25 Unexpected Benefits and Uses of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil has become a kitchen must have for many people (including myself!) for a butter/egg/vegetable oil substitute, health benefits and so many more incredible things. But the best part about coconut oil is that it isn't only good for kitchen uses - guys, I bought this entire container JUST to keep in my bathroom because of how many skin care uses there is for this stuff! It blows my mind, but there must be some sort of magic in it because it *really* works and 9 times out of 10, when there's a problem, coconut oil can fix it!
Coconut oil is made from coconuts, and its grounded and the oil is extracted from the coconut. The best part of coconut oil is that it's filled with natural antibacterial properties, making it useful in your every day life. Here are my favorite uses for coconut oil when it comes to your beauty routine and beyond:

1. Shaving cream. I can't tell you how many times I've run out of shaving cream... It's one of those "I just went to Target for two things and left with $200 worth of stuff... without what I came here for" kinds of things, am I right? ;) Coconut oil works just as good if not better than shaving cream - and it makes your skin feel so silky smooth.

2. Makeup Remover. Another item I run out of too much and haven't even been buying as much because this stuff is GOLD when it comes to getting every bit of your makeup off. I put it on my face (damp) and basically scrub until it's all off. It takes off more of your makeup than your typical remover will!

3. Sun burn relief. Especially in the beginning of the summer season, sun burn happens too often! I used my coconut oil in Italy this summer after a day on the beach and by the next morning I was in no pain whatsoever. Ok now I'm CRAVING summer!

4. An in-shower hair treatment. While I'm all for a good hot oil treatment, my hair stylist told me a horror story about hot oil once and ever since then I've been a paranoid Polly about it. Before shampooing, rub about a tablespoon of coconut oil into your hair and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Then wash your hair as you normally do and trust me when I tell you - you'll see SUCH a difference once it's dry! I do this once a week (ish) and my hair is so smooth for days after.

5. Dry skin remedy. Winter skin is the worst - soften a bit of the coconut oil in the microwave (5-7 seconds will soften without totally melting it) and put it on dry spots. One of the best dry skin remedies I've used!

6. Quick hair static/flyaway fix. Use a tiny bit of coconut oil rubbed on your hands and apply (lightly and sparingly) to your flyaways and static-y strands. Don't use too much though!

7. Teeth whitener. Melt a quarter sized amount of coconut oil and swish it around in your mouth for a good 15 minutes. Then spit, rinse and brush - do this every day for a week and you'll see a difference.

8. A natural puffy eye fix. No matter why your eyes are puffy or if you have dark circles/bags; put a little coconut oil on before bed and you'll wake up with much less visible under eye anything. Win!

9. A great melting agent. One of my favorite things to do is make chocolate covered fruit because I can have my chocolate and not feel awful because I have fruit too, ha! ;) Chocolate melts so easy with less than a teaspoon of coconut oil added to it - you'd be amazed - it's like magic!

10. As a cooking oil. A lot of oils can't be used at high heats, but coconut oil can! It has a LOT of nutrients in it and it's become my oil of choice for cooking.

11. Natural chapstick. I took one of my empty contact cases and put some of the coconut oil in it and carry it with me in my bag - it's the perfect chapstick for chapped lips! It works wonders and I use it on my lips at night and under lip glosses/sticks too.

12. Simple blemish fix. I've tried a lot of acne fighting lotions before for the occasional breakout but I've luckily never dealt much with this. When I do have a blemish, I use a tiny bit of coconut oil and it helps fight it and clear your pores.

13. Natural moisturizer. I have a lot of moisturizers I love, but recently in Sephora an employee told me to be careful because some moisturizers are heavy on your skin and can actually clog your pores. It seems like common sense, but it isn't really something you'd expect from a product that's marketed as a great skin moisturizer! I started using a little bit of the coconut oil as a moisturizer as part of my night time routine and I wake up with my skin feeling smooth and fresh. Miracle worker much?!

14. A tool to combat oily skin. It may seem contradictory to use an oil as an oil fighter, but it's true! I have a bit of combo dry/oily skin, but nothing too bad of either. I tend to get oily in my t-zone throughout the day, so I started using coconut oil as a face mask when I feel like I need it and it helps reduce oiliness!

15. Natural exfoliator. Mix equal parts of coconut oil and brown sugar for an all-natural face exfoliant! It feels great on your skin and it's completely natural.

16. A major healing property. Remember how I mentioned I LOVE chocolate covered fruit, and use coconut oil to melt the chocolate? One time I cut my hand on the knife when I was cutting fruit because I'm a #klutz. After knowing how great coconut oil is for basically everything, I put a little bit on the cut and I kid you not... it immediately stopped bleeding. Like, what?! So now every time I get anything as small as a paper cut or anyone around does, I swear by it and it works every. single. time.

17. Reduce the amount of split ends. Once you towel dry your hair after washing, put a tiny little bit of coconut oil on the ends of your hair. I see a huge difference in the amount of time it takes to get split ends after a trim by doing this!

18. Help grow your eye lashes. This one is HUGE for me because if you've been around here for a while, you know that I've always struggled with short, un-curlable (is that a word? can it be?) eye lashes. I try everything and while a few things have worked, going the natural route is #1. There's a ton of different DIY recipes I've seen to use coconut to grow your lashes, but I've tried coconut oil alone and have seen a difference. Some people even swear by it as a natural mascara! It's safe to use on and around your eyes, and it helps thicken your lashes big time. I took an old mascara wand and washed it thoroughly, and keep it for when I soften coconut oil to apply to my lashes. This is something I usually do on a Friday or Saturday night-in when I do a face mask and all of that fun stuff. ;)

19. Bath soother. Melt a half cup of coconut oil and add it to your bath. Thank me later.

20. Boost your energy. Get a bad night of sleep? Have a long to-do list to tackle, or have a mid-afternoon slump? Instead of going straight to the coffee maker, try a tablespoon of coconut oil. I don't hate the taste but if you do, you can add it to a cup of water/sprite or light drink like that. It helps boost your energy naturally without the sugar in coffee or dark chocolate (although a little dark chocolate never hurt anyone!).

21. Clean your makeup brushes. Cleaning your brushes can be tedious, time consuming and annoying but coconut oil cleans them SO quickly and makes the process so much easier! Mix coconut oil with water and dip your brushes into the mix - swoosh it around, let it sit for a few minutes and then rinse them clean.

22. Natural face primer. The tiniest bit of coconut oil makes for SUCH a great pre-makeup face primer! It works just as good as any other primer, and it makes your face makeup last without smudging or fading all day long.

23. Easily remove hair knots. Most especially in the summer, I wear my hair up a lot because I can't be bothered with the thickness and heaviness of it! Plus who doesn't love a cute top knot?! But it makes it so much easier to get tangles out by using a little bit of coconut oil on the knot. #thickhairproblems

24. Natural brow gel. I use eyebrow gel as the final step of my makeup routine every single day - it makes me feel so put together! (anyone else?!) I put a little bit of this on my brows any time I run out of my regular gel, or even if I'm out and have some with me (as lip balm - see #11) to touch up my brows throughout the day.

25. Use as a stress reliever. After a long, busy day, nothing is better than a little stress relief. I've used oils before and I know a lot of people love and use - and I do really like them - but I've noticed that this can really work just as good. Rub a little bit onto pressure points - places like your wrists, neck and temples - the scent is super relaxing and soothing and feels really good, too!

Coconut oil can be put to good use in so many situations - it never fails to amaze me when I hear of a new use for it, try it and love it! Is there anything you'd add to this list?
XOXO