A review on coconut oil

Coconut oil is traditionally-akin to the "Jack of all trades" when it comes to usage. Its uses range from culinary to beauty, and remains as useful even in this modern day.

The cold press virgin coconut oil from Tanamera

Introduction
Long ago, I used to hear a lot of stories about coconut oil; good and otherwise... The good - it works wonders for the skin and hair, while the not-so-good thing I heard about coconut oil is that it has a peculiar smell.  I didn't know because I've not use it then.  So, what does experience tell me now?

The attracting factor
My first encounter with coconut oil came when I tried the Tanamera facial for the first time.  Part of the facial treatment involves facial massage using coconut oil.  Upon application, I immediately fell in love with the sweet scent of coconut oil.  I always associate its fragrance with the coconut candies that I used to encounter in my childhood (remember those brown candies in transparent wrappers?).

Good for....
Here's sharing a few things about coconut oil which I think worked as claimed.

Being a non-professional in cooking, I do not know why the oil is called "virgin", just like olive oil that comes with the "virgin" and "extra virgin" categories.

1. Make-up removal
Voila...  Since most make-ups are oil-based, coconut oil thus works effectively yet gently in removing make-ups.  Just dab a few drops of the oil onto the palm (or fingers if you prefer), massage onto the face in a circular motion, and wipe with cotton pads.  Then, wash your face with your regular cleanser.  You'll notice that your skin feels clean, yet fresh after that.

2. Pre-wash hair conditioner and hot oil
In order to use the coconut oil as pre-wash conditioner, simply apply the desired amount onto the strands of your hair (small amount should be sufficient in order not to cause excess greasiness), leave for 5 minutes and shampoo as usual.

Another use that's indicated on the label of Tanamera's coconut oil is as an alternative to hot oil, where you apply some oil to the hair after wash, leave for a few minutes, and rinse.

As I have naturally-oily scalp that warrants daily washing, I prefer to use the coconut oil at pre-wash rather than afterwards.

Having said the above i.e. the benefit of coconut oil for hair, it doesn't mean that I have the most perfect hair, although I have to admit that this coconut oil pre-conditioner helps tame my treases to some extent.  I'm currently battling with bad-hair days because my hair is occasionally frizzy and not straight by nature, and I have not done any sort of hairdo to rectify it since many months ago as I wasn't sure if chemical treatment goes well with pregnancy.

So if time permits now, I should really do something a.s.a.p. because to me, bad hair day = a compromised mood.   I'm not into super-straight hair because it doesn't suit me, but only desire something that looks neat and easy to manage. 

3. Massage oil
Tanamera spa uses coconut oil in many of its massage packages.

Miscellaneous
If I'm not mistaken, MCT Oil (MCT stands for Medium Chain Triglyceride) that's being used as one of the fortifications in breast milk for premature babies is made of coconut oil.  The smell is very familiar indeed.

Last but not least

If you like the scent of coconut oil, then this is a product worth consideration, bearing in mind the multiple uses and goodness of coconut oil.    :)

Some Review on Tanamera & Madara

I'm neither beauty queen nor beauty expert, but would just like to share...

TANAMERA

Here are some of the Tanamera products that I've tried recently - the Scalp and Hair Revitaliser (hair conditioner), Scalp Cleanser (shampoo), Mild Facial Wash and Rose Floral Water.

1. The Scalp & Hair Revitaliser

The conditioner has a very pleasant fragrance. It's said to be made of 100% plant-based ingredients. The conditioner is mild yet effective to tame down frizzes and reduces tangles.

Usage-wise, the conditioner needs to be left on the hair for about 5 minutes and the portion depends on the length or thickness of your hair. When my hair used to be at shoulder length, I'd use about 5 pumps per application.

From my experience, this conditioner works generally well. Unlike normal hair conditioners that aren't scalp-friendly the scalp, this one doesn't irritate the scalp.

2. Scalp Cleanser

The shampoo has a mild citrus-like fragrance. I could feel that it cleanses the scalp very well by taming down greasiness. No doubt that a bit of oil is crucial, but excessive oil often causes hair to look flat and limp.

It's best to use the shampoo together with the conditioner, or the Hair Treatment Cream, or both. Especially if your hair has undergone chemical treatment such as perming/straightening/colouring. From my personal experience, using the shampoo alone without the conditioner made my then chemical-treated hair a little dry.

I cut my hair short recently, and only partially-straightened (intended to be so). I'm sometimes lazy to apply conditioner on my hair. But it's ok so far, maybe because my hair is in a better condition compared to when it was long.

3. Mild Facial Wash
One of the key ingredients of this facial cleanser is hibiscus. The texture of it is just as described by its name - mild.

I've got a combination skin of oiliness at the T-zone, while other zones such as the cheeks are neither oily nor dry.

In order to create better balance, I prefer using the facial wash in the morning while the Tanamera black facial soap is reserved for the evening. The Black Soap is more suitable for oily or acne-prone skin.

4. Rose Floral Water (or distillate)

The lavender water that I bought previously is almost finishing. This time, I decided to try the rose water instead. The rose water has a much stronger scent compared to lavender.

I only use the floral water as toner. So far so good.

MADARA

A post on the Madara Ecoface Deep Purifying Foam is long overdue as it's been a while ago since I bought it.

Availability

This product is not widely sold, and is limited to mostly organic skin care shops such as Body Bar (the one I went to is located at Tropicana City Mall in PJ).

Features

The Madara facial foam is certified organic by Ecocert. Among the ingredients used to make the facial foam are rose water, calendula, chamomile, yarrow and Baltic St John's wort. Madara comes from Latvia, formerly part of Soviet Union.

The facial foam is surprisingly very nice! I like it because it's very mild, smooth and didn't hurt my eyes even some of it entered my eyes on an occasion when I carelessly didn't close my eyes when in the process of rinsing. Each wash takes 2 pumps of foam.

How did I land myself with Madara

There's this day when I went hunting for facial wash. I randomly went into Body Bar to have a look. I asked the sales person what's suitable for sensitive skin, yet cleanses effectively. And preferably free from harsh chemicals such as Sodium Laureth Sulphate.

A Soon-to-be-mom? I'm not

I must have worn the wrong type of dress that day, as I was mistaken for being in maternity. The salesperson told "... there are two types of facial washes.... the foam and the gel.... since you're in your maternity, I'd recommend the foam because it's gentler because your skin may be a little sensitive at this stage...".

I didn't try to correct the salesperson that I wasn't pregnant (I wasn't even married then), I just kept quiet and said "Ok, I'll try this". Luckily the salesperson spoke softly and my then-bf-now-husband who's together with me in the shop didn't hear it, or else imagine the possible blush on our faces.

Cost

Price-wise, it's inexpensive on the whole. It's not very cheap either, but reasonable. RM88 for a bottle of facial wash (not the Lancome, Shiseido or SKII category) may sound a little costly, but the fact that a bottle lasts for more than 6 months means on the average, it's RM14.70 monthly. Even the average price of a normal tube of facial wash from the drugstore costs between RM14 - 25 each, and lasts for 1 or 2 months.

Biskut Dahlia & Tanamera

1. My favourite cookies for Raya... "Biskut Semperit", or "Dahlia" as stated in the order form that's being passed around.

I bought these home-made cookies from a co-worker. Simply buttery and yummy. :P Being largely a non-sweet tooth person (with the exception of these cookies), it's the first time I bought sweet stuff on my own accord.

For those interested, here's a recipe from "Kerja Dari Rumah", shared by an old friend of my mom via Facebook:

2. My new Tanamera collection...

I was looking for nature-based facial toner and thus decided to go to my favourite Tanamera spa. I had originally wanted to buy the Rose Floral Water, but ended up with Lavender instead as the rose water was out of stock then.

I didn't fancy lavender in the beginning as I found the smell weird. However, I gradually learnt to enjoy its scent. The scent is very relaxing especially when use right before bedtime, and the lavender water works very well as a toner. It feels refreshing on my skin and I'm happy with this lavender water.

The Tanamera range of floral water consists of distillate, a.k.a. leftover from the process of essential oil extraction. There is a variety to choose from - rose, lavender, sandalwood, jasmine and neroli. Well, I don't mind using "left-over" as long as it's good enough to use.

The price: RM36 (normal price), RM28.80 (after discount during the megasale period). One bottle can last for about 2 months for a usage of twice daily.

Products from Tanamera

Fell in love with Tanamera recently! :P

How it started

Upon hearing about the good services at Tanamera Wellness Spa in Sooka Sentral from one of my colleagues, I became curious to try it out. I like Tanamera spa for 2 major reasons, namely that all Tanamera products are made from natural tropical plants and free from strong chemicals, and that it's an "all-ladies" spa. I have nothing against guys, but I find it more comfortable to do certain things in an exclusively-ladies' spa.

Facial & Shopping

My first visit to Tanamera spa in Sooka was for a 'sengkuang' facial. On top of the facial, I've recently bought a few items from Tanamera to try out. There was a Tanamera Mega Sale where all products were discounted for 20%. After trying them out, in a nutshell, I'd like to say that Tanamera products are of high quality, environmental-friendly and reasonably-priced.

1. The Tanamera's Spa Jerneh Body Moisturiser: Pleasantly fragrant, very moisturising yet non-sticky, and I'm happy with the fact that unlike other ordinary lotions, its fragrance doesn't cause me to sneeze.

2. Re-mineralizing Aqueous Facial Mist with Standardized Herbal Extract and Lavender Essential Oil: A cool facial mist that refreshes and gently moisturises the facial skin. I use this as my daily toner.

3. The Brown Soap:

I don't clearly remember the exact ingredients of this soap, other than turmeric. It has a gritty surface (of rice) to act as scrub. This soap is ideal for showering or whenever one feels like having a body scrub. It helps to unclog the pores on my back.

4. The Black Soap: This is a facial soap. Best for oily skin or those with acne. Similar to the brown soap, this soap can be used as a cleanser, scrub or mask. 3 in 1, just need to do according to the leaflet of instructions. Although I generally don't have acne problems, I have combination skin. I'm currently using it daily. But I try not to scrub now because after my first time scrubbing my face with the soap, I ended up with a few pimples suddenly popping up. But I like this soap because it works very effectively in cleansing and smoothening my facial skin. And all without drying it up.

5. The Scalp & Hair Revitalizer: This is a hair conditioner. I bought this for my mom. But I managed to try some and like those other items listed above, I love this conditioner. No more frizzes. I wish to buy one for myself later. I wanted to try the shampoo too, but the Tanamera at Sooka had ran out of stock at that time.

The Tamanera Menu

Tanamera spa offers various types of services comprising face work (3 types of facial - 'sengkuang' / 'manggir' / kacang hijau'), hair work (treatment and henna), body work (body scrub), massages, etc. Tanamera spa also provides bridal package (face work+hair work+body work+flower bath), once a week for 4 cycles, and post-natal package. The services offered are a combination of the Malay and ayurvedic practices.

Back then

I remember that I used to frequently walk past a Tanamera stall at the KL Central Market . However, I did not pay much attention to the stall at that time because I had a false impression that such "fragrant but all-natural" products must be very pricey. But in reality, they are not much dearer. No doubt costing slightly more, but the quality is worth it.

I enjoyed the facial

Back to the facial, I enjoyed the session very much. First, the spa therapist cleansed my face with the Tanamera gentle cleanser. Then followed by a 'sengkuang' scrub. Next was a facial massage using the Tanamera cold pressed virgin coconut oil. After that, there was the hand and shoulder massage which was very relaxing and comfortable. Finally, I had a hibiscus mask. Smooth and nice, I would definitely consider another in the future.

Hair Work

The latest I had at Tanamera was the hair treatment last week. Also a good one. I wish my hair can be as smooth as the aftermath everyday.

Moving forward

The spa therapist recommended me to take up the bridal package if I'm getting married (hah, marriage? At my age, it's no surprise to get married). With such professional service and excellent products, it's worth the consideration. :)

Lastly, I almost can't believe it that I've fell in love with going to the spa, facial, hair work and such. I don't know whether this is for good or otherwise, but this is definitely something unimaginable back in my earlier days. Though I'm no pretty super-model, I'm obviously beginning to appreciate the need to upkeep myself with how a woman ought to care for herself, apart from having a balanced diet and doing enough physical activity. Physical activity - the next area to look into.