I love coconut oil; I use it in just about every area of my life, and every room in my house has a little tub of it somewhere for emergency uses (except S’s bedroom; I’m not stupid!)
A lot of people resist buying coconut oil because a good quality jar of it can seem expensive. The thing is, it only seems expensive if you’re thinking of it as something you’ll only use as a cooking oil. Once you realise how many other things in your home it can replace, you begin to realise it’s actually a massive bargain!
Here are some of my favourite uses for coconut oil
1. Moisturiser for Face & Body
Do you really need instructions for this one? Open the pot; get some out; rub it into your face and/or body. Job’s a good’un.
2. Makeup Remover
Coconut oil is so much more gentle than the chemicals you get in the fancy, schmancy makeup removers you get in the shops. Plus, it’s about ten times cheaper. All you do is rub it all over your face, then wipe it off with a piece of wet cotton wool. It always works for me – though I never wear waterproof mascara so I’m not sure on that one.
3. Exfoliating:
Mix 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar with 3 tablespoons of coconut oil, and you have an instant exfoliator. If you want to be all posh about it, you can add a drop or two of an essential oil but I don’t tend to have time for such frivolities! I just mix it up and get in the shower! And because it’s coconut oil, it leaves your skin feeling really smooth afterwards too.
4. Hair and scalp mask:
I do this at least twice a week because my hair is dyed and long and I want to take care of my hair and my scalp. I rub coconut oil into my scalp before bed, then wash it out in the morning. Sometimes I will rub it into my hair as well but that works better (for me, at least) if I do that during the day to keep the length of my hair from getting tangled. It works both ways.
5. Sunburn
Obviously not right now (!) but in the summer, I find that coconut oil works better than all the posh creams and lotions you get in the shops. And it’s cheaper.
6. For energy
This one is a weird one, but it does work. You mix a spoonful of coconut oil with a spoonful of chia seeds and gulp it on down. It’s a weird sensation and definitely one of those things you get used to, but it gives you bags of energy. The only reason I stopped doing this in the mornings was because I started with intermitent fasting, and now I don’t have any calories before 11am.
7. Bulletproof Coffee
I wrote about bulletproof coffee earlier this year and until recently, I was putting butter and coconut oil in my coffee every morning. This is another one of those things that has fallen by the wayside since I started doing intermitent fasting – because by the time I begin taking on calories later in the day, it’s too late in the day to be drinking a super-charged energy drink like bulletproof coffee!
8. For Frizzy Hair
I mentioned above that I use coconut oil as a hair and scalp mask – but that can make your hair really greasy, so it’s not the sort of thing you would do if you were planning to go out of the house before washing it out! To use coconut oil to tame down frizzy hair, you just warm up a tiny amount in your hands until it’s liquid, then smooth it over the lengths/ends of your hair.
9. Instead of Lip Balm
I used to buy lip balm and those little tins of vaseline like there was no tomorrow. I had one in every handbag and one in every pocket, but I still kept losing them and had to buy more. Now, I just have a few cheap little pots from Poundland which I top up with coconut oil as and when I need to. Perfect.
10. In Smoothies
When I make a smoothie, I always include some coconut oil. If it’s cold and particularly solid, I’ll let it warm up a little before I put it in – otherwise you just get chewy lumps of it as it mixes with other cold things! Coconut oil contains medium chain triglycerides which go straight to the liver when ingested. Here they serve as a quick energy source. In fact, studies have found that medium chain triglycerides can increase energy expenditure throughout the day – which can help with weight loss.
Do you love coconut oil too? What do you use it for? Is there a specific brand you like to use?
7 Comments
Sarah · 06/10/2015 at 07:18
Ohh I didn’t even know you could buy coconut oil, I imagined it was restaurants only. And I didn’t realise what it could do!! I think i will purchase some as it seems a bargain for what it can replace. Thanks :)
Vicky Charles · 06/10/2015 at 16:25
Oh it’s definitely worth it Sarah. You should be able to get it from the cooking oil aisle in your local supermarket – if not, then your local health food shop.
Bev · 06/10/2015 at 21:39
Wow, I’ve only ever cooked with it. I love cooking with it, because it can get very hot, but doesn’t burn easily.
These are wonderful uses that I am going to try. You didn’t even mention toothpaste! I have a friend who did try it as toothpaste, hated it and will never use it for anything again.
Vicky Charles · 07/10/2015 at 12:09
I was going to include toothpaste but since I’ve never tried it I thought that would be a bit dishonest. It also seems like it would feel a bit weird. Though I have tried oil pulling and that was… an interesting experience!
Blogging Mummy · 08/10/2015 at 09:59
hey, I used coconut oil on my baby head when he had cradle cap, it was amazing. Not only does it smell nice if you use it as a moisturiser it makes your skin so soft.
Vicky Charles · 08/10/2015 at 10:07
it smells amazing doesn’t it!
Kimmie · 14/10/2015 at 15:03
I love coconut oil for my hair… I’d not thought about using it as a make up remover and moisturizer though… have now tried, and am impressed, my skin feels gorgeous after cleansing :)