I’ve been hearing a lot about coconut oil and how good it is for you. The buzz is that it makes a great cooking oil and is really moisturizing. In truth, coconut oil is one of the few saturated fats that comes from a plant. Most saturated fats come from an animal source. Coconut oil also contains lauric acid which has antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties.

Coconut oil is actually solid. It will melt at 76 degrees Fahrenheit. Unrefined coconut oil is best for beauty products and refined is better for cooking — although that’s not a hard and fast rule. Coconut oil is a great oil for general moisturizing and even after washing it off, a thin film remains which helps to retain the moisture in your skin. It’s also suitable for those with inflamed and irritated skin or skin sensitivities. It’s used a lot in soap making because it produces lather.

If you decide to use coconut oil, make sure that you buy your coconut oil from a health food store. This way you won’t get oil that’s been hydrogenated or treated with chemicals.

So I got a tub of the stuff and was planning on pre-pooing with it. BTW, pre-prooing is very addictive. I highly recommend it, but just be aware that it opens up a whole universe of possibilities of stuff to put in your hair.

Anyway, I was happily pre-pooing, and I decided to go ahead and just pre-poo my whole body. I think I had Fran’s experience with sesame oil in the back of my mind so I’ll go ahead and blame her Well, it turned into a bit of an experience because to say my skin likes this stuff is an understatement. It was like every little pore opened it’s mouth and said ahhhh. So, thoroughly moisturized and shiny I jumped in the shower. This is where things went wrong.

At some point I reached for my shampoo and missed. The thud must have been pretty loud because my niece heard it from the next house over. She decided to use her emergency key and investigate which is fine except she gathered a flock of folks on the way over — aunts, uncles, cousins, the mailman, the dog, and some stray kid on a skateboard. I don’t think I’ve had that many people in the shower with me since . . . never.

Anywho, let this be a lesson to you. If you decide to use coconut oil, make sure that –

1. Nobody has a key to your place
2. Use a non slip mat in the shower
3. Nobody has a key to your place