Waves crashing on the beach, a fru-fru drink in my hand, a rockin’ tan, and my guy with no shirt on! Yes, this is what I think of when I smell coconut oil. Mmmmm!
Back to reality for a second. Coconut oil has been publicized more and more lately because you can use it for anything and everything. It’s just plain awesome! I have to admit that I have a VAT of it at my house – as you can see in the photo. I have this GALLON of it under my bathroom sink. Call me a junkie.
My favorite brand is Nutiva. It’s organic and virgin (meaning no chemicals were used to get the oil out) and there’s just something particularly yummy about it’s texture. Ok, so, what is it you may ask? What does it do? Great questions and I’ve got some great answers.
There are a million and one ways to use coconut oil – only bound by your imagination! Here are my favorite uses…some involve your body and some involve your kitchen!
My Top Ten Uses for Coconut Oil:
1. Shaving oil! This is the bomb-diggity best ever. Nothing compares. Not only does it allow your razor to glide along your skin, but you don’t need moisturizer afterward. Your skin is already all juicy. It works great!
2. Mix it up with some regular old salt for an amazing homemade body scrub. Exfoliate, babe!
3. Try it for lip balm or face moisturizer. I find it’s not quite thick enough for lip balm, but it works great in a pinch. Some women swear by it as a cream to help with wrinkles.
4. Remove your make-up with it. YES! It removes mascara like a champ and it doesn’t hurt your eyes like those chemical eye make-up removers.
5. Put it on zits. Yep, the anti-bacterial properties of coconut can help with break-outs.
6. Deep hair conditioner. I am in freaking crazy LOVE with this! Slather onto your dry hair and leave on as long as you can. I’ve been known to grease up my hair before going to the beach and letting it bake on all day. I smell like a dream when I do that. Just wash it out with shampoo and your hair will be silky!
7. Massage oil. That’s all I’m going to say about that.
8. Sautée sliced banana in a tiny bit of coconut oil. Top with cinnamon and/or coconut shavings.
9. Put a bit on toast instead of butter.
10. Sautée shrimp in a bit of coconut oil, toss in some coconut shavings and lightly salt to create your own healthy coconut shrimp. So. So. So good!
So is it healthy when you eat it? Coconut oil is a saturated fat (which you should generally avoid like the plague). But it’s a unique blend of saturated fats that is very different than other saturated fats like those from beef. But it’s still 100% fat. Some claim that coconut oil has High Density Lipoproteins (HDL), aka the good cholesterol, so it helps lower the level of bad cholesterol. It’s also been said that it helps with thyroid function, to control blood sugar, and a host of other miracle cures. However, it’s not a panacea cure for what ails you – no one, single food is.
When you cook with it, understand that it will have that slightly sweet coconut flavor. So be mindful of that. With some foods it works great, but with others it’s horrible. Good pairings are fish, shellfish, zucchini, carrots, and onions. Try a little bit on popcorn with a sprinkle of stevia and salt if you like kettle corn. Bottom line: Coconut oil is still a fat – and it’s not a miracle cure-all food – so use it sparingly when cooking. But LOAD UP on it all over your body. Get yourself some of this amazing stuff! Then shave your legs, give yourself a massage, deep condition your hair, and cook some shrimp.
Tell me your creative uses for coconut oil in the comments!
