also give you the ability to track messages of interest, send private messages to other users, participate in Gift Certificates draws and enjoy automatic discounts for shopping at our online store. Registration is free and takes just a few seconds to complete.

Click Here to join our community.

If you are already a registered member on the forums, please login to gain full access to the site.