Mom Photographer and The Gang

Today I’ve got something special for all my readers and guests.

I’ve got something what I truly love myself.

COCONUT OIL!!!

Let me explain to you why I love it so much and share with you a few of my favorite recipes with coconut oil in them.

It’s been 2 years since I bought my last body lotion or facial cleanser.

A year from my last purchase of deodorant or shampoo.

For a few months now I’ve used home-made body wash as well.

Body scrub, Eye cream, face cream, diaper rash cream, all home-made.

For a long time I had made body lotions based on olive oil or almond/hazelnut oil, where the emulsifier was an emulsifying wax. At some point I have decided to try to make something that do not require any artificial ingredients.

Then I found out about coconut oil and about how wonderful it is for our bodies.

I’ve made a coconut oil-cocoa butter deodorant and I was hooked. This deodorant is the best one I have ever had in my life. (download the recipe in pdf from here).

After that I made a coconut oil eye cream which has become a face cream and a diaper rash, since then (pdf file with the recipe here).

Later I discovered something called whipped coconut oil and have decided to experiment with it. I was able to make whipped coconut oil-cocoa butter body butter and I loved it (download the recipe in pdf here)

Just for this post I have made something special:

Ingredients:

2/3 cup coconut oil,

1/2 cup fresh brewed strong coffee, cold *

4 capsules vitamin E

* coffee can be substitute by GREEN TEA. In this case this cream is great to use as a baby body lotion.

Directions:

So, I am going to tell you from my experience how it works for me EVERY SINGLE TIME I make it.

The coconut oil HAS to be in its hard state. Preferable if you put it in the fridge for 10 minutes before starting to work with it.

Using KitchenAid whip the coconut oil like you would beat egg whites, until stiff peaks form. It might take time and you might have to put the bowl with the oil to the fridge for a few minutes once or twice.

When the oil is whipped and have a silky gloss, add 1/2 cup cold coffee. At this point you will have to cover the mixer with a towel if you don’t want to get yourself and everything around splashed. 

Turn on the mixer on high-speed and whip for another 3 to 5  minutes stopping and scraping the sides of the bowl a few times. For sometime it will look like the coffee is separated from the oil and it doesn’t want to combine well.

Just keep mixing and it will all come together as a wonderful mocha coffee scented cream.
When the cream is almost ready, with a sharp knife, poke a hole in vitamin E capsules and squeeze the content into the cream. Mix the mixture for a few more seconds.

Done!

With a clean spoon transfer it to a clean glass jar. Preferably if the jar and the spoon were sterilized (5 minutes in a boiling water will do).

Store the jar in the fridge. The cream will get hard like butter.

For all my home-made cosmetics I use plastic spoons to scoop it out whenever I use it.

I reuse those spoons (washing them in a dish washer).

For easy use take the jar to the bathroom every time you go to take shower or a bath. While in the bathroom it will soften and get easier to scoop out. I NEVER PUT MY BARE FINGERS INSIDE THE JAR. That way I limit the amount of bacteria that can get inside the lotion/cream and cause it to go bad quickly. As you need to realize those lotions do not have any artificial preserves!

This butter melts almost immediately on skin. It applies easily and absorbs wonderfully.

It smells like heaven, too!!!

Using COCONUT OIL in homemade cosmetics is not the only way I use it. 

Here are a few of my my favorite ways to use it in foods:

– in pasta salad instead of dressing. It gives it an amazing and light coconuty flavor.

– drizzled over a mango-avocado salsa!!! – gosh! it is DELICIOUS!

– 1 tsp to my morning cup of coffee – check my previous post with the link-up. Gabby@veggie nook shared her recipe for it!!! it is awesome!!!

– or to my apple cider vinegar detox drink

There is many more uses for coconut oil but I’ll stop here as I have to get to the point of this post. Thanks to Tropical Traditions

I am giving away, here on my blog:

1 quart of Gold Label
Virgin Coconut Oil!

How to participate in this giveaway:

– You MUST subscribe to Tropical Tradition’s email sales newsletter here

– Follow TT on Twitter @troptraditions and @ttspecialdeals

– Follow TT on Pinterest

– Add TT to your Google+ circles

– Like TT’s page on Facebook

– Like Mom Photographer on Facebook

– Follow @MomPhotographer on Twitter

– Twitt about this giveaway

– Post a link to this giveaway on your Facebook page

– For each thing listed above leave a separate comment under this post – THE WINNER WILL BE PICKED FROM THOSE WHO LEAVE COMMENTS, so THE MORE COMMENTS YOU LEAVE THE BIGGER IS YOUR CHANCE TO WIN

Want to know Tropical Traditions better? Here are some information about them:

Tropical Traditions is America’s source for coconut oil. Their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is hand crafted in small batches by family producers, and it is the highest quality coconut oil they offer. You can read more about how virgin coconut oil is different from other coconut oils on their website: What is Virgin Coconut Oil?

You can also watch the video they produced about Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil:

Tropical Traditions also carries other varieties of affordable high quality coconut oil. Visit their website to check on current sales, to learn about the many uses of coconut oil, and to read about all the advantages of buying coconut oil online. Since the FDA does not want Tropical Traditions to discuss the health benefits of coconut oil on a page where it is being sold or given away, here is the best website to read about the health benefits of coconut oil.

Feel free to check out this video about “How to use coconut oil“:

or click on to read about Frequently asked questions about COCONUT OIL

THE WINNER WILL BE CONTACTED within 48 HOURS after the giveaway ends.

PLEASE COMMENT WITH A VALID PROFILE (wordpress, blogger, facebook or twitter) or EMAIL ADDRESS so I can contact you after the giveaway is over.

This giveaway is open to to U.S. & Canada citizens. 

Note for Canadian bloggers: Tropical Traditions is not responsible for customs or duties that Canada may charge for your sample or your readers’ prize.

I wish you all GOOD LUCK!!!

Disclaimer:

Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

If you order by clicking on any of my links and have never ordered from Tropical Traditions in the past, you will receive a free book on Virgin Coconut Oil, and I will receive a discount coupon for referring you.