10 Ways to Use Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is so popular these days, thanks to its multitude of uses. Sure, you can cook and bake with it, but you can also use it for beauty purposes and even for home improvement. Read to find out about 10 different coconut oil uses.

10 Ways to Use Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is becoming more and more popular these days and for good reason. It is a great cooking oil that can withstand high heat and lends a light coconut flavor to your meat and vegetables. It can also replace vegetable oils in your baking recipes. But did you know that coconut oil can be used for so many other things that are unrelated to food? Read on to find out about 10 different coconut oil uses that you can try!

1. Use coconut oil as a deep conditioner.

Your hair will be rehydrated when you use coconut oil as a natural deep conditioner, which means less hair damage and frizz. Those who have tried this use for coconut oil report that their hair came out softer, smoother, and not oily at all.

Start with damp hair. Put some coconut oil on your hair (the amount depends on how long and thick your hair is) and wrap a warm towel around your hair. Leave the coconut oil in your hair for at least an hour. Then shampoo and condition your hair.

Other coconut oil uses for hair include using it as a hair gel, a frizz fighter, and a dry-end treatment.

2. Moisturize your skin with coconut oil.

Skip the lotion and use coconut oil to moisturize your skin. After showering, spread coconut oil all over your skin to moisturize it. Although coconut oil is solid at room temperature, leaving your container of the oil in the bathroom as you take a hot shower will soften it sightly. Your skin will be warm after showering, which will help the coconut oil to liquefy.

Coconut oil also helps reduce wrinkles and stretch marks. Some people use coconut oil as a night cream on their face. You can even use coconut oil as an eye cream if you mix it with the liquid from vitamin E capsules (3 capsules with 1 oz. of coconut oil).

3. Whiten your teeth with coconut oil.

Mix coconut oil with baking soda to form a paste that you can easily put on your toothpaste. Brushing your teeth with coconut oil will leave your teeth looking whiter and cleaner. You’ll also get that smooth feeling on your teeth that you get after visiting the dentist.

4. Try coconut oil as a shaving cream.

Spread a small amount of coconut oil on your legs and then shave them with a razor. You’ll get a smooth shave and end up with moisturized legs afterwards without the need of a lotion application.

5. Use coconut oil as a head lice treatment.

Forget the chemical-laden lice shampoo and reach for coconut oil the next time your kids get a bad case of head lice. Massage a small amount of coconut oil on the hair and use a louse detection comb to remove as much lice and eggs as you can. Shampoo the hair and then add as much coconut oil as necessary to completely coat the hair. Leave it in for at least 12 hours and comb through the hair again. Repeat as necessary and you’ll be lice-free without any need for toxic chemicals!

6. Warm up coconut oil and use it as a massage oil.

Coconut oil smells really nice and it’s all natural, making it a great choice for massage oil. Just warm it up slightly in a pot beforehand and be sure to lay down towels so you don’t stain your sheets.

As a bonus, the coconut oil will moisturize your skin as your muscles get massaged. And you’ll smell like a tropical bikini model afterwards!

7. Put coconut oil on bug bites.

Coconut oil’s antibacterial properties comes in handy when you’re suffering from millions of mosquito bites this summer. A little bit of coconut oil on your bug bites will reduce the pesky itchy feel and help it heal without scarring. Plus, coconut oil reduces your risk for infection.

You can also prevent any future bites by mixing coconut oil with peppermint oil and using it as an insect repellent.

8. Use coconut oil as a diaper cream.

Instead of buying a tube of diaper cream, slather coconut oil on your baby’s bum to treat and prevent diaper rash. It works well with all kinds of diaper rash, including the dreaded yeast rash. Parents have reported that the coconut oil heals the skin quickly and, as long as it is used every third diaper, is very effective at preventing diaper rash.

What’s more, it’s safe to use coconut oil with cloth diapers.

9. Put coconut oil on your feet.

As discussed earlier, coconut oil is great at moisturizing your skin. Thus, it makes sense to use it on your feet to make them soft and smooth. But that’s not the only reason to put coconut oil on your feet — it can also be used to treat athlete’s foot and other foot fungus issues. Just spread the oil on your feet every night and put on socks as you sleep and you’ll see a difference in your feet.

10. Use coconut oil to refinish your wood furniture.

So far, we’ve discussed the different ways to use coconut oil for beauty purposes, but the miracle oil can also be used on your furniture!

Dry and worn out wood furniture will look better after a coat of coconut oil applied with a microfiber cloth. It hides imperfections, scratches, and other imperfections. The oil hydrates the wood and brings out its natural color. It’s also great at removing strange odors from old furniture.

Whew, that’s a lot of uses for coconut oil! You’ll probably be able to free up some space in your home by replacing several products with only one jar of coconut oil.

For more tips on improving your health, check out 7 Easy Ways to Increase Your Metabolism.