Coconut Oil: My Top Ten Household Uses

06/09/2014

If you asked me three years ago if I used coconut oil I would have had no clue what you were talking about. As many women do in pregnancy, I started to become acutely aware of the food I was putting in my body and the products I was putting on my body. I knew I wanted to keep our home as toxin-free and healthy as possible for our munchkin.  It was in those early months of motherhood that I truly began to appreciate the magic, versatility and downright awesomeness of coconut oil.

Not all coconut oil is created equal. Be sure to purchase organic, virgin, and cold-pressed. No need to look for extra-virgin – unlike olive oil, there are no regulations or industry standards to differentiate between virgin and extra-virgin coconut oil.

We use it in the bedroom. The bathroom. The kitchen. We use it on bums, faces, bodies, and unmentionables. It moisturizes. Protects skin. It is antimicrobial. Antioxidant. Anti-aging. It has an SPF of 4. The uses and benefits of coconut oil are endless.

My Top Ten Uses for Coconut Oil

1. Cooking

I use it on the barbecue, on the stove and in the oven. Unlike olive oil, it has a high smoke point and can be used with higher temperature cooking. I love putting a bit of coconut oil in the pan before frying an egg. On popcorn when my lactose-intolerant sister is visiting. In stir fries and on sweet-potato fries. It helps kick-start your metabolism and is the first thing your body burns off.

2. Baking

I absolutely love butter – especially on my popcorn – but tend to use coconut oil in more of my recipes, including cookies, brownies, muffins and macaroons – to name a few. I worry very little about fat or calories, but instinctively feel that excessive amounts of fat from animal products is never good. Plus my allergy-suffering sister can eat what I bake then too!

3. Makeup Remover

This was an absolute revelation for me. Gone are the days of burning eyes while trying to remove makeup with your “non-toxic” eye-makeup remover. I put a small amount in my palm, rub my hands together and then rub them on my eyes – and the rest of my face.

4. Cleanser

I admittedly have had troubled skin for the past 5 years or so. And I have tried everything. I purchased medical-grade cleansers, toners and moisturizers from my dermatologist, which did nothing. When I became more crunchy, I moved towards more natural products, and paid an arm and a leg for Dr. Hauschka products, which I liked, but did not feel were making a huge difference to my skin health. I finally decided to give good old coconut oil a try after a particularly beautiful friend of mine admitted that it was all she used. Now coconut oil functions as my all-in-one eye-makeup remover and cleanser. I usually just rinse it off with water or sometimes use a warm cloth.

* I do know some women who found that coconut oil clogged their pores.

5. Facial Moisturizer

I can’t believe it either. I use it to cleanse my face and moisturize after a few spritzes of homemade toner. It’s that simple. I love it! No more $50 bottles of special moisturizer that last one lousy month.

6. Body Lotion/Moisturizer

I no longer bother with lotion at all. I warm a bit of coconut in my hands and use it instead. It is a bit greasy, so you may need to use a towel to rub it in before getting dressed. The only moisturizer my monkey has ever had on her body is coconut oil.

7. Diaper Cream

It’s magic. Seriously. For almost two years, a little bit of coconut oil on her tush kept diaper rashes away. Coconut oil is antimicrobial and moisturizing. Pure gold!

8. Massage Oil

This is actually how I first started using it. As both a moisturizer and massage oil for my little lady after her bath. It’s great for your skin and smells lovely. Time to get your other half massaging!

9. Lube

I can’t keep this to myself. It’s amazing! No more worrying about what toxins – or strange smells – are in the store-bought, chemical-ridden lubricants available to us. No chemicals near my lady-parts thank you very much!

10. Sugar scrub

Skip the moisturizing after your shower or bath altogether and instead make yourself a simple sugar scrub of coconut oil, organic brown sugar, and essential oils. Yumm!

I definitely recommend keeping a large tub of coconut oil in your bedroom or bathroom for personal use and one in the kitchen for cooking and baking.

What are you favourite uses for coconut oil?