If you know me, you know I have a jar of coconut oil on hand at all times. It may sound weird, but I swear by coconut oil. There is a great diversity of uses for this natural product. What draws me to coconut oil most is the natural benefits and properties. I use coconut oil in my daily life and find new uses for it quite often. You would be amazed at just how much a little jar of coconut oil can do for you. Keep reading to find out how I use coconut oil every day.
Oil pulling & dental hygiene
Coconut oil is known for its anti-bacterial properties and can help with dental hygiene. I use a method called oil pulling where you swish the oil in your mouth for 10-20 minutes, removing bacteria and plaque from your teeth. It may sound unpleasant and it definitely takes a few tries to adjust to but it really helps! I think of it as an all-natural mouthwash. It also ends up removing stains leaving your teeth looking whiter just after a few times so say hello to those pearly whites! If you want a whiter, cleaner smile this is worth a try!
Makeup remover
I use coconut oil to remove my eye makeup every day. Since it is an all-natural product, it is less harsh than a majority of other makeup removers and WAY cheaper. It saves a lot of money on makeup remover and is even good for your eyelashes.
Skin moisturizer
Not only do I use it to remove my eye makeup, I also use this product to moisturize my skin. After removing all my face makeup, I slather the oil all over my face at night to act as a heavy-duty moisturizer. This is very moisturizing, so I tend to use this method more frequently during the winter, but it is always good for giving your skin a boost.
Natural sunscreen
Turns out coconut oil can act as sunscreen! It has a natural SPF of 4-5 and can protect your skin from sun damage and radiation. The SPF factor is not super high so I do not recommend using it in place of sunscreen in harsh sun, but for everyday use with more minimal sun exposure it is perfect.
Baking
It’s no secret that coconut oil became popular in baking in the recent years. I substitute coconut oil in place of sunflower or canola oil quite frequently. This is a healthier alternative and actually offers a bit of a more subtlely unique taste to whatever you are making. I especially love using it in the raw/vegan desserts I make! An added bonus is that coconut oil can increase fat burning, so you can go for a second helping of dessert feeling a little less guilty.
Healthy hair
Putting coconut oil in your hair has many benefits. Start by heating up the oil and massaging it on your scalp and all the way through you hair. The oil promotes hair growth by preventing split ends and breakage. Leave it on overnight as a hair mask and wash it off the next morning with a good shampoo and it will leave your hair looking smooth, soft, and shiny.
Lip balm for chapped lips
Pucker up! I put coconut oil on my lips before any other type of lip balm and it acts like a miracle moisturizer. It makes my lips so smooth and glossy and keeps them soft for hours. Since I mentioned earlier that coconut oil has natural SPF, it helps protect your lips from the sun as well.