A Few Unexpected Uses for Coconut Oil

I am absolutely in love with coconut oil. I love the way it smells, the way it tastes, and the benefits it has for my skin. Here are some of the uses I have found for it beyond using it as a substitute in cooking:

1. Facial Moisturizer. Coconut oil has antimicrobial benefits and will not clog pores or cause acne; it will likely alleviate preexisting acne in actuality, and it prevents the use of harsh chemicals and oils on the skin from other products.

2. Makes an excellent makeup remover. Just a dab will do, and it will take your eye makeup off just as easily as any other makeup remover.

3. All over skin moisturizer. Not only do I use this as a facial moisturizer, it also makes an excellent all-over body lotion especially on freshly shaved legs.

4. and 5. I have yet to try these two, but they're on my to-do list. Coconut oil can be used in making your own soaps and deodorant. Recipes for these can be found all over the internet and as soon as I try some out for myself, I will be posting a few on this site.

6. Lip balm with an SPF of 4.

7. Leave-in or intensive hair conditioner. For myself, I have very coarse, thick hair. It's also wavy which I hate, so I am always in need of something to help soothe and smooth it after drying and using a straightening iron. A small amount is all that is needed on damp hair to help with these issues. A tiny amount can also be used between washes to smooth fly-aways. As an intensive leave-in treatment, the oil can be applied to hair which is then kept in a shower cap overnight. Rinse out the next morning.

8. As a scrub. Mix with equal parts sugar for an all-over body scrub in the shower or mix with equal parts sea salt to get rid of dead skin and callouses on feet.

As I try and find more uses, I will make additional posts. The great thing about a product like this is that it can take the place of so many other products you're currently using. What else could you buy for less than $10 that works as a facial moisturizer, cooking oil, hair conditioner, body lotion, lip balm, eye makeup remover, and more?? The list could be so much longer, but I hate to taut uses on a post before I've researched them myself, so expect some additional uses along with recipes in the future. Thanks for reading!