Since time immemorial, people have wanted to make their skin younger looking and wrinkle-free not only because of vanity but also it feels good to have such good nice skin even if you are no longer young. Even Queen Nefertiti (the world’s most beautiful woman) and Cleopatra had their own beauty regimen to enhance their beauty.

It is reported that during the Middle Kingdom (ca. 2030–1650 B.C.E. women, especially wealthy ones, were already engaged in beauty rituals to prepare for putting on make-up which was usually made of materials from nature. There are stages to prepare an Egyptian woman’s skin for makeup:

• Skin was prepared for exfoliation. That is using Dead Sea salts or an elaborate milk bath; milk-and-honey face masks were popular treatments.
• Floral- or spice-infused oils were used to soften their skin.
• Incense pellets were applied on their underarms as deodorant.
• Invention of a natural method of waxing with a mixture of honey and sugar by the Egyptians was also reported

Today, there are a thousand ways to make a person more pleasing and beautiful in the eyes of the beholder.

With so many inventions discovered to enhance one’s physical appearance, no one could be called ‘ugly’ as there are thousands of ways to improve it. Beauty enhancers are manufactured using natural or herbal ingredients from plants, there are also drugs or chemicals that are made to enhance one’s beauty. It is only you who will handpick which beauty enhancer you would like to apply on your face or skin to make it lovelier and younger-looking.

When my mother died, she was 85 years old. The most interesting thing about her is that she has fewer wrinkles on her face compared to most women in her generation. Do I sound subjective? Well, I cannot help it. 

But that is my observation. I can recall that she was not fond of eating meat and she preferred eating vegetables. She said that the simpler the dish cooked the better. I think I agree with her because she grew up in a rural area where people were healthy, happier, and looked content in their lives.

Regarding her skin, it looked lucid with just a few wrinkles that were prominent. Overall, her skin was clear and it made her younger-looking.

So, what is the secret to having such clear skin?

As far as I can recall, she used coconut oil to cleanse and moisturize her skin every day.

As far as I know, coconut oil is good for the skin because it is a natural oil that contains fatty acids that nourish and protects the skin. Based on research, coconut oil increases the production of collagen and boosts the regeneration of cells in the skin. It is effective in reducing wrinkles and tightens the skin. It is also far less expensive compared to branded and chemically-manufactured skin products to boot.

There are different kinds of coconut oil that are available in the market. There is virgin coconut oil, coconut oil for cooking, and also for internal or medicinal use. The best coconut oil is cold-pressed. That is, it did not undergo the heating process and was made by natural process.

In my mother’s case, she made her own coconut oil in a natural way. One day, I asked her how she made her coconut oil. She told me how she did it step by step.  

• The first thing to do is to extract coconut milk from the coconut fruit itself. 
• Then the extracted coconut milk is placed in a bigger glass container which she cleaned thoroughly to avoid the formation of molds or other elements that may spoil the coconut milk in the process. 
• Place the glass container in a location with room temperature or lower is better. Let is stand for three days without moving the container somewhere else
• After three days, check the oil extract which is visible in between the uppermost layer or surface of the coconut milk and the colloid or sediment. You can see the oil in the second layer of the coconut milk.  
• Scoop the coconut oil from the middle layer which is a little taxing because the colloid and sediment may mix with the extracted oil so patience is necessary
• After extracting the oil produced in the process, put it in a smaller glass bottle ready for use

With the natural process and personally done by you, you can be sure that the oil is 100% pure with no other elements mixed with it. At night, you can already apply the oil on your face with clean cotton. First, the application is to remove the dirt on your face. The second application is to moisturize your face for clearer and younger-looking skin.

If you opt to buy coconut oil in the market, be sure that the brand name is credible and the coconut oil is processed cold-pressed. Be sure to check if the coconut oil is for external use only. Virgin coconut oil is a good choice as a skin enhancer.

When I tried using my mother’s coconut oil, I observed that after two weeks, my skin became lighter and the texture improved. It became softer with some spots removed. I am not sure if this will also be the result with another user. But for me, it was effective. It may also produce different effects for different skin types. So, I recommend you try it first for one or two days especially when your skin is oily. 

To check more of your type of skin, a bigger and clearer view of your face, you can use a bigger vanity mirror. To see the front and sides of your face, try to check on this product at FlexiSpot. It is called Three-paneled Mirror With 2.3 Times Magnification and Led Light MR01.  

As the name suggests, it is clearer with higher magnification and three panes that you can see all the sides of your face. The lighting could also be adjusted so you can see your face even in lower lighting. It has also a built-in drawer to store your makeup tools and cosmetics. The mirror can be flipped or folded, which makes it more compact. Without a battery, you can use it by charging it with its USB charging cable.