13 Beauty & Health uses for Coconut Oil

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One of my favorite multi-purpose buys is Coconut Oil. We’ve all heard the benefits of Coconut Oil, and today I’m sharing with your some of my favorite ways to use it.

1-Drink it

Brew your favorite herbal tea and start with by adding a teaspoon of Coconut Oil. Gradually work your way up to a tablespoon. It doesn’t taste bad, but it does feel a bit oily when you drink it – so start off small until you get used to it. It’s great for digestion, skin hydration, and hair.

2-Cook with it

You can use Coconut Oil for almost any recipe that calls for vegetable oil or butter.

3-Shaving Cream Substitute

Some time ago I ditched shaving creams – they always dried out my skin and left it irritable. Sometimes I’ll use conditioner, but my all-time favorite is to use Coconut Oil as shaving cream. It leaves your skin feeling silky and smooth.

4-Hair Conditioner

Apply about a tablespoon to dry dirty hair. Wrap your hair up in a bun and either sleep with it that way, or leave it on as long as possible. When you are ready to take it out, shampoo it as normal. I like to do this one to two times a week (especially during the winter and summer months, which is when my hair gets affected by extreme weather temps the most). Your hair will be soft and shiny!

5-Scalp treatment

Dandruff? Dry/Flakey scalp? Grab some Coconut Oil, and rub it into your scalp. Leave it on as long as possible, and wash hair like you usually would.

6-Moisturizer

One tablespoon of Coconut Oil should cover your entire body, so start out with a small amount and just rub it in like lotion. I promise you it will leave your skin feeling soft and luxurious!! This is a great remedy to use when pregnant and you’re trying to prevent those stretch marks.

7-Make up Remover

I love using Coconut Oil as makeup remover, especially on my eyes. Mascara and eye makeup is sometimes hard to remove, and I don’t like roughing up my skin in that area since it’s so sensitive. With Coconut Oil and a cotton pad (or Q-tip), you’ll get your makeup and eye makeup off super quick. Plus, your skin will be left super moisturized! I love that it won’t cause you to break out either!!!

8-Eczema and Psoriasis

Both my daughters have had eczema. My oldest grew out of it pretty early on, but my second daughter has it bad. I’ve tried everything under the sun to relieve her from it. But Coconut Oil takes the win on this one. After rubbing it all over her body a couple of times, I was able to tame a really bad breakout that doctor prescribed creams couldn’t tame. Now it’s the only thing I’ll use on her eczema.

9-Anti-Wrinkle/Face moisturizer

Grab a Q-tip and dip it in some Coconut Oil. Apply gently under eyes, and then gently blot with your ring finger to spread it around the area of your eyes. Also apply to other target areas where you may have some fine lines. I usually just rub it all over my face –can’t hurt right?  I rarely use makeup after doing this, but you could if you wanted to leave it on all day. I would just blot the excess off with a towel, and then put my makeup on over it.

10-Lip Scrub

I LOVE making my own lip scrubs. To make it I mix Brown sugar, Coconut Oil, and a little bit of Honey. Don’t stir this too much, or you’ll dissolve all the sugar. I prefer brown sugar to white sugar because it’s a bit softer on my lips. To use, just blot some on your lips, and rub back and forth (sort of like brushing your teeth, but on your lips) until smooth. I like to use a soft baby tooth brush instead of my finger, but it’s up to you.

11-Lip Balm

This is a fun one to do. It’s a great DIY project if you have daughters too! Melt some Coconut Oil and put into a container. If you have a leftover Altoids container, that would work great! Add some powdered food coloring (the liquid kind won’t mix well with the melted Coconut Oil), stir til mixed, and let it harden. I like to toss it in the freezer or fridge to speed up the process. Then I let it sit out on the counter a bit so it resembles more of a Vaseline lip balm texture. I think you could add some essential oils to this too!

12-Anti-frizz serum

You want to grab as little as possible, but enough that it does its job. The key is that you don’t want to put TOO much, as to not make your hair look or feel greasy. Try to keep away from scalp, because that’s where hair gets oily faster. This is great for curly hair girls too!!

13-Scrapes

Coconut Oil is an awesome anti inflammatory (and it’s anti bacterial), just apply it over scrapes – and the Coconut Oil will soothe them instantly.

 

I’m sure this list could go on and on, but I’d LOVE to hear of some ways that you use Coconut Oil in your home!

P.S.  (This is Heidi) 🙂
About two years ago, a girlfriend of mine told me that coconut oil is a great substitute for personal lubricants such as KY. We made the switch and I’m so glad we did!  Coconut oil is fantastic for this purpose. My friend keeps hers little containers in her nightstand, in the shower and even in her car. Sounds like she’s got an adventurous marriage. I’m inspired!

Heidi St John Guide to Daylight

25 thoughts on “13 Beauty & Health uses for Coconut Oil

  1. Jillian

    Good to see you here Marlene! This are some really good tips. I especially like the idea to use it as lip balm and shaving cream. I could see how that would really work. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  2. CRA

    I have a container of coconut oil that I never use because I haven’t really known what to do with it. I tried your hair tip to help with the damage to my hair from too much iron in our well. It really helped tone down the dry frizzy ends. I am excited to continue using this and try some of your other suggestions. Thank you!

    Reply
  3. DianeMargaret

    We use it to pop our popcorn! It tastes much lighter (less greasy) and, it’s good for you!!! That oddly colored “popcorn oil” is just scary!!!

    Reply
  4. Danielle

    I use coconut oil for all these things and more, like as sunscreen and on toast or other foods like butter. I usually add a tablespoon on two to most dishes I cook. Coconut oil is great for us, inside and out. Thanks for this post! I enjoy reading your entries!

    Reply
  5. Sarah

    Coconut oil is great for diaper rash in babies and toddlers. It is also safe to use with cloth diapers while other diaper ointments can not be used.

    Reply
  6. Amy

    Soothes sore, raw, baby noses. My gkiddos have been so snotty this winter, and haven’t mastered blowing their noses. They area beneath their noses gets very tender. The coconut oil moisturizes without burning.

    Reply
  7. Becki

    Ooh, like lip balm, and the solidity of it, you could save some Chapstick like containers and pour the oil into them to have. A screw up container to apply directly to lips.

    Reply
  8. Kelly

    Does it matter if the oil is refined or unrefined? I bought unrefined and noticed in your picture it was refined.
    Thank-you,
    Kelly

    Reply
    1. Marlene Griffith Post author

      It’s really a matter of preference. Refined Coconut Oil has been deodorized and it is also flavorless.Unrefined Coconut Oil is pure coconut oil. It’s the oil extracted from the fresh coconut meat.
      I prefer refined for several reasons. Some argue that unrefined coconut oil has a better fatty acid composition than refined. But that’s not true – essentially they are the same. Because refined coconut oil is flavorless and odorless, it’s easy to use with all sorts of cooking without affecting flavor or smell – breads, popcorn, making scrambled eggs, or even in your tea. Also, if you have sensitive digestive issues, refined coconut oil doesn’t contain the potential allergenic compounds that unrefined coconut oil contains. Typically, when people eat something with unrefined coconut oil, they find that their tummy aches afterwards. They won’t have that problem with refined oil. We tend to be sensitive to unrefined coconut oil, so we prefer the refined version. :o)

      I hope this helps Kelly! :o)

      Reply
  9. Kelly

    That you for the info! For me, I guess it doesn’t matter as I am using it for my scalp, hair, and also as a moisturizer for my husbands itchy, dry legs. Blessings to you,
    Kelly

    Reply

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