The Many Uses of Coconut Oil
Posted By Crystal Collins On July 12, 2010 @ 4:17 pm In Frugal Living,Home and Garden,Organic and Green Living | 26 Comments
The following is a guest post by Lorrie from Natural on a Budget.
With everyone around the blogosphere talking about coconut oil and the recent deal on Amazon I thought it would be a good idea to write a post on the many uses of coconut oil. I am sure I am not the only one who kept hearing that this oil was good for me, but had no idea what to do with it. After doing some research I have discovered that not only is it very healthy for you to use in recipes, but it also has many cosmetic uses.
Here are some of the uses for coconut oil:
Deodorant- Find a recipe for homemade deodorant here.
Hair gel- Just use it straight out of the jar. I have been told this works really well on curly hair. Someone will have to tell me if this really works since I have very straight hair.
Hair conditioner- Again use it straight out of the jar as a leave-in conditioner.
Acne cream- I had a reader suggest this one to me. I have to admit that even at nearly 30, I still have issues with pimples. I was told that this will help dry them out quickly. I was a bit skeptical since it is an oil. How could an oil dry something out? Well I tried it and guess what? It really does work!
Sunscreen- Islanders have been using coconut oil for years as a natural sunscreen. This is one I plan to try this summer. I have a lot of issues with applying chemicals to my babies to protect them from sunburns. Even the organic and natural brands still make nervous. Coconut oil is a great natural alternative for sun protection.
Toothpaste- You can check out Lindsey’s recipe for toothpaste here. I have not been brave enough to try it yet. I still have a couple tubes of Nature’s Gate toothpaste that I bought using Swagbucks. Maybe I will have to try this one sometime.
Lotion- You can add shea butter to coconut oil to make a great lotion or just use it by itself. I have been using coconut oil on my 2-year-old to treat eczema. For a long time it was the only thing that did not make him scream.
Facial moisturizer- Apply just as you would any moisturizer.
Diaper rash cream- Find a recipe for natural diaper rash cream here.
Don’t forget all the great ways this oil can be used in cooking. It can be used to replace butter when baking, on popcorn, as a spread on bread, and in oatmeal. While researching for this post I ran across this article on the benefits of coconut oil. It was quite interesting.
So where is the best place to find coconut oil? I have used Spectrum brand in the past, but have lately been using Nutiva. Right now you can get 2 jars for around $20 on Amazon. This is a great price! It might be cheaper to buy it in bulk from Azure Standard or Mountain Rose Herb if you can find someone willing to split it with you.
I would caution you not to buy the cheap stuff you can get at supercenters and grocery stores. Most of them are not the same, and contain additives.
What are some of some of the ways that you use Coconut OIl?
Lorrie is a stay at home mom to 3 sweet children and has the world’s most supportive husband. She blogs about natural and organic deals as well as natural living at her blog Natural on a Budget.
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