Now, I'm always skeptical about "miracle products" that people claim can be used for any and everything...but after hearing so much about coconut oil, I figured I had to check it out.
AND I AM SO GLAD THAT I DID.
I'm serious. This stuff is wonderful. Please go get some right now and finish this article later.
I've been using coconut oil for various things over the past few months and its just been to good not to share so here we go:
Seven Incredible Uses for Coconut Oil:
1. All over skin moisturizer: My skin gets sooo dry in the colder months and I hate it. I feel like I have to put on lotion at least three times a time to keep from scratching myself to death. The cold air just dries my skin right out and even my favorite lotions can't do the trick. In walks coconut oil. After I shower I religiously slather myself all over with a small palm full of the stuff and my skin is soft and smooth for the rest of the day! I was a little hesitant about putting an oil on my skin, but coconut oil is easily and quickly absorbed and it doesn't leave a greasy residue on my skin or my clothes.
2. All natural lip balm: Along with my skin, my lips get wrecked when it's cold out. They get chapped and they crack; it's just awful y'all. However, I've found that smooth just a tiny bit of coconut oil on my lips soothes them and does the trick perfectly. It makes my lips smooth and supple and it even adds a super cute glossy look to them without the stickiness of lip gloss.
3. Deep conditioner for hair: I have a confession. I'm so mean to my hair. I blow dry it almost every day and I straighten it most days too. It's bad. And because of that, the ends of my hair tend to get really dry and split very easily. Sucks right? But lately, I've gotten into the habit of massaging one or two tablespoons of coconut oil into my hair for a deep conditioner and it has NEVER BEEN SOFTER. I typically deep condition with coconut oil at night and then put my hair up in a bun and put a towel over my pillow to protect it and then just wash the oil out in the morning. It typically takes a little extra shampoo to get the oil out but it is well worth it for how soft and silky and healthy your hair will be thanks to all the healthy fats and vitamins in the coconut oil.
4. Oil pulling: Alright this one is a little nasty. I'm not going to lie it took me a real long time to get on board with this one but the results have really been worth it. "Oil pulling" involves swishing a little bit of coconut oil around in your mouth for 20 minutes or so (like mouthwash) to pull all the nasty toxins and bacteria out of your mouth, off your tongue, and from your gums. So nasty right? However, I had heard so much about the detox and teeth whitening benefits of oil pulling that I figured I'd give it a try. It took me a long time to get used to having oil in my mouth (especially for 20 minutes!) and not wanting to gag. But I've been oil pulling for about three weeks now and I can in fact saw that my teeth are whiter and my gums seem much healthier too. They don't bleed anymore when I floss and I've also noticed that my breath is much fresher. The oil pulling bandwagon is a hard one to jump on and it's definitely not for everyone, but my mouth has never looked or felt healthier. I honestly feel like I just came back from a cleaning at the dentist after every time I oil pull. Feel free to comment below with any questions on oil pulling since it's a new idea for a lot of people. :)
5. Makeup remover: I used to buy those makeup removing wipes from Target or wherever. They worked really well, but they were kind of expensive and I always seemed to go through them too quickly. Instead, I've found that a little coconut oil on a cotton pad is the most natural, and most effective way to get off all of the day's makeup. A dab of coconut oil gets even my waterproof mascara to wipe right off pretty easily. And the best part of using coconut oil as makeup remover is that it moisturizes your eyelashes and makes them grow super thick and beautiful. Total win-win!
6. All natural popcorn: I loooove popcorn. Not just for movie nights, but like all the time. Recently, I've gotten into making it the natural way (buying the big container of kernels and then putting some in a paper bag in the microwave for a bit) to avoid the yucky chemicals in the "movie theater butter" and all the chemicals on the packaging. I feel a lot better about eating popcorn this way than using the microwavable buttery bags, but part of me really misses the smooth, yummy taste. So now my new favorite is to put a little bit of coconut oil in the bag with the kernels and let them pop while soaking up the oil. So yummy! And an extra bonus is that not only is all natural popcorn a high fiber snack, it also has healthy fats from the coconut oil to give you a nice energy boost!
7. Coconut oil in coffee: I am a sucker for a good cup of coffee. And I'm a little picky about my coffee too. (No cup of coffee will ever beat Bean Trader's in Durham, NC) But anyway, as a nutrition major, I knew about all the health benefits of consuming a little coconut oil due to the medium-chain triglycerides. (MCT = slow burning energy. Energy all day yay!) Lately, my usual cup of coffee just wasn't cutting it. I found myself tired and sluggish just a few hours after. So I decided to stir in some coconut oil for that slow burning energy. I used half the regular amount of creamer that I usually used and the other coconut oil and my coffee tasted DELICIOUS. It was silky and smooth and just all around yummy. If you're looking for that extra energy boost without the crash of caffeine, I would highly recommend trying some coconut oil in your coffee.
You can find coconut oil at Target, Whole Foods, or really just about any grocery store. I typically get mine in the giant container from Sam's Club or Amazon because I love it so much and don't want to run out any time soon.
Also, it is important to note that you should be purchasing extra virgin, cold pressed coconut oil (it should smell like coconut when you open it), because that way it is unprocessed and still has all the good stuff it in. I hope you try a few of these and feel free to comment about any other uses that you've tried!
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