Coconut oil can be extremely healthy. You should consider working it into your daily routine. Try starting with one of these 17 uses for coconut oil. Over the past few years, more and more people have become akin to the benefits of coconut oil. The oil can be incredibly healthy, and it’s easy to implement the oil into many different parts of your daily routine, from the moment you wake up to the minute you go to bed.
Curious about how to use coconut oil more often? Try starting with one of the 17 uses for coconut oil found below.
Bulletproof Coffee
As we said, it’s possible to start reaping the benefits of coconut oil the minute you wake up. One of the best ways of doing so is by consuming bulletproof coffee each morning. Bulletproof has gained popularity of late, with people finding that it helps them lose weight or gives them more energy in the mornings. Users have found that consuming bulletproof coffee every morning helps with:
● Curtailing Appetites● Losing Weight● Being More Alert● Thinking Faster● Working Out Harder
Cooking Oils
If you have traditionally used cooking spray or olive oil when cooking, you should consider upgrading to coconut oil. Whereas the composition of some oils changes at high heat, coconut oil does not. Additionally, coconut oil will not change how your food tastes. This article from Whole Foods details the types of coconut oil you should consider buying and how to best use them when cooking.
A Replacement for Butter
If you’re vegan or lactose intolerant, you may find it difficult to find a suitable replacement for butter. However, one of the best uses for coconut oil is as a butter substitute. Additionally, even if you can consume butter, you may find it healthier to swap out the butter for the coconut oil anyway, as coconut oil is likely the much healthier option. Coconut oil is an excellent choice for baking, and many recipes allow you to substitute for butter easily. Using coconut oil instead of butter could help you introduce healthier fats into your diet. Even though coconut oil is technically high in saturated fats, consuming coconut oil consistently could help you improve your blood cholesterol profile and encourage the body to use fat as its primary fuel source.
Upgrade Smoothies and Juices
Many find that adding coconut oil to their green juices or smoothies can be beneficial, notably because it adds healthy fats to the beverages and helps balance the carbohydrate ratio. Others say that adding the coconut oil adds a slightly tropical flavor that makes the drink significantly more enjoyable than if they were drinking it without the oil.
Grease Chopping Boards
If you use wooden cutting boards in the kitchen, you’ll likely find that they begin to dull over time. Rubbing a touch of coconut oil into your wooden cutting boards is an excellent way to help restore their shine and function. Additionally, using coconut oil as a maintenance agent could help reduce fungus and bacteria on the cutting boards.
Facial Scrub
If you’re not using it in the kitchen, one of the best uses for coconut oil is as a facial scrub. Consider using one-part coconut oil, two-parts raw sugar, and some raw honey for a facial scrub that is sure to help exfoliate and heal dry skin. Combine the ingredients in a bowl or container and stir until they are well-blended. Then, massage the mixture into your face for skin that is soft and well-moisturized.
Makeup Remover
Before you use a coconut oil facial scrub, you must first ensure that you have stripped your face of any makeup. Most people don’t realize that you can use coconut oil to help with this as well. Those who do recognize the benefits say that the oil is perhaps the best makeup remover they’ve ever used. Because you are not using chemicals or other similar ingredients, coconut oil is a safer and healthier alternative.
Stay-In Conditioner
More and more people now realize that to keep hair fresh and healthy, you should not wash it every day. Doing so strips it of the oils essential for growth and protection. Instead, many have found that using a stay-in conditioner is an excellent way to help keep their hair healthy. Coconut oil could be an excellent choice to go about doing so. Coconut oil acts as a deep-conditioning agent. Work a small bit of the oil into your hair at night before going to bed and leave it in overnight. Then, rinse it when you wake up in the morning. You’ll find the result to be smooth, healthy hair. You can also consider adding a bit of stay-in coconut oil conditioner to the ends of your hair after you straight it, since straightening hair strips it of essential moisture.
Lip Balm
If you struggle with chapped lips in the wintertime, there’s a good chance that you grow frustrated always trying to keep track of the Chapstick container. You end up spending a few dollars every time you go to the grocery store just because you lost your old lip balm. Now, you can use coconut oil instead. Place a bit of coconut oil in a small container and apply it as necessary to help protect your lips.
Oil Pulling
This use for coconut oil may sound gross, but many people swear by how useful it is. As this Healthline article details, using coconut oil as a pulling agent could help improve your oral health, freshen your breath, and brighten your teeth. To reap the benefits, you should put a tablespoon of coconut oil in your mouth and swish it around for at least 15 minutes.
Shaving Oil
No matter if you’re shaving your face or your legs, it’s essential to create a surface that allows the razor to glide over your skin. Otherwise, you could end up dealing with razor burn or cuts. Consider using coconut oil and a substitute for shaving creams and lathers. The oil will act as a natural moisturizer that can make shaving easier while also protecting your skin.
Help Wounds Heal More Quickly
Have you ever used Neosporin to help wounds heal more quickly? The product works great, but you may not always have some laying around your house. Coconut oil serves as a healthy alternative that could be more readily accessible. The oil has antibacterial properties that could help keep wounds clean, allowing them to heal more quickly and prevent scarring. You can also use coconut oil on bug bites.
Prevent Stretch Marks
If you gain weight suddenly, your body will likely find that it cannot keep up. This causes stretch marks to occur, as the body cannot produce new skin fast enough. Additionally, the weight gain does not even necessarily have to be unhealthy either. Stretch marks can occur in people lifting weights for the first time, or those who are pregnant. Many find that coconut oil helps fight stretch marks because of its natural moisturizing properties. By using coconut oil on your skin routinely, you can reduce stretch marks, wrinkles, and sagging skin. Although stretch marks are permanent scars, coconut oil could help improve the overall complexion of your skin while minimizing the effects of the scarring.
Natural Deodorant
If you’ve long struggled with over-the-counter deodorants, consider making the switch to a natural deodorant made from coconut oil. Those with massive sweating problems may not find coconut oil to be a useful alternative, as they may end up sweating it out quickly. But those with sensitive skin may find it a better choice than traditional deodorants that contain ingredients that could be irritating.
Keep Your Feet Healthy
As mentioned previously, coconut oil is unique in that is has both antibacterial and antifungal properties, in addition to the fact that it is a natural moisturizing agent. You can reap all of these benefits when using coconut oil as a foot moisturizer. The oil could prevent dry, cracking skin on your toes, heels, and ankles. Additionally, the coconut oil could reduce your chances of foot fungus.
Beard Moisturizer
If you have a beard, you need to ensure that you’re moisturizing it properly. Not only can this keep it looking shiny and healthy, but it could also reduce how much the beard itches. Instead of purchasing expensive beard oils or waxes, consider instead using the coconut oil that you already have in your cabinet at home. Coconut oil is an excellent choice for beards because it contains lauric acid. Lauric acid can penetrate your skin, making it easier for the moisturizing agents to get deeper into your pores and hair follicles. Many find that the roots of their hair are healthier after having applied coconut oil to their beards on a consistent basis.
Heal Sunburn
The next time you suffer from sunburn, consider reaching for the coconut oil instead of reaching for the aloe. Man find that coconut oil is just as useful as aloe when it comes to cooling and soothing burnt skin. Additionally, the moisturizing properties of coconut oil can help to reduce the itching and peeling that typically occurs after a severe sunburn.
Health Benefits of Coconut Oil
So what makes coconut oil so healthy, anyway? Let’s look at exactly why this is considered a health food!
Fat Burning
Everyone is concerned with body image these days, especially in first world countries where there is an overabundance of everything and so impulse control is out of control. Coconut oil is great for speeding up fat burning. This is helpful for those looking to get their metabolism moving or get rid of the excess weight. It is specifically good for burning fat in the stomach, which is a problem area for many.
Appetite Control
Another incredible thing coconut oil does for the body is make it so that you are not craving food as much. It helps you to feel less hungry, and in turn helps you to eat less. This is a great thing for those who are looking to use natural remedies to satiate their hunger!
Helps Skin, Hair, and Mouth
As you can see from all the extraordinary uses of coconut oil, it is great for your external body just as much as it is for your internal! All areas including your skin, your hair, and even your mouth, teeth, and tongue are better when they have it!
Eliminates Bacteria, Fungus, and Viruses
Coconut oil is great for taking care of the internal issues, such as these organisms that are trying to wreck your body. These bacteria can wreak havoc on your guts and organs, so having coconut oil draw them out is a great thing.
Good Cholesterol
Coconut oil raises your good cholesterol levels and lowers your bad ones. Many people have issues with heightened cholesterol, but there is a way to balance this out that does not involve you giving up your morning eggs or adjusting your diet fully.