· By Suja Juice
12 Stellar Ways to Use Coconut Oil
First of all, let me just say if there were one food product I could not live without, it would be coconut oil. If you’ve ever seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding and the way Gus continually uses Windex throughout the entire film to solve everything, that is me with coconut oil. I take it with me wherever I go (yes, even traveling) and use it both internally and externally for a variety of uses. Here are a few ways to use coconut oil that you may not have tried, but will surely want to after reading this:
- Shaving “cream” – I don’t know about you, but the neon colored heavily fragranced foams freak me out. Keep a jar of coconut oil in your shower and coat skin with a thin layer before shaving. Your razor will glide easily, helping you get a close shave and when you get out the shower you will have moisturized silky skin.
- Toothpaste – Coconut oil has antimicrobial properties, so mixing it with some baking soda into a paste and adding a few drops of peppermint oil makes it the perfect natural toothpaste at a fraction of the cost. (1)
- Hair tamer – You will not buy expensive glossing serums again after trying this trick. Rub a little coconut oil on your palms and run them over your hair from your part downward. This will keep flyaways down and impart a glossy sheen to your strands while providing moisture and protecting from environmental damage.
- Vegetable oil/butter replacement – In baked goods, I always substitute canola oil and other high omega-6 plant oils with coconut oil. I also love to use it on gluten free toast instead of butter. A nice spread of melty coconut oil + avocado and chili flakes makes the perfect breakfast rich in metabolism promoting healthy fats. (1)
- Scratch or cut ointment – Instead of using a chemical laden drugstore cream, I rub a thin layer on burns, scratches, or cuts to help moisturize and prevent infection thanks to its anti bacterial properties.
- Shoe shiner – I rub my favorite leather boots with a bit of coconut oil on a cloth to keep them clean and looking great.
- High Temperature Cooking - Coconut oil is highly resistant to oxidation at high heats. For this reason, it is the perfect oil for high-heat cooking methods. (2)
- Wood Polish – Mixing coconut oil with a bit of lemon juice and essential oil if you love a scented house (almond is my favorite!) makes a great wood polish for your furniture. Mix the oils and juice together in a bowl and either add to a spray can for ease of use or put directly on a cloth and rub over sad looking wood.
- Natural Chapstick – If you have chapped lips, rubbing coconut oil on the dry patches is a super effective way to provide deep moisture and promote healing.
- Digestion - A tablespoon taken before each meal can help improve digestion (3)
- Cuticle Oil – No need to get anything special from a beauty supply store. When hands are dry (especially in the winter), rub some coconut oil on your cuticles before going to bed. This helps prevent cuticle peeling and bleeding. (4)
- Energy boost - Mix a tablespoon with a tablespoon of chia seeds for an all-day energy boost (do NOT take this at night!) (5)