Coconut oil is wonderful. Not long after I began cooking with it, I found out there are a variety of uses for it beyond food. Here are some of the more popular non-edible uses you might not know about.
Deodorant Base
Because coconut oil is antibacterial, it makes an awesome base for homemade dedorant. If I’m going to be at home all day, I use coconut oil alone. If I’m going to be out and about or doing heavy work, I use a mix of coconut oil, baking soda, arrowroot or cornstarch, shea butter and essential oils.
Lotion
If you have normal or slightly dry skin, coconut oil makes an incredibly good moisturizer. During the summer, I use it on my arms and legs liberally and I don’t have need for any other products. In the winter, I use a coconut oil-based lotion from Tropical Traditions to keep my face soft. If you have dry skin, their coconut oil-based cream is rich and thick. I use it on my elbows when the weather is harsh and dry.
Personal Lubricant
No joke. It’s better than any commercial product on the market, and far cheaper, too! Do note that because it is oil, it is not compatible with latex.
Frizz Tamer
Because my hair is curly, it frizzes easily. Instead of using silicone-based products, which are petroleum derived, I use just a tiny spot of coconut oil, let it melt in my hands and smooth it through the ends of my hair. It’s also far cheaper than the petroleum-based proucts. The last time I looked in the hair-care aisle, I was shocked to see those little one-ounce bottles of hair serum going for $10 and up!
Hairball Tamer
It not only works on your own head, it works on your cat’s hair, too! My cat is an exotic- a registered breed that is a cross between a persian and a domestic shorthair. He’s got long hair and his coat is amazingly thick this year. Twice a week I melt about a half-teaspoon of coconut oil in my hand and smooth it over his fur. It helps stop the hairballs and it also tames his frizzies, too. Although his name is Percy, his nickname is ‘Fuzz’ because when his coat is dry he looks like he’s put his claw into a light socket. An excellent diet has helped, but the coconut oil is making a big difference!
Leather Cleaner
When we first bought out couch, it came with expensive leather cleaner that was loaded with nasty chemicals. I soon changed to olive oil and then coconut oil when we started consuming it. Melt just a small amount, allow it to cool until room temperature but still liquid. Dip a soft cloth into it and buff the furniture thoroughly. Allow it to sit for 15 minutes then buff the leather with a clean cloth until no residue remains.
How do you use coconut oil? Share your favorite uses in the comments.
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Maybe TMI…but for your older menopausal readers. Had a hysterectomy then BC a couple years later. Dr’s say ABSOLUTLY no hormone replacement therapy. After 2 years of trying everything…coconut oil has saved my sex life!
Yay for your doctor for nixing the HRT. In what way did it save your sex life? I need help too!
We were on the verge of cutting my 10 year old’s long hair due to major rats that we couldn’t brush out. I gave it a major oil treatment yesterday and it’s amazing how easy it is to brush now and it no longer looks real dry and brittle! I’ll be doing my color-treated hair tonight!!
My daughters and I who have super curly, long and dry hair are on our 3 week road of No-poo. Once a week, I massage on scalp and hair about 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. Leave it overnight and from then on we only rinse with warm water when we take a shower, no shampoo. Our hair looks healthy, easier to detangle and manage. So far I notice the coconut oil is enough to eliminate any smell that I may be developing towards the end of the week. I myslef may bump it to every 5 days massage.
I use it on my hands ( I too use the Trop. Trad. Lotion and love it) and arms. We give the dog a small blob every so often to keep their skin from drying out. I have never put it on their hair, but maybe I should try. I use it for lip balm. I get dry cracked heels and it works great on that. We use it on our cows udders after milking.
One of my cats LOVES the stuff. If it’s on my hands or face, she licks it off.
I keep a small container for cosmetic use, so as not to double-dip in the food supply, and have gotten to feeding her a gob or two off my fingers whenever I use it.
Like you, it is my deodorant, my moisturizer, personal lube, and my go-to treatment for any weird bump or blotch that appears on my skin.
I used it to successfully get rid of a wart that I had on my hand for over 3 years and couldn’t kill with OTC nastiness. It took about a month of applying it straight on the wart 1-2 times a day (or whenever I thought about it) but it has been gone for several months now.
Then recently I was diagnosed with Tinea Versicolor which is basically a dark spot on the skin caused by a fungus. I just cleaned it with my Norwex cloth then put coconut oil on it for 2 days and it was gone… I didn’t even bother to fill the prescription!
just using it as my daily moisturizer on my legs caused what I’m pretty sure was a large wart on my calf to completely vanish! Surprised me!
Totally not trying to promote myself here but I recently published a post outlining 160 Uses for Coconut Oil. It was a follow up to a post I wrote last year. I love that you include the personal lubricant here because that is the use that I get the most comments on. Imagine that! Coconut Oil is truly amazing stuff!
How can I get a list of your 160 ways to use coconut oil;. I use it not for toothpaste mixed 50/50 coconut oil & baking soda Cleans, Brightens & heals.
Instead of fish oil (PUFAs) I gave both my dogs coconut oil 2 x’s a day
Coconut oil works really great on long straight hair too! My youngest daughter is also the fairest and her hair is the finest of all so it tangles more. i run enough coconut oil through her hair to get a good amount in, especially the ends since her hair is past her waist, and then we put it up in a french braid that is tight enough to stay for a few days. Her hair sucks up all the oil and when we take out the braid her hair is shiny and wavy and smooth. A great cold oil treatment! we try to do this once a month or so. Good for those of us with dark straight hair too just to add a little moisture now and then. We use cco for everything! Now to try it on our long hair kitties!
I don’t wear makeup very often but when I do, I use coconut oil to remove it. Remember “Ponds” cold cream? Anyway that is where I got the idea. Just take a glob and smear it all over your face and eyes too, and wipe off. Done! Very easy, good to your skin and cheap. Sometimes I may need to reapply to finish off the eye makeup but that is not a big deal.
When my kids were babies, they had cradle cap. I just smeared coco oil on their scalp and let it sit for a while, then I brushed if off with one of those baby brushes with the extremely soft bristles. All of the “cap” came off and did not return.
I’ve used it just about every way that you all have listed. Love, love, LOVE the stuff! And as a personal lubricant, it rocks! I’ve given it as gifts to close friends and they thank me. lol Also, don’t forget that you can shave after applying it and you won’t get razor burn, or bumps from the bacteria on your skin. I will have to try it on my leather now. Oh, did I mention that I love this stuff?
Pimples – I’ve had amazing results from applying to breakouts, as has my daughter.
Moisturizer – I use it on my face – I have only found one brand of moisturizer I can use which doesn’t break out my skin (other than using the coconut oil).
I have had really good results killing lice with coconut oil. Unfortunately, we have had the bad luck of having lice twice in the last 5 years. My daughter’s thick long hair must be a magnet for it. But we just slather coconut oil on our hair and sometimes wrap it to smother them, and this does the trick. We usually do another treatment 7 days later just to make sure it’s all gone.
Diaper rash ointment. My two year old loves the stuff and will bring me the tub I use for this when she wants it on her tush : )
I also use it for shower moisturizer. I love to turn the water very hot at the end of my shower, and it used to make my skin so dry and itchy. Now I slather cco all over and then I can crank up the hot water without peeling my skin off.
I put it in hot tea and coffee. I put it on crackers with peanut butter.
I need some ideas on how to use it in food without tasting it. I like the taste, but my husband does not like coconut at all. He’s thinking I’m a bit weird with cco showing up all over the house… if you have any ideas, please email ramy at texas daily harvest dot com
Ramy recently posted..Kefir!
My hubby is the same. He says it makes him queezy/nauseous just the smell of it when I am cooking. But we also use it for so many things, outside of cooking. I tried a version of Kerry’s recipe for Spicy hotchocolate last night and LOVED it.
I have used coconut oil as antibacterial ointment on my Alaskan Huskies,who are constantly getting cut and having to be stapled back together by the vet. The vet has quit recommending antibiotics as she has seen how effective coconut oil is in aiding healing and preventing infection. I have also used coconut oil as sunscreen in both Florida and Hawaii with good results.
Oh, don’t forget sunscreen! I have used pure coconut oil in place of anything else to avoid burns. Our family has had maybe two very mild “pinks” over the last 8 years where I should’ve applied more oil (one was at Disneyland for a toddler whose legs were out straight in her stroller). The next day, the burn was gone, so nothing bad. I certainly had worse growing up and worse using traditional sun blocks/screens. The only disadvantage would be that in the summer time, the kids’ hair tend to look a bit greasy. 🙂 Great to counter any dryness in their hair from chemicals in the pool and the oil probably helps protect their skin from the chemicals, too.
I use it for just about everything as well! Have had great success as a deodorant with a smidge bit of baking soda sprinkled on – lasts for as long as you don’t wash it off! I also love it as a sun tan lotion! If I burn, it tans really quickly, but even being a blonde, I don’t burn often with CO on! It also works great as an eye wrinkle cream. I apply it daily around my eyes and so far, so good!
One use we have done for a couple years now is in the dog’s food. He is about 140 lbs and gets about 2 tbs a week. It will shine the coat, give him sweet breath and keep away all those bugs (ticks, fleas, etc)! Now to give you perspective, we live on a farm with all the accompanying animals, and he goes outside and eats all the ick that dogs eat. So this will work for sure for those inside-type puppies! I have heard it works great with cats too, but we don’t have one for me to experiment on!
I had a friend use it under his arms where those pesky skin tags are; they disappeared completely! For more info, read Bruce Fife’s books on Coconut Oil. He has done some fantastic research on this subject!!
Awesome post glad to see someone helping pets they can be a great addition to anyone’s family.