Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Costa Rica, in the year 1820, an English brig under the command of Captain William Thompson is sailing the waters moving fast towards its destination. On board a priceless treasure, the treasure of the city of Lima, two hundred coffers of gold and precious objects, gold and silver bars, gold statues covered with diamonds and emeralds that were brought to safety, rescuing them from the fury of the civil war erupted between Chile and Peru. But such a treasure could not leave indifferent. So it was that Captain Thompson decided to seize these priceless riches and hide them on an island, Cocos Island. This did not bring luck to the captain who, to escape from those who wanted to force him to reveal the place where he had hidden the treasure, spent his life as a simple sailor and died without ever having been able to benefit from all those incredible riches. Riches that, for those who believe in this legend, are still on the island. Over the years many have tried to find the treasure and, it is said, even NASA has become passionate about the story of the pirate Thompson and his treasure by funding a search with the satellite but, for the moment, there is no trace of the treasure. If it exists, it is still there, on Cocos Island, hidden by coconut trees, of which the island is rich, or in a cave overlooking the sea. And so, let's revive this legend, which smells of exotic lands, sea travel, adventures and coffers, with a very special cosmetic. Today we prepare the pirate face scrub with ... coconut of course.
Coconut Pirate Scrub
You need 1 tablespoon of shredded coconut and 4 almonds. Pour everything into a blender and blend until the almonds are pulverized. Pour this mixture into a small bowl and add as much rose water as you need to make a cream. Top with a teaspoon of coconut oil if you have dry or mature skin, or jojoba oil if you have acne-prone skin. Mix and apply this scrub on clean, dry skin with slow movements for a couple of minutes. Then rinse with warm water and, if necessary, use a detergent. Complete with a little rose water and a drop of a serum oil.
Pirate scrub, properties
Almonds contain oils that act by repairing the skin barrier and that are also anti-aging. Almond oil is emollient, improves skin tone and complexion (Tzu kai Lin et al, Int J Mol Sci, 2018). Coconut oil is antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory, soothes erythema and redness, is antioxidant and fights aging processes while jojoba oil helps rebalance sebum production and fights skin inflammation (Tzu kai Lin et al, Int J Mol Sci, 2018). Finally, the exfoliating effect of the scrub stimulates the renewal of tissues and the production of collagen and counteracts the appearance of skin spots (Rendon et al, J Clin Aesthet Dermatol, 2010).