It is the secret behind Indian girls' long, soft black hair. For generations, people in India have seen advertisements for coconut oil on TV screens to get thick, strong and black hair! I can't say that I have personally experienced the black hair thing, as I first started using coconut oil 10 years ago. I used to be more of a fan of almond oil, because I found it boring to have to melt coconut oil first. Now I leave the jar on the bathroom floor, the heating cables mean that it is always ready to use! "All" Indians know this special smell, whether from their grandmother, old aunt or a visit to India. Massage of both skin and hair is well known for this. If you have dandruff, you should massage your scalp with oil twice a week, preferably leaving it on overnight and then washing. If your scalp itches, you can mix a few drops of camphor or lemon into the oil.
This is not something I just pass on after hearing it from my mother and grandmother, it has been tried and tested on myself and the others in the family. You just have to be a little patient with such old-fashioned advice, it takes a little time, but it is effective. As documentation, I should have almost taken a before and after picture, a terrible burn on the middle of my arm has faded in about 6 months! I even use it as a natural makeup remover, and it is also great for burns and dry skin. On vacation to sunny places, it is in my makeup bag. Incidentally, there are many times when I have burned myself, both on gas, ovens or hot pots. I get scars quickly and therefore use coconut oil diligently. Is my generation in India possibly the last to keep such old traditions? In the cities today you see a flora of creams and balms instead of the old methods. Coconut oil has become more and more known here at home, but in South India it has been used for cooking for a long time. Remember that it is the virgin oil that is used for cooking. I am not used to this in cooking and you can smell a special scent in the food that you can get used to like anything else new you try.
You don't have to go back more than 15 years when people thought it was strange to use this in food and today you can find recipes and health posts with this as an ingredient, including at health food chains. Here are some recipes with coconut and how to open a coconut if you are going to eat it as fruit.
COCONUT CHUTNEY
COCONUT RICE
