Coconut Massage Oil is a marvelous gift from nature to our skin. Both coconut oil and massage are distinctly important for our skin and body. We shall see now what massaging and coconut oil has in store for us.
Let us first talk of massaging. Massaging plays an important role when it comes to health. For thousands of years around the world, and particularly in India and its neighbouring countries, mothers have been massaging their babies with oil, so that they grow faster and better, keep healthy and look beautiful. And not only babies, but men and women of all age groups have been massaging themselves for ages to keep healthy.
Innumerable massage parlours have came up within the last century and giving massage has given birth to a billion dollar industry. People are ready to spend a fortune to have a body massage in the Ayurvedic Massage Centres in Kerala in India or in those costly herbal massage parlours and spas in some of the world’s best tourist places. Why is massage good for health? During massage, as the skin is rubbed with oil and the muscles are subjected to light pressure, they are agitated and the blood circulation below the skin and in the muscles is stimulated. This increased circulation brings more oxygen to tissues and they are revitalized. This increases the rate of metabolism too. Further, the oil that seeps through the skin keeps the skin soft, smooth and moist by not letting moisture escape. This oil collected under the skin, when reacts with sunlight, also aids formation of Vitamin-D.
That was the importance of massage. Now, it’s the turn of coconut oil. When massage alone can do such a good for the body, then think what it can do if it is done with oil like coconut oil. If you study deeply, you will find that there is hardly any oil that can match the goodness of coconut oil, when it comes to massage. The reasons!
- First of all, the presence of such a high concentration of Medium Chain Fatty Acids (Saturated Fats) makes it very stable oil. So, when you rub coconut massage oil on your skin and leave it for hours, you need not fear that it will go rancid and damage your skin or invite infections.
- Second, the presence of expert anti microbial agents like Capric Acid and Lauric Acid do not let microbes infect your skin.
- Third, the layer of such stable oil full of saturated fats, on the skin, does not let moisture escape, thus protecting it from drying and cracking.
- Fourth, coconut oil is rich in Vitamin-E, your skin’s best friend. It keeps your skin rejuvenated, young and healthy.
- Fifth, the coconut massage oil, gifted with a lot of anti oxidants, can keep you look young even in your seventies. These anti oxidants do not let the skin wrinkle and also protects it from other adverse affects of ageing, like sagging, peeling and de-colouring etc.
- Sixth, it penetrates the skin very easily while massaging and can serve very well if used as carrier oil for other herbal extracts, essential oils, medicines etc.
- Finally, last but not the least, its fragrance is unmatched. It is so earthly and soothing that it keeps you fresh all the day and drives away body odour.
History & Prospects: Coconut oil has been in use as massage oil for centuries, more so, in Coastal areas of India and Indian Subcontinent, Philippines, Indonesia, Java, Sri Lanka and some Latin American countries. In Coastal India, you will find many people who show gleaming, smooth and beautiful skin even after their sixties. They are those people who were massaged with Coconut Oil in their childhood. Now, around the world, as people are knowing more and more about the benefits of coconut oil, the craze for coconut massage oil is growing. Many companies have launched and are still launching their specifically made Coconut Massage Oil in the market, some with and some without herbal extracts, and even in varied fragrances. So, now that you have a lot to choose from, try one and see the results yourself.
This article is contributed by Aparup Mukherjee.
Sources of Information:
- Reports of Coconut Development Board of India,
- Reports of KERAFED.
- Text books of various courses of agriculture.
- Various other reports on internet.
