I’m super excited to tell you all about coconut oil uses that don’t involve cooking—
—But before we talk coconut oil: Hi guys! How was everyone’s Thanksgiving? Mine was quiet; just me, my husband, and the animals here in our home on Oahu. I’m actually vegan (Matt’s vegetarian) so our Thanksgiving feast is a little different than the average spread and is SO freaking good. (Matt does all the cooking, because, well, I have a tendency to burn things.) He made a chickpea and spinach tart for our main course, with sides of grilled vegetables, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and of course pumpkin pie — all vegan and super good for you. And trust — the chickpea tart (we use this recipe from Plant Powered Kitchen) will satisfy even the pickiest meat lovers (it’s been a hit at Friendsgivings) and tastes exactly the way the holidays should!
Anyway, we cook a lot with coconut oil, since it’s often a perfect vegan replacement for butter, especially when baking (although as with any fat, you want to limit your intake). You’re probably familiar with coconut oil for cooking, but that’s just a tiny peek at all it can do.
Coconut oil kind of has super powers.
Oh yeah. I honestly can’t think of a more versatile food, actually. Coconut oil has antioxidant, antibacterial, and antimicrobial properties, making it a wellness superstar.
One thing I want to clarify before we take a look at the list: you ideally want an unrefined, organic, cold-pressed, virgin coconut oil for all these uses. I like to use this kind from Nutiva
The most important thing to look for is that unrefined label, since the refining process reduces the number of polyphenols and medium-chain fatty acids available in the coconut oil. These compounds are what offer the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits of coconut oil, so it’s pretty important to go unrefined, especially when using it on your body. I mean, otherwise, what’s the point? You want as much goodness as you can get.
Okay, so now that you’ve got your awesome-smelling raw coconut oil in hand, what to do with it? Let me show you the ways…
1 » Makeup Remover
I take off all my eye makeup with coconut oil! But you probably don’t want to use coconut oil all over your face, especially if you have acne or rosacea. Coconut oil is comedogenic, which means it could potentially clog pores. But for eye makeup, including even the trickiest of waterproof formulas (which I live and die by as a fitness instructor), nothing beats it.
Simply coat your fingertips in the coconut oil and rub them together until it liquifies. Then very gently massage the coconut oil onto your eyelids (pulling can lead to wrinkle creation over time). Swipe a cotton round over your eye, and voila! Makeup gone. And for far cheaper than traditional makeup remover formulas! Of course not dumping chemicals all over your sensitive eyes is also a major plus, no?
2 » Body Lotion
I use coconut oil in lieu of body lotion. Unrefined coconut oil’s natural antioxidant properties makes it highly effective at preventing wrinkles and soothing skin irritation. It feels so good and gives you a sexy glow. Definitely a must for those of you in colder, drier climates this winter, as coconut oil is perfect for dry skin and possibly mild eczema thanks to its antibacterial properties. And for those of us in more tropical zones, it’s ideal for post-sun skin recovery (but please make sure you’re wearing sunscreen no matter what). It also helps fight free radicals that can lead to skin damage and aging. Coconut oil absorbs quickly and is just as effective at hydrating skin as other (more expensive) traditional moisturizers, as shown in this study from the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
However, like I said above, if you’re prone to acne on your body, you probably don’t want to use coconut oil in those areas. I can get mild acne flare-ups on my back, so I just use coconut oil everywhere else, where I never break out.
I slather coconut oil all over immediately after stepping out of my shower/bath so it really absorbs into the open pores. My dogs caught onto my routine right away and are now always ready and waiting outside the bathroom door whenever I’m finished. They scour the floor looking for any drops I may have left behind, and if that doesn’t work, they’ll come over and lick my legs until I run away screaming because it tickles so much. Thankfully, coconut oil is good for dogs to eat, too, but like humans, in moderation! So I try to keep them at bay, but the pups definitely have a taste for it now (they’re crazy little gluttons). When I was trying to take these photos, my little one Peach would not stay away — thus her cameo appearance on the blog (but isn’t she the cutest?!).
Coconut oil would also make for an excellent diaper cream, thanks to its moisturizing and soothing qualities. Plus, you can easily use it with cloth diapers along with disposable ones — it washes right out.
3 » Shaving Cream
The whole point of shaving cream is to moisturize your skin and create a barrier between it and your razor blades so you have a smooth finish. And yet again, coconut oil is just as good – maybe better? – as its traditional chemical-filled shaving cream counterparts.
Shave towards the end of your shower or bath, since the warm water helps open up your hair follicles, which will give you the closest shave. Use coconut oil just like you would any other shaving cream: rub it on, shave, rinse the razor, repeat. It can make your shower or tub a little slippery, though, so just be cautious moving around if you don’t have an anti-slip mat. I’ve personally never had trouble with it as long as I make sure to wash all the oil away when I’m done. Easy peasy.
4 » Hair Mask
Want soft hair? You *could* go to a salon and fork over a hundred bucks for a fancy treatment. Or, you know, you could just use our favorite ingredient.
Once again, coconut oil proves it’s an overachiever. It happens to be one of the most effective oils for moisturizing hair. You see, most oils simply coat the hair, but coconut oil actually penetrates inside your hair thanks to its polar triglycerides. It’s super rare for an oil to have these polar triglycerides, and they’re why coconut oil is way better for your hair instead of, say, olive oil. This amazing explanation from Science-y Hair Blog explains it well:
“Triglyceride components in plant oils can be polar (slightly positively charged) and that allows them to be attracted to the polar (negatively charged) proteins in your hair. Usually oils are non-polar and this is a big difference in chemistry to have an electrostatic (+ and -) interaction versus just having some oil form a film over your hair! This helps those triglycerides be actively pulled through the cuticle-membrane complex over your hair shafts to the inner portions.”
Oils that penetrate into hair make the hair proteins more hydrophobic (water-repelling). This makes your hair a lot stronger, less prone to split ends, and silkier.
However, it’s important to remember that all of our hair is different, and that means coconut oil will act differently for everyone. So test it out for yourself. Personally, I notice a huge improvement in my hair’s shine and volume when I use a coconut oil hair mask every couple weeks or so. If you have fine hair like me, you’ll want to use a smaller amount of the oil.
I leave it on for at least 2 hours, or if you want to be extra, you could leave it in all day in a slicked back bun, or even sleep in your hair mask (wear a shower cap to seal it in and reduce mess). In your next shower, make sure to thoroughly shampoo, condition, and rinse out the oil when you’re ready to reveal your newly luscious locks!
5 » Lube
This one is clearly the most fun coconut oil use, no? And yes, we’re going there, because sexual health is just plain health. And I promise you — once you try coconut oil, you will never touch a tube of nasty glue-y drugstore lube again. Ladies, think about it. This shit goes inside your body. Ahem. So maybe take a pass on chemical goop with questionable ingredients?
Besides. Nothing works as well as plain, ol’ coconut oil. Nothing. It feels just like the real thing, and is a must-try if you experience any dryness or discomfort during intercourse. But don’t take my word for it — feel free to test it out yourself. You can thank me later. 😉
Want to know the best part? Thanks to coconut oil’s antibacterial and anti-fungal properties (as shown in this study from the American Society for Microbiology and this one from the National Center for Biotechnology Information) it might just be the only lube that’s also actually good for you. It can even help prevent yeast infections. Yes please!
So what are you waiting for, guys? Buy yourself some and get ready to have your. life. changed.
Do you know of any other great uses for coconut oil? Please share them with me in the Comments below!
xo,
Amy
This post is not sponsored, but there are affiliate links throughout this post, all for stuff I genuinely love and recommend!