A google search for “uses for coconut oil” bombards you with intimidatingly lengthy lists for this multi-purpose substance. Most likely, if you have coconut oil in your cupboard, you eagerly sing its praises to whoever (whomever? Whatever.) will listen.
Just in case your coconut oil creativity is running low, here are some unusual uses for the beloved traditional fat:
Shaving with Coconut Oil
It’s January. I don’t have a boyfriend. Therefore, my legs will not see a razor until spring. But when shorts season demands it, I shave with coconut oil.
To shave legs with coconut oil, keep a small container of it the shower. In the shower, use a damp washcloth to remove most of the water from your legs. Coat them with a thin layer of coconut oil (this works best when you can prop your legs out of the shower spray). Shave away, and don’t forget to rinse the razor often because the coconut oil can clog the blades.
Once out of the shower, pat your legs dry. The coconut oil residue should leave your legs soft and moisturized, but you can massage on more coconut oil, if you want.
Eat it Frozen
Yes, if these Coconut Oil Berry Delights sound weird. But trust me, they are delicious and the easiest way to get extra coconut oil in your diet. I make mine with raspberries or blueberries and honey. Yum-o! They taste like sherbet ice cubes.
Oil Pulling
Advocates of oil pulling, the process of swishing oil in your mouth, profess its powerful detoxing results. Some report that oil pulling has cured chronic diseases. Plus, it makes your breath fresh and teeth white. This oil pulling video will tell you everything you need to know about how to oil pull.
Coconut Oil Whipped Moisturizer
It’s so fluffy I’m gonna die! I add Sweet Orange essential oil to this recipe for whipped coconut oil moisturizer for fragrance. Use after bathing and keep a small container on your nightstand to massage onto dry hands.
Coconut Oil Toothpaste
I’ve been brushing with homemade toothpaste for months now, and I’m a convert. Here’s my recipe: mix coconut oil and baking soda into a paste. Add a few drops of peppermint essential oil and mineral drops, if desired. Done.
Coconut Oil Chocolate Cups
It may seem like a job for Martha Stewart, but these homemade chocolate cups are surprisingly simple to prepare! You only need cocoa powder, coconut oil and raw honey or pure maple syrup. Fill with berries, ice cream, pudding and more!
Coconut Oil French Fries
Want to indulge in french fries? There’s no need to poison your body with toxic, refined vegetable oils! Try these Coconut Oil French Fries. Plus, because coconut oil is so stable, you can strain out the oil after frying and re-use it. It’s safe and healthy.
Coconut Oil Deodorant
Trade in your chemical-laden deodorant for a natural, moisturizing version made with coconut oil. It’s economical, simple, and perfect for sensitive skin!
Coconut Oil Mayonnaise
Here’s another way to substitute coconut oil for rancid, PUFA-laden vegetable oils. As a bonus, this Coconut Oil Mayonnaise contains immunity-boosting probiotics!
Coconut Oil Makeup Remover
Simply warm about a teaspoon of coconut oil between your finger tips, then massage onto your face to dissolve makeup. Be gentle while coaxing off mascara. Wet a washcloth with hot water, then wring out thoroughly. Place it over your face and then gently massage away the last traces of mascara. Repeat by wetting/wringing/wiping with the washcloth again, if necessary.
Are you a coconut oil fanatic like me? Do you have a favorite and/or unusual use for coconut oil?
photos: #1, 3, 4 from SXC. #2 from Free Digital Photos.
shared at: Thank Your Body Thursday
I have been using coconut oil for the last three months to shave my legs and wash my face. I have made a sugar scrub using coconut oil and I love it. My skin is healthier now than when I used store bought face products and by using coconut oil to shave my legs I don’t need to shave them as often as I did with shaving cream.
Sugar scrub made with coconut oil sounds lovely! I’m going to try that now!
I use 2 1/2 cups sugar, 1 cup melted coconut oil and 5 tbsp of a citrus juice (Preferably fresh squeezed). I normally use lime or lemon juice or a combo of both.
Do you measure the oil after you melt it or before and then heat it..
You can measure it either way. If using as a substitute for oil in a recipe, liquify first then measure.
I make a vanilla chai sugar scrub with coconut oil; I don’t have a large container so I use:
1/2 cup each brown and white sugar
1-3 chai tea bags (opened)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. honey
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Just mix the dry ingredients, add the warmed oil and mix! I keep it in a jar in the bathroom.
I have a pool and I had started to put coconut oil on myself to keep the clorine from drying my skin so badly. While I dont go out there in the heat of the day, I did notice I was turning brown and then read somewhere that it was a good sunscreen. I havent given it the test (out in the heat of the day), mostly because I am one of those that burns so easily. I sure dont want to fry…lol…but I may try it this yr. Would be nice to know because it makes your skin look so nice. I am now 58 and sure dont want to look like a wrinkled old prune…lol
Hi Kitty,
Me too! I swim 5 miles a week. And you personally know how drying the chlorine in the pool is to skin. So, I keep a container of coconut oil in my shower bag. When I shower after my swim I leave the covered container on the shower floor in the bottom drain so it’s partially sitting in the hot water. This softens and melts it a little. After my shower, I then apply it all over my body while still wet and pat myself dry with my towel. It’s amazing! No dry or itchy skin for me! And, as a result I always have soft, supple skin!
There is no better feminine lubricant in the world! Coconut oil feels great, taste great, smells great…and it eats candida (that’s what causes yeast infections)! It is simply purfect…
I agree completely, and best of all, there are no weird chemicals in it like the other stuff!
Safe to use with condoms?
@ Chan: Unfortunately it (or any other oil product) is not safe to use with condoms.
Actually, if you use polyurethane condoms, it is fine! http://doinitwell.blog.com/2009/12/04/down-the-slippery-slope-coconut-oil-and-condoms/
And, it’s great as a lubricant too! Better than KY.
I agree. Its the only thing my husband and I use. Plus it doesn’t seem to stain the linens.
I stir it into my tea , it tastes lovely and makes my lips soft.
I love to use coconut oil to condition my hair. I use all natural shampoo (if I wash my hair at all) and then I follow up with some coconut oil when I’m out of the shower. It keeps my hair super soft and helps with all my fly-aways.
I also use it to deep condition. I melt a few tablespoons (or as much as 1/4 cup if my hair feels really dry..or needs a cut badly due to split ends) and rub it all over my dry hair until it’s coated. I love to do it before a bath and let the steam and coconut oil do it’s magic. (also I take long baths, like an hour or so…that’s the trouble with reading in the bath, you lose track of time!) Then I wash it out and I have soft hair for days!
It’s great for fine hair! When my 6-year-old’s hair gets fy-aways after brushing, I just melt a littl eoil on my hands and wipe them down her hair. She thinks it’s “so weird, Mom” but at least it keeps her from looking like she put her finger in an outlet!
Does coconut oil go bad.? I bought a big thing of it at Costco and less than a month later it smells like rotten eggs. Is there a specific way of storing to prevent this? thanks.
It is a very stable oil, but it is recommended that you make sure that the lid stays on tight, so the air doesn’t get to it. I would sooner believe that it’s the brand that you bought. I personally buy it from Tropical Traditions. They have some of the best coconut oil!
I have heard that it helps rid children of thrush, we also use it on our kids bottoms to prevent diaper rashes.
We use it on steamed veggies, and I’ve heard a little coconut oil with honey helps curb cravings.
I have diabetes and my scalp gets pretty itchy sometimes, and the hair gets dry and straightens. I rub coconut oil into my scalp using my fingertips and let it sit on my scalp while I soak in a hot bath. after I wash my hair, it’s soft and curly. it lasts a week usually.
If you add melalueca and lavender essential oils to the coconut oil, it will heal your scalp issues! I have had horrible scalp issues this winter, and this helped sooo much.
Eye doctor suggested using over the counter nighttime ointments for my chronic dry eye…..I read the labels, reluctantly tried one for a couple nights. Sticky, icky residue in the morning and still needed eyedrops during the day. Decided to try coconut oil instead. A tiny scoop with my pinky finger dropped in after liquefying on my finger. No icky residue the next day, eyes felt fresh, and after a few nights I didn’t need anything even during the day. Amazing!
I am so excited to hear this! I rubbed a bit along my lash line the other day and thought that it may be a more natural solution than the chemical gel my eye dr recommended.
really? i’ve had chronically dry eyes for years and have also tried that night time otc eye gel and hated it. it didn’t bother your eyes at all?
Tiffani- The coconut oil does give a little blurred vision, but it soon clears up. I have been using it as a moisturizer too and my lashes are longer and thicker. It can also relieve pink eye symptoms. I just found that out last week with my youngest.
Well folks, I use organic cocao butter as an internal pessary!! Actually this product has been used for years and years for this purpose. I’m unable to use any hormonal pessaries and this really works for me!
where can I buy large amounts of coconut oil?
I always see it in the store but small amount are very pricey..
look forward to your reply..
If you have a membership to Costco, they have Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, 78 oz for $21.50. Great deal!
Hello Monique,
I have found coconut oil through http://www.tropicaltraditions.com this is a great site and they run specials.
Paula
I have also tried various cocnut oils and like the tropical traditions the best! I have a tub that is 8 years old and still smells like fresh coconut
On some Mondays, Tropical Traditions also offers free shipping. I love their organic expellar-pressed coconut oil, plus the diswashing detergent and moisturizer.
Tropical traditions website. Excelant products. Excellent virgin and expeller pressed coconut oils. Varying quantities available.
http://www.amazon.com/Nutiva-Certified-Organic-Virgin-Coconut/dp/B000GAT6NG/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1362012984&sr=8-6&keywords=coconut+oil+extra+virgin+organic
30 bucks 54 oz! Nutiva Extra Virgin certified organic
Vitacost.com 54oz $21.49 most times free shipping.
I have a jar in kitchen and one in bathroom…. love everything coconut oil does for you.
Another use – I use on bread for Grilled cheese and garlic bread. It is so delicious!
I just bought a jar of coconut oil and used it for grilled sandwiches instead of butter- I couldn’t believe the rich golden color the sandwiches had and not at all greasy like when I used butter. I’m really starting to fall in love with it.
Vitacost is the best I have used. Here is a link to save even more $.
#1-get an ebates account. It will save you an additional 6% now by a quarterly check they send you. http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=alxQvGESxW19DceYRglb7w%3D%3D
#2-get a Vitacost account. It will email you a $10 off your first $30 purchase. https://www.vitacostrewards.com/cxaUvEx
Vitacost has so many great products at a fraction of the cost. There is FREE shipping on any purchase over $49 too! Happy Shopping!
Monique – you can purchase reasonably priced and good quality coconut oil at Vitacost.com.
Thank you so much!! I am going to try the oil pulling.. I don’t know if I can do the coconut oil, just don’t like it… What is another raw organic oil that you would recommend.. Any thoughts from everyone??? Thanks!
a lot of the websites i’ve read suggest sesame seed oil (raw, untoasted, etc) or sunflower seed seed oil. people use first cold pressed evoo as well. i decided to try this not too long ago and bought sesame seed oill. haven’t tried it yet but may try it with coconut oil as well
What fantastic suggestions, thank you!!! I typically use Nutiva but recently tried Dr. Bronner’s coconut oil and it is the most delicious I have ever tried. My family and I ate most of it by the spoonful right out of the jar but I also use it in cooking.
This is so informative! I would never have thought to use coconut oil for shaving. I also use baking soda to brush my teeth but will now use a paste of baking soda and coconut oil as you suggest. I will make the coconut berry delights later on today
Been making my own personal care products from coconut oil for more than 5 years. Here’s a tip for shaving: half coconut oil, half glycerine (I use the kind from the craft store for dyi soap making), melt together and pour into some small food storage containers. Easy to pop out in the bath/shower and then it stores without making a mess with the lid on. BTW – I gave some to my daughter-in-law only to find out later my son used it all!
I heard glycerine was bad for you… anyone know about this ?
My understanding is that glycerine coats your teeth and then they can’t remineralize, but I would think that using it on your legs or hair would be fine.
WOW!! all the tips on the comments are great!
I use coconut oil to cook and have made my own toothpaste with it. I couldn’t get used to it, so I am using up my store bought toothpaste so that when it’s gone I will have no option but to use my homemade coconut one. One got to do what one got to do to do the right thing.
Have you tried Natures’s Gate toothpaste? I get it online at “Swansons” for 3.19. I like the peppermint and the other sweeter mint one.
I couldn’t find the toothpaste recipe on your site and the link didn’t work. i am very interested to try this one out. All the other ideas sound really good too.
There’s a newly released e-book on amazon.com we’ve discovered called, “The Coconut Oil Health & Beauty Book” by M.D. Fry, PhD. We’ve reviewed many books on the topic of coconut oil, this one, however, is particularly simple, practical and one of the more compete books we’ve recently found.on coconut uses.
Alzheimer’s runs in my family so I swallow down 2 Tbs daily for brain health. On top of my many other uses of it, most of them have been described above.
=)
A bit of coconut oil on the end of a cotton tipped ear swab will keep the ear canal moist and lubricated.
where would a person find coconut oil ?
There are some great suggestions in the above comments. I recommend vitacost brand coconut oil–high quality and amazing price. You can get $10 off your first order by clicking through my referral link here.
Using coconut oil in your fench fries might be a little expensive!
Why not try this instead:
Chop up some sweet potatoes into fries. Lightly cover in coconut oil and bake in the oven on a med-high heat for about 20 – 30 mins or until crispy.
Delicious and healthy!
That sounds delicious!! I will definitely be giving that a try
I slice them the other way and make “chips” all the time like this…my favorite Paleo snack!
I LOVE using it for my hair. Super simple, and works better than anything I’ve tried! Coat hair in coconut oil. Cover with shower cap (I usually just clip my hair up instead). Add heat with hair dryer (optional) for ~15 minutes, or without heat for 30+ minutes. Rinse out with warm water, shampoo (twice if necessary) and condition as usual.
I’ve tried many diy hair treatments but like this one best because the results are great and when using egg, I had a hard time rinsing it out with cool water, and ended up with cooked egg in my hair (gross!!) and olive oil doesn’t rinse out well, and even after a couple shampoos I felt greasy.
THANK YOU all for sharing your tips, suggestions, and secrets for using coconut oil! I know I have learned a lot from your comments and I’m sure everybody else has, too! Keep ‘em coming!
P.S.
You guys are awesome. Just thought you should know
I am going to try it as a makeup remover and wrinkle cream.
The BEST use for coconut oil is with popcorn! Melt enough to cover the kernels, let pop in a pot on the stove, no need to shake the pot, when popping slows to every couple of seconds, it’s done. Add fine sea salt if you like.
This is better than ANY move popcorn.
I use it in popcorn too, it’s my new favorite! Just love it.
Agreed, the BEST popcorn ever!
YOU METIONED A WRINKLE CREAM??? PLEASE CLARIFY.
works great in an airpopper too…put it in the top to drip on the popcorn and then add seasalt, the fine grind.
Thanks for these additional tips!
Coconut oil has been my salvation of simplicity. It moisturizes my body, pops popcorn, serves well with salt as a face/body scrub (lasted a year so far…crazy) and melts well with olive oil for my plantain salve. Seriously. Rules.
I use coconut by ingesting 2 tablespoons a day for candida overgrowth (chronic). I also use it for yeast infections. Works AMAZING! It is also good for fungal skin infections on animals as well as ear mites….. again, works amazing! I love the toothpaste and lotion ideas!
I suffer from candida, yeast as well… how do you use coconut oil for these things… could use some tips… thanks
I am a big fan and do most of the things mentioned Try keeping nasal passages moist use a cue tip carefully or your finger. May ward off infections in any case it can’t hurt.gerri
Just started the oil pulling 3 days ago! Makes my mouth feel nice and clean, and is really helping with allergies and sinus drainage!!!
Thank you SO, SO much for posting coconut oil recipes!!! I have diabetes, high cholesterol, among other things and I’m trying to lower numbers with coconut oil. It works, but it’s not enough b/c I’m not consuming enough for someone my weight and height. I cook with Coconut oil, but as far as eating straight out of the jar, I don’t like the taste straight out and its very inconvenient. I can’t take it with me wherever I go. If I make chocolates, the Rasberry Delights you posted, among other things, I am very sure my health will improve by consuming these treats!! I am very thankful I found your site!
Hi Elizabeth- If you’re looking for something to eat straight from the jar, try coconut butter. Its only ingredient is coconut and it is sooo delicious! I especially recommend Artisana brand which tastes the best. Nutiva might be easier to find (they call it “Coconut Manna”), and it’s tasty, too. Both brands are raw and organic.
I make popcorn using organic popcorn and coconut oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and you have a healthy nutritious treat that tastes fantastic!
My doberman gets very itchy, flaky skin in the winter. I tried everything and then – coconut oil!
I put about half a tablespoon, melted, all over his kibble, once a day. And then I massage it into his skin, on really itchy spots.
WORKS WONDERS!
I put coconut oil on my cat to prevent hairballs. It helped
v.c.o has become my life saver.It is good for so many things.My dogs have not had fleas since I give them coconut oil and they love it.I have Fibromyalgia and it has helped with my pain.My hair grew out fast, my nails are healthier, I use it for makeup remover, for dry heels ,and I bake my fries in the oven and dab a small amount of v.c.o. on baking sheet and the fries get crispy .I also used to use tons of butter on my popcorn.I replaced that with coconut oil because it is a healthy option.A nurse tried to tell me my cholesterol was too high because of v.c.o. I have heard it will make it look too high, but that coconut oil is healthy although it will raise your cholesterol levels.Anyone else have this problem?
http://www.westonaprice.org/cardiovascular-disease/myths-a-truths-about-cholesterol – this helps explain cholesterol better.
Brilliant explanation on the coconut oil usages. I LOVE using it for my hair. Super simple, and works better than anything I’ve tried! Cooking with virgin coconut oil/edible coconut oil tastes the food yum.. So nice. Thank you for sharing the information.
I’ve been looking at a lot of different DIY toothpaste recipes and ideas but I can’t figure out how it’s stored- do you just keep it in a small container and dip out of it? How long does it last? or do you mix it up each time? Love all the ideas and hope to use more coconut oil today!
Yep, that’s exactly what I do! I have a small jar in my medicine cabinet and just dip my toothbrush in. I make a new small batch every week or two. I’ve never had a batch spoil.
My daughter loves to play in the snow ( we live in Colorado) but she gets her cheeks wind burned every time! At first I would just rub coconut oil on her red cheeks, now i make sure she puts it on before going outside… It’s a miracle cure-it-all!! Love C.O. for most everything, from cooking, to cosmetic uses! I even used a dab on a creacky door the other day! Worked like a charm…
Hello there!
Just wanted to THANK YOU for this lovely and helpful post! It is just great!
I am a Holistic Nutritionist.
Every morning when I wake up, I drink my wonderful green tea w/stevia and a little unsweetened soymilk. Then comes my treat! Ezequiel bread toast with spreaded coconut oil (as if it were butter) and cover that with quite a lot of sprinkled cinnamon. it tastes fantastic and cinnamon is so good for diabetcs and to balance our hormones.
Soy is not healthy unless fermented
http://www.westonaprice.org/soy-alert
I use it instead of vaseline to keep the inside of my nose moist. And it’s also used as a lube in the bedroom
I use it for: cooking, oil pulling, making homemade moisturizing cream, making homemade toothpaste, making homemade soaps, making homemade body care products, making homemade healing salves, making homemade deodorant, making a homemade Vaseline alternative, making a homemade chocolate sauce that hardens when poured over ice cream, making homemade chocolate bars… I just love to eat it out of the container
Wynette,
Do you have a Pinterest board with all of these recipes?
I use coconut oil for a lot of the above…I’m convinced CO and apple cidar vinegar are the only beauty products you really need!
I give it to my kitties. It makes them happy, and their fur silky silky smooth.
I enjoy using the small and large sizes of glass jar/chrome lid candles from Bath and Body Works. When used up I wash the jar and lid (making sure to carefully dry under both sides of the silicone thing eternally stuck to the inside of the lid) and use these to store my VCO in the kitchen and bath. I have another glass jar of it just for my hair. when I want to do an overnight conditioning I put the jar on one of those electric coffee warming pads until it melts then apply to my hair. I whip it (using it solid with regular hand mixer) for the jar on my bathroom counter.
Frying chicken chunks in a mixture of just more olive oil than coconut oil gives them a light browning, not dark, and a pleasant ‘Island’ taste.
I keep a small plastic bottle with a flip top in my shower that I filled with melted coconut oil. We live in a climate where the oil will be solid 48 weeks of the year almost. So I put the bottle on the floor of the shower to melt while I shower. It is good for shaving, but also after gently washing the ‘nether regions’ one can apply a bit of the oil to keep things soft and moisturized, not to mention healthy. Especially necessary as one ages or if one gets yeast infections easily.
Like another, I put a small amount in my eyes at bedtime for the dry, itchy redness, and on lids/under eyes as a moisturizer.
I also get mine at Costco–best price even over online mail order.
If you have cold hands and feet, mix a little cayenne pepper into coconut oil and massage some into your hands and feet. It improves circulation. I’ve also read that eating 1 tablespoon a day will raise your body temp and improve circulation. I’ve been putting it in my smoothie for 5 days now… hopefully it’s helping with lots of things.
Coconut oil is fantastic for masturbation too.
Yes… We have discussed the lubricant properties of coconut oil…
I love it in a body scrub with ground coffee and sugar!
One use I haven’t read anywhere is on toast! I get part of my daily dose of VCO just by putting it on my toast instead of butter. Super yummy!
I have tinea versicolor and the medicine is drying my skin out. I heard vco has antifungal properties so I’m using it as a moisturizer!
Coconut oil is wonderful in coffee! Great for nail fungus also.
Coconut oil is great for dogs- given in their food and used on their skin. It can help with wound healing for both dogs and humans. I use it to heal my tattoos!
Definitely agree with the coconut oil + coffee recommendation. When I drink coffee, I blend about a half tablespoon into it with an immersion blender, and I find I am much more energized without feeling jittery. Also, it’s tastes so much like a treat although it’s just coconut oil and black coffee.
For the person who said that their oil smelled like rotten eggs… that should not happen. Take it back to the place you purchased it. The oil is very stable and lasts for an extremely long time unrefrigerated.
Also keep water out of it, I wonder if that was the problem
I love coconut for almost everything. I have found out the hard way though that is is NOT very septic friendly. Once it reaches the cooler temps, it will solidify… need I say more. I No longer use it in the shower . For kitchen use, just like any other oil , everything gets wiped and dishpan water gets dumped elsewhere, not down the pipes.
Thank you for this comment! That was my main concern. We are renters so if those pipes get clogged I wouldn’t want to be responsible for it!
I used coconut oil in lieu of the very pricey oils out there marketed for women during pregnancy to reduce/prevent stretch marks and I don’t have a single mark on me!! I would take about a dime size amount in the beginning, and towards the end when I was really big I was using about a dollar size amount, and rubbed that all over my belly before bed every night. I couldn’t believe how well it worked!! I use it for cooking, moisturizing, shaving, etc. it has replaced so many products! I love coconut oil!!!
Yes, me too! I get mine from Tropical Traditions. It’s organic and the folks there are wonderful to order from. I can’t say enough about doing business with these folks! I’ve been a member of their Healthy Buying Club for years and get my Gold Label Extra Virgin Coconut Oil in the gallon container. It’s all hand processed, the old fashion way. Buying it in bulk like this saves a lot of money! I use a lot of it over the course of the year.
I use 2 tbl of coconut oil in my smoothie in the morning… except for the morning it got to hot and started a fire and while I was carrying my tiny pot outside since I didn’t have a lit that would put out the fire, I accidentally spilled some and it melted my robe.
We have done many of these in the comments and done of your suggested. I love it for cracked nipples when breast feeding and we use it mixed with 12 drops of peppermint essential oil for bug repellant. And I have been waiting for sun to use as a sunscreen for me and my son. Thanks for the tips!
I used unrefined coconutoil to overcome Lyme disease (the variation we know in the Netherlands). It was succesfull, what I cannot say about the penicilline I’ve got .
Here is where I purchase my coconut oil, based out of MN
The 5 gallon pail is a great deal and will keep for a very long time as long as it is stored properly. Thanks for your coconut oil use tips, sure gonna give some a try!
http://www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com I buy the supreme expeller pressed coconut oil since most of my family does not care for the smell or flavor of coconut, this way I know I can use it for all sorts of things without any fuss
Just a word of caution about using the oil to shave legs or use in shower, it does solidify, so too much of a good thing down the drain may or can cause a problem, not sure. You can run hot water and it should rinse right down, but just an FYI. I know it probably doesn’t take much for shaving, but for those new to the coconut oil world they don’t.
Can I use coconut oil on a yeast diaper rash while using cloth diapers?
When I was told to buy something for dry eyes, I went to store and started reading the ingredients. It was all petrochemicals! The eye absorbs things really fast, and I thought why would I want to put that stuff in my eyes…didnt buy it. Instead bought some natural stuff. Gonna try the coconut oil now
I love the thought of using coconut oil in the shower, I’m just concerned about it clogging the drain over time. Have you had that problem?
I’m wondering about the coconut oil pills and softgels I see advertised. Any experience with any of those?
Thanks
When using CO for skin or as a face moisturizer does it matter if its expeller pressed or the expensive ones? Just wondering if the really cheap ones would clog pores on your face? Walmart sells a 31.5 oz container for around $6, so for all recipes for hair, & skin thought this might be a cheaper way to go and save the more expensive ones for ingesting.
I use it on sunburns, my hands, my feet, whatever needs moisturizing and that includes my goats’ udders. They get red and sore right after kidding, sometimes during the winter, or if they are producing heavily. I just massage it onto their udders and within 24 hours, they feel better and udders are more pliable and soft. I like that it has antibacterial properties, too, since I don’t like to use the chemical teat dips, which dry them out and which the kids don’t find tasty at all!
In fact, I am switching over entirely to coconut oil post milking….
I do all of these with coconut oil and have for a while! Wonderful list! There are so many uses for coconut oiil!
When I first tried Extra Virgin Coconut Oil I was pleasantly surprised. It was very tasteful and had subtle refreshing smell. I use the some package on my skin.
I love coconut oil and it’s many uses. I really liked the post and only have one suggestion. I see some of Allie Brosh’s artwork at the end and it is uncredited. She writes and does that crazy wonderful art at Hyperbole and a Half.
I loooovvvee coconut oil. I too use it for everything. Living in the tropics it’s the best way to keep sand fleas from biting me on the beach, and has been used this way by locals for decades. It’s a great disinfectant so I rub it all over my skin to prevent infections like staph. I’ve also heard it can work as sunblock but have yet to experiment.
I use it to suntan – remove make-up – skin moisturizer for face and body (put on when skin slightly damp) – I cook with it – put it in my porridge – smoothies – I use it in my hair for treatments and moisturizing – I use it on my lips – I put it on any arm rashes I tend to get in the summer….I drink the water and jelly of the coconut – Coconut is like gold to people in North America but it is an everyday thing for islanders
your welcome!
I have dry eyes and have used all the OTC stuff that costs so much. I just started using the cocnut oil in my eyes and it has taken away my, otherwise, severe dry eyes. My eye doc has been trying to get this under control with all kinds of meds but cocnut oil did the trick. I put a very small amount on a spoon and hold over a cup of hot water. The steam melts the oil right away but does not make it too hot for using a dropper to put it in my eyes. Very easy and way better than the eye goop I have used. Much cheaper too!!
I have used coconut oil for many purposes as already mentioned above. However I found one more healing use. I had a large pill get stuck in my throat causing burning, pain, and hoarseness. I took a tablespoon of coconut oil as needed for about three hours. After that time, it was like nothing happened, completely healed! Now when I need to take any large pill, I first coat my throat with coconut oil and then drink a glass of H2O while swishing down the pill which glides on down! Wonderful!
Someone may have mentioned this already (I didn’t read through *all* the comments), but I ADORE coconut oil for the oil cleansing method. Works much better than any other oil I’ve tried and leaves my skin soft and looking significantly less red. It gives my face a more healthy glow. Heather Dessinger, aka Mommypotamus, has offered the best advice in my opinion for the OCM in her DIY Organic Beauty ebook (no, I’m not getting a kickback for saying this – I just really loved her suggestions and tips!).
I also use coconut oil as a deodorant, and it’s pretty awesome. I pat on some baking soda after I apply it to my underarms and boom, I’m good to go for the day. I too discovered how incredible this oil can be for shaving legs – but sort of by accident! You get really creative when you run out of soap and only have coconut oil within reach when you’re in the shower.
Coconut oil is just totally utilitarian and I am constantly amazed by how beneficial it is for my body.