Coconut oil is everywhere and with it's extensive benefits ranging from a super-moisturising hair mask to a skincare saviour, it is easy to see why. Can the wonderous oil do know wrong?
Remember last year when die-hard kale evangelist Gwnyeth Paltrow started talking about the benefits of 'oil pulling', and how half of Hollywood then began to follow suit? Well now Kylie Jenner is the latest advocate of the trend, diverting from her usual pouty selfies to talk about her new beauty secret: CocoWhite sachets.
Kylie shared a photo of a box of sachets spilling out onto her sink, with a caption about how her teeth were whiter already.
The Ayurvedic-rooted practice is back in a big way. Oil pulling, as detailed by Ms Paltrow, is the practice of swishing coconut oil around in your mouth and then spitting it out. The benefits are meant to include whiter, cleaner teeth and improved skin tone and quality. While medically speaking, the jury's out on the effects on skin (doctors are yet to be dazzled by any links between swishing coconut oil and less acne), oil pulling is gaining ground in dental circles.
Does swilling coconut oil *actually *whiten teeth?
The idea is that plaque is fat soluble, and not water soluble, so the practice of oil pulling can help break down plaque and leave you with a whiter smile. While dentists who swear by the practice are few and far between, there's an army of A-listers who rave about it, including Gwyneth and Shailene Woodley.
Most cosmetic dentists concede that while it's nothing compared to professional whitening, it can help freshen breath and dissolve new plaque as it does suck a lot of toxins out of your mouth.
The downsides? In order for it to work, you need to do twenty minutes of swishing a day. Twenty! Admittedly you can do housework in that time, but you can also can't talk, eat or drink. If you feel like giving up half of your favourite TV show to this practice, be sure to spit into the bin and not your sink to avoid needing to call a plumber the next morning. CocoWhite sachets are a very handy way to do this, and prices start at £19.99 for 14 sachets - see more here.
Tempted? We asked Dr Deepa Apte from Ayurveda Pura to share her tips for how to oil pull below...