If you’ve seen the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding, then you might remember the dad in the film’s obsession with Windex as the balm to anything bad or irritating.
That’s how I feel about coconut oil.
Coconut oil is known for its amazing health, gut, and skin benefits (but it needs to be organic virgin oil). It’s full of really healthy saturated fats that actually help us properly absorb other fats and has also been proven to help in a medicinal nature.
I LOVE coconut oil for cooking and for health benefits; but my skin has really been the best benefactor. I have major issues and very sensitive skin, thanks to plague psoriasis. Coconut oil has helped my flare-up symptoms greatly.
I usually buy it in giant tubs at Costco, but I’ve bought probably every organic extra virgin coconut oil at most grocery stores. I keep a big container in my kitchen and use it daily (see below), but I also spoon out some more for a jar I keep in my bathroom, with a little tablespoon inside to help scoop it out.
If you haven’t tried coconut oil yet, you’ve got to. It might be safer to try a smaller jar first (like this one–look at alll those reviews!) until you get used to using it for a variety of things. Then you can spring for the giant jar stuff!
Here are some things I use coconut oil for:
*To replace oil/butter in cooking and baking: I NEVER use canola/vegetable oil anymore. Roast some veggies, saute your chicken, use it in your muffins and cakes. There are countless ways to incorporate coconut oil into your cooking. Those tubs will go fast!
*Body moisturizer: Coconut oil is my go-to as full body moisturizer, goodbye body lotion! I rub about a TB size of this all over while my skin is still damp from the shower.
*Makeup remover: Dab it on a cotton ball and go to town. Works on Lipsense, too!
*Facial oil cleanser: Have you heard of washing your face with oil? It’s super helpful with acne. I now use a different oil recommended by Kayti from The BeYOUty Bureau (who was a guest on my show, here!), but I use her same method with coconut oil when in a pinch. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND her method, at the very least. My skin is looking better than it has in years (although that might just all be thanks to pregnancy–I switch off between terrible and good skin each pregnancy). All the same, I know this method helped my skin even before I got pregnant.
*Nighttime face moisturizer: Just a littttttle bit goes a long way here. Sometimes, just around my eyes. If it clogs your pores, then you’ll know you’re using too much.
*Skin treatment: I make a little concoction with shea butter, coconut oil, and a little tea tree oil, and castor oil (here is a similar recipe). When my skin and scalp get enflamed (again, plaque psoriasis), I use this to settle it down, asap. With my skin, I rub in my special cream right out of the shower BEFORE toweling off (seals in the moisture). For my scalp, I massage it onto my scalp, pull up my hair, and let it sit for an hour or so before showering and washing my hair. (You’ll have to shampoo a few times to ensure your hair doesn’t stay greasy.)
*Hair treatment: Besides the shea butter concoction mentioned above (which is realllly thick and heavy), pure coconut oil is easier to apply and excellent as a deep conditioner for your hair. Rub it into your hair dry–especially the ends–pull up your hair or wrap it in a warm towel, and then wash it out.
*Prenatal/Nursing/Infant Care: I use coconut oil as a belly cream for stretch marks, as a replacement to nipple cream, and for diaper rashes and other skin ailments my babies face. LOVE. IT.
*Oil Pulling: I haven’t done this in a while because it wasn’t working with having three small children to get ready and out the door (aka, I need to be able to talk), but I did use coconut oil for a while to do oil pulling in the mornings. If you haven’t heard of it, google away!!!
Are you already a fan? What do you use coconut oil for?
