10 Best Ways to Use Coconut Oil
Coconut oil has become THE go-to solution for everything recently. It’s what everyone’s talking about and is a great alternative for so many different things. After working my way through my third jar of this stuff, I started realizing how much I really rely on it for various things on a regular basis. You can hop on Pinterest or any other online resource to find hundreds upon thousands of ways to use coconut oil, but to keep it simple I’m going to share with you my top ten most favorite ways to utilize this miracle worker.
Let’s start first by understanding what coconut oil is and why it’s so popular. Coconut oil is the fatty edible oil that comes from the meat of coconuts. Usually there’s no coconut scent or flavor when buying it in this form. There’s also an “organic” version that they offer, but I just always choose the cheapest option because I don’t trust those claims completely and don’t think it will really make that big of a difference in the small ways that I use it. I bought this LouAna Coconut Oil at Walmart ($4 for 14 oz).
It’s different than other oils because it’s a solid at room temperature and becomes liquid as it heats. In the uses I’ll be describing, I just use the warmth of my fingers to change its state. I have kept mine in the fridge before so it would stay at a consistent temperature, but that made it more difficult when I needed to scoop some out. Now I just keep it in my bathroom closet because I don’t use it in the kitchen very much, although there are countless ways to use it in that sense too. Every use that I have to share with you is somewhat beauty related, with a few random uses thrown in as well.
1.) Eye Makeup Remover
To take my makeup off at the end of the day, I just go straight to washing my face with the Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser rather than using any type of makeup removing wipes. Then I’m left with the attractive mascara/eyeliner residue that you see in the middle picture. Once I pat my face dry, I slightly dip my finger in the coconut oil to remove the excess eye makeup, rinse again and I’m done. I love this not only because it is the fastest method I’ve ever tried for removing my eye makeup, but also because it moisturizes the delicate and thin skin around the eye area.
2.) Cuticle Oil
This is a super quick and easy way to moisturize your cuticles without having to buy yet another product that is just going to take up space. You can really rub it in as you go throughout your day or you can apply a little more (as I did in the picture above) and use it as an overnight treatment. I’ve also used this to soak my nails in before manicuring and it works great in that way as well.
3.) Hair Mask
I do this probably once a week and it has helped my hair so much! I section my hair off into three layers (bottom, middle, top) and apply the coconut oil generously to make sure I get every strand of hair. I pull it on top of my head, wait as long as I can (about 2 hours), and wash it out in the shower. You will have to shampoo twice to really get it all out, but it’s one of the absolute best deep conditioning treatments. I’ve been trying to grow my hair for such a long time (it grows so slow!!) and this has definitely helped keep it healthy, shiny, and speed up the growing process.
4.) Band-aid removal
Can you tell I haven’t shaved all winter?? Just kidding, shout out to my sweet boyfriend who I recruited to be my model ;) Band-aids can be a real pain to remove, especially when you’re dealing with some hairy areas on the body. But when it comes time to change one out, wipe on a little coconut oil both on top of the band-aid and underneath as you go and it comes off without any fuss.
5.) Moisturize puppy paws
We take our dog for walks regularly, but after a while the rough roads can take a toll on her pads. Applying coconut oil to keep them moisturized works wonders! Then, of course, you’re faced with the challenge of stopping them from licking it off and helping them from sliding all over the tile floors. This is your opportunity to get some cheap toddler socks and laugh until you can’t breathe!
6.) Heal dry skin
Even though the dry winter air is leaving, our skin can still get dry and cracked in certain areas. Apply coconut oil wherever you’re having an issue and it’ll feel instantly better. You can reapply it however often you need to and eventually your skin will soak in enough of the oil and your problem will be solved.
7.) Lip scrub
Last month, I posted my favorite and super easy 2-ingredient DIY lip scrub. I used olive oil in that recipe and while that still is my favorite, coconut oil is a great alternative if you run out of olive oil or don’t have it near you. They both get the job done and leave you with incredibly soft lips.
8.) Lip Balm
After you exfoliate your lips, you’re going to need something to nourish them and bring the moisture back. Of course I think a heavy lip balm does the job best, but in this case coconut oil can work just as good. It will need to be reapplied often because your lips will just drink it up, but the result is the same.
9.) All over eye treatment
When I’m ready to head to bed, coconut oil goes everywhere around the eyes! Remember that the area underneath the eyes is the most important to moisturize because that skin is the most thin and delicate which makes it the most prone to wrinkles. Moisturized skin means less wrinkles, so slap coconut oil all over the place! I also put it on my eyelids, eyelashes, and eyebrows. Putting it on my eyelashes and eyebrows will help condition the ones that I have and help the ones growing in to grow thicker and longer. Of course it takes a while to notice a difference in that aspect, but it does help.
10.) Heal a cut
Thankfully I don’t have any boo-boos right now, so I’m not able to demonstrate this use for you. I’m not saying coconut oil is going to heal a huge gash in your skin, but it can really help for minor scrapes and cuts. Coconut oil has amazing antibacterial properties and will help heal the cut. It will also moisturize the area around it, preventing it from itching as much when it’s healing.
As you can tell, coconut oil is much hyped up about for very good reasons. It is so versatile and can be used in so many different ways, it’d be harder to think of what coconut oil can’t do! The next time you’re in a situation and need an easy solution, try coconut oil. That’s how we figured out the band-aid trick! Let me know in the comments what your favorite ways to use coconut oil are. I hope you all have a very cheerful and blessed Easter weekend!! :)
~Christina~
