Whipped Coconut Oil Lotion

Ever since moving to cold, northern Michigan, my skin has become much drier than before. Another downside to this cold weather is my coconut oil is as hard as a rock, which makes it really difficult to deal with issue #1. Recently, I started looking for a solution, but it was a little more difficult to find an answer on the internet than I imaged. So, I thought I would share what worked for me.

Let's rewind a couple years. I had just started using coconut oil if my skin got extremely dry thanks to Pinterest. When we live down state, this would only happen during the coldest weeks of winter. So, I would put some oil on my legs and maybe my arms. Then, within a few days of doing this, I was good as new.

Now that we live up north, every week seems like the coldest week of winter, and my skin has been struggling. I was also having issues with my coconut oil getting too cold. When this happened, it was practically impossible to get out of the jar. And yes, I know that I could run it under warm water, but I was constantly forgetting to do this while I was showering. Then, I'd be super cold, wrapped up in my towel after taking a shower, and trying to scrape shavings of this rock-hard coconut oil out of the jar with my fingernails... not my best moment.

I thought there had to be an easier way to use coconut oil in the winter, so I started scouring the internet for answers. Sadly, all I found were recipes to make body butters by whipping shea butter, coconut oil, and essential oils together. I didn't have any of these other ingredients, and I wasn't about to start running all over town looking for them. Ain't no body got time for 'dat!

That's when I had the idea... Maybe I could just whip the coconut oil. I was hoping that by adding air to it, it would be easier to scoop out of the jar with my hands. I got out a mixing bowl, plopped in my hard-as-a-rock coconut oil*, and used my handy dandy Kitchen-Aid hand mixer for a couple minutes. Presto, change-o! It worked!

I've been using the whipped coconut oil for a week now, and it's amazing! The oil melts after you rub a dollop of it between your hands for a few seconds, and spreads very easily. I've even gotten my husband to use it a few times when his face looks really dry, and even he likes it!

Once the oil absorbs into your skin and the "buttery" feeling (that's what Jason calls it) is gone, your skin feels oh so smooth. Plus, you smell like a Piña Colada, which helps me pretend I'm on a warm, tropical beach somewhere far, far away.

*Make sure you're using the coconut oil in it's solid state. Don't heat it up, and liquify it when you go to whip it.