Do you remember in the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding how the Dad was obsessed with using Windex as a solution for everything? Well friends, coconut oil is my Windex 😉 . Every time my husband tells me about an ailment, my first response is typically me asking if he wants some coconut oil for it, hah! It’s safe to say I’ve developed an obsession with it in the last few years. It all started when I was first pregnant with Little Miss and was looking for more natural ingredients to incorporate into my beauty routine. It really blossomed from there and now I use it for pretty much everything.
I know coconut oil is very trendy these days, and in my opinion, for a good reason! In case there are any skeptics reading this, I thought I would share all of the benefits I’ve found in using coconut oil and all of the ways that we personally use it around our house, in hopes to make you a convert! In addition to being a very natural product, one of the biggest positives of coconut oil is that it is an extremely inexpensive alternative to many other products out there. I buy a large glass jar of it at Trader Joe’s for around $4 and it lasts us months!
My 17 favorite uses for coconut oil:
Baby/pregnancy/breastfeeding
- My #1 way to treat and prevent diaper rashes. I used regular diaper cream for the first 2 weeks of Little Miss’s life and then she got her first small diaper rash and I switched to coconut oil…she’s now 10 months old and we haven’t seen a diaper rash since. I love that it’s a more natural and much more inexpensive way to prevent rashes on her. I even put a little bit in a traveling container to keep in the diaper bag too. I think it’s the antifungal properties that make it work so well for this purpose.
- Use to treat cradle cap. We would slather her little head up before bath time and let it soak in and then comb her hair and wash the oil out, it worked wonders!
- When she was a newborn and scratched herself with her nails a bit, I would put a little on to help aid in the healing process and keep the wound moisturized.
- As a face and body moisturizer and baby chap stick. She loves when I put it on her lips because she thinks it tastes good too, so she doesn’t fight me on it. Mom for the win!
- Use on belly during pregnancy to help skin stay moisturized while it stretches.
- If breastfeeding, use as a nipple cream to aid in healing and nourishing cracked and sore nipples.
Beauty
- As a natural and cheap shaving cream.
- My hubby has used it as a cheaper alternative to beard oil.
- Put a little bit on a cotton ball and use as a makeup remover.
- I sometimes use as a chap stick for myself.
- Using as a lotion on elbows and knees (you could use on your whole body too!).
- Use sparingly on hair as an anti-frizz serum.
- Mix with sugar to use as a body scrub.
- Slather onto feet and then put some socks on while you sleep for the ultimate foot moisturizer.
- Put a little bit on acne to help it clear up faster.
Cooking
- We use as a replacement for oil or butter in a lot of our cooking. Works really well as an alternative for butter when making grilled cheese sandwiches too, and makes it a lot less greasier.
- Add to smoothies for some healthy fat.
Are you a coconut oil fanatic too? What are some of your favorite uses for it?
Wow, I guess I had no idea there are so many uses for coconut oil beyond cooking! I’ve used it in place of vegetable oil for homemade granola and in some other recipes in the past, which have turned out great. However, since moving, I unfortunately haven’t found any in the local grocery stores.
No way. I would be shocked if your local grocery stores don’t carry it! Maybe you are looking in the wrong aisle? I would ask someone. 🙂 good luck. That stuff is awesome.
I should explain that I live in Switzerland, haha. I have a looked a few times with no luck. That being said, I very well could be looking in the wrong place! Stores are not quite organized the same way. I also suspect a specialty store would carry it, but prices are high here and it might cost a fortune. 🙂
Haha it’s my favorite product ever now! That sound delicious in granola, I’ll have to try that. What a bummer that you don’t have it nearby anymore :/. I’d volunteer to ship some, but I can’t even imagine how much that would cost to ship overseas!
I love this. I always have some on hand because I use it frequently in decadent vegan desserts. But I’ve also used it as a moisturizer and the cradle cap treatment makes total sense to me. So many good uses that I haven’t thought of 🙂
The possibilities are endless! I know there are a ton of other uses for it too, these are only the ones I’ve personally used. I bet there’s probably at least 100!
Holy heck, I had no idea! I knew people used it for cooking, but that´s it! You´ve totally made me a believer… I kind of want to buy some right now.
Do it, Chela! I promise you won’t regret it 🙂
My husband started using coconut oil after he had a gallbladder attack and had to avoid fat. His gallbladder has since been removed, but he still likes coconut oil. He even uses it on popcorn instead of butter. Our daughters use it in their hair. I’m the only non-convert in the house at the moment. Hmmm . . . I think that make-up remover might be my first experiment : )
I’ve got to try that on popcorn, thanks for the great idea!:) Definitely give the makeup remover a try, it smells so nice too. I feel like I’m (sort of) on a tropical beach when I use it.
I don’t use it, but maybe I should! I have to ask – what is beard oil?
You definitely should Holly! Beard oil is an oil used to help condition and shine beard hair. It gives it a more groomed look. There’s probably other benefits to it too that I just don’t know hah.
I don’t use coconut oil, but now you have me thinking that I should! I love the idea of treating diaper rash with coconut oil.
I’m obsessed with slathering it all over Little Miss hah it smells super delicious too 🙂 You think babies smell like heaven, and can’t possibly smell any better…until they have coconut oil on them and then you truly want to gobble them up heh!
I LOVE coconut oil! I do oil pulling (although I have a hard time remembering to do it), I use it as moisturizer, it’s in my homemade deodorant, I mix it with essential oil and rub on my feet, neck, elbows, etc. I have even used it on my 12-year-old’s dry scalp! Oh … and popcorn! I talked the hubby into trying it as shaving cream but he wasn’t impressed:0( Bummer! I would have never guessed you could use it as diaper cream. We don’t have little ones here but that’s a great idea!
I keep wanting to try oil pulling, but also keep forgetting! Haha. Glad to know someone else has as many uses for it as I do 🙂
Knocked out the cradle cap for Mini #2 in a flash!!
Love it! It’s a miracle with babies, I tell ya!
I need to jump on the coconut oil train! We bought a jar but I admit we haven’t been using it, really!
Break that jar open, sista! I promise you won’t regret it 🙂
I’ve never used the stuff, but I know it’s definitely all the rage right now. If we’re able to have a kid, I’ll have to try the diaper rash thing.
I’d be careful about using the oil as a chapstick, at least while you’re out and about. It could magnify sun’s rays, and our lips need to be protected from the sun too. A dental assistant I had once strongly recommended using actual chapstick or something else with SPF. Otherwise your lips can thin over time.
Weird, but I figure why risk it?
I highly recommend it!
Thanks for the warning! I actually only find myself using it as chapstick occasionally around the house (mostly because it’s conveniently always within reach). I mostly use a lip balm, although it doesn’t have SPF in it, so I should really get on that. I always use a face moisturizer with SPF in it, so I should start using a lip balm with it too. That would make sense 🙂
Coconut oil has a natural SPF 4. I wouldn’t use it if I were out suntanning but it has a bit for a short time. I’ve also used it inside my mouth for cankers and raw spots. It works great even for them. I have psoriasis and it has helped calm it down but I still use my prescription drug as well. I hope this will help some of you. ?
Thanks so much for sharing!
Haha, that Windex scene is one of my favorites! I have to agree, coconut oil IS a little like that!
It really is!
Ah! I also love, love, love coconut oil! It’s basically the only thing I can use as “shaving cream” without breaking out my legs and is really the only moisturizing agent I keep in the house anymore. Thanks for sharing all your ideas, too!
By the way, coconut oil actually does have a natural SPF of 10. Not necessarily what you want to slather on your skin when heading to the beach for the day, but it shouldn’t be too dangerous to use as a lip balm periodically. 😉
Very interesting, thanks for sharing Leesha! I had no idea it was a natural SPF. See?! Coconut oil never ceases to disappoint haha.
I can remember my nan using olive oil for cradle cap and many other things and I’m in my late 50’s, so it makes sense that anything you could do with olive oil u could possibly do with coconut oil. We used to use coconut oil to get those dark tans popular in the 70’s but that is a definite no no now. I was doing oil pulling too but my dentist said a denfinite no, so have gone back to flossing but “pull” weekly when I remember.
Absolutely Belinda! That’s so interesting your dentist said no to oil pulling too, but it’s good that you were vigilant in asking!!