Coconut oil is amazing.
It is a nourishing, healing, versatile food. It is amazing to put on your body, in your body and in your home. In a day where we’re inundated with toxins, chemicals and processed foods, coconut oil stands out.
Coconut oil has been instrumental in my own life. I use it daily. I love to cook with it on low to medium heat, put it in my smoothies, use it as a spread and more. I’ve used it to heal my gut when probiotics alone weren’t cutting it. And I even slathered it on my poor little poodle when all else failed at soothing her itchy skin.
But first, let’s get a few things straight.
Coconut oil looks different based on temperature. It is solid until the temperature hits about 76 degrees F (24 C). At that point, it melts.
Coconut oil can be heated to higher temperatures than vegetable oils. Vegetable oils have a low smoke point and can even become rancid and toxic over low heat. You can cook with coconut oil on low to medium heat. Never use high heat with any oil.
Coconut oil doesn’t contain cholesterol. But it does contain 3 amazing, nourishing, health promoting saturated fatty acids
- Lauric Acid
- Capric Acid
- Caprylic Acid
All coconut oil isn’t the same. The way the oil is processed affects its nutritional value. And cheaply processed coconut oils are often lacking vital nutrition.
The most nutritious, healing coconut oils are unrefined, virgin and cold-processed without fillers. I personally love and recommend Skinny Coconut Oil because it is some of the most pure, nutrient-rich coconut oil out there. In my opinion, it is a step up from other coconut oils I’ve tried as far as purity and quality. Check it out at Skinnyandcompany.com
Please note, this is an affiliate link. However, I wouldn’t recommend a product I didn’t believe in it. This is the very coconut oil I used in my own home and for my personal health healing protocol.
And now 70 amazing uses for coconut oil
Eat it:
- Use for stir frys in place of vegetable oil for healthier cooking
- Add it to coffee as a natural creamer
- Spread it on toast
- Melt it into potatoes
- Add to smoothies
- Use it to grease your pans
- Mix it with yogurt and fresh pineapple for pina colada yogurt
- Melt it into soup
- Mix it with cocoa powder for healthier chocolate
- Bake with it in place of vegetable oils
- Make healthier salad dressings
- Eat it by the spoonful
Wear it
- Apply an amazing anti-aging moisturizer
- Remove makeup
- Deep conditioner the hair
- Use as lip balm
- Soften skin as a soothing hand cream
- Smooth a small amount through the eyebrows to keep them in place all day
- Mix it with some baking soda and essential oils for a natural toothpaste
- Tame frizzy flyaway hairs
- Use as natural under eye cream
- Rub into skin to help avoid stretch marks
- Use as natural shave lotion or after-shave soother
- Smooth into skin for some natural sunburn protection
- Use as a natural baby lotion or diaper cream
- Rub into cuticles to help nails grow
- Use as natural lubricant (not latex safe)
- Smooth on acne prone skin for anti-microbial qualities
Heal with it
- Eat it regularly to help increase metabolism
- Massage it into sore muscles for some natural relief.
- Remove gum from hair
- Eat it to help stop the growth of candida
- Rub onto athlete’s foot for natural anti-fungal protection
- Treat minor skin irritation
- Mix with calming essential oils to reduce stress
- Mix with peppermint oil to repel insects
- Help soothe poison ivy
- Gargle with it to help sooth sore throats
- Rub into cracked, dry feet
- Consume as part of a natural protocol for depression
- Swish it in the mouth for 10 to 20 minutes for oil pulling (spit out in the trash – not the sink)
- Mix it with baking soda and essential oils as a natural deodorant
- Rub into sunburn to accelerate healing
- Apply to skin to help remove age spots
- Consume to help prevent against bone loss
- Eat regularly to improve digestion
- Supplement to help relieve constipation
- Apply topically to soothe hemorrhoids
- Natural treatment for ezcema
- Fight internal inflammation
- Naturally increase brain power
- Soothe dry nostrils
- Help balance the thyroid
Clean with it
- Make a homemade furniture polish
- Wipe crayon marks off of the wall
- Polish metal faucets
- Mix equal parts coconut oil and baking soda to remove stains from upholstery
- Use it to wipe the shower or tub as a natural anti-bacterial shower cleaner
- Put a thin layer on your showerhead to remove soap scum
- Use as a leather moisturizer
- Unstick jammed zippers
- Naturally grease squeaky door hinges
- Polish shoes
- Remove stuck bugs on cars
- Clean makeup brushes
- Apply a small amount to furniture as natural dust protector
Coconut oil with cats and dogs (Got these from Boston Street Vet.)
(Use orally only in moderation)
- Rub into skin to help soothe dry, flaky skin
- Feed in small amounts to relieve constipation
- Apply to paws as a safe barrier against chemicals
- Add to kitty food bowl as natural hairball remedy
- Rub coconut oil into gums to help relieve minor gingivitis
Want to get started with coconut oil?
You can make your own products at home. Get started by making your own toothpaste and mouthwash with coconut oil and other simple ingredients from your own kitchen Get your FREE Coco For Coconuts Homemade Mouthwash & Toothpaste Now!!
So, are you convinced, yet? Coconut Oil is an amazing part of a healthy diet. And it fabulous to use on the skin, in your home and in your life. I believe a natural approach to life is the best approach to life. And coconut oil is a fabulous addition to a balanced, healthy, productive life.
I have heard of the benefits of coconut oil but I didn’t realise there were so many! I also heard that it was a great way to whiten your teeth as well!
Love coconut oil and use it on a daily basis. Agree with you about how versatile it is.
I love cooking and baking with coconut oil but must confess I have not used it for other purposes until now. Thanks for sharing its multitude of uses!
I hope you try cooking with it! It really is one of the best oils to use for cooking!
What a versatile product – who knew coconut had this many uses? I use coconut oil in my hair to soothe my scalp (especially when wearing braids). I also use coconut oil in my food a rice and stir fries.
I imagine coconut oil would be really soothing to the scalp. That is one I didn’t think of!
Umm oops, you can’t use coconut oil with high heat? I have been misinformed then. Yikes. Well good to know. What oil would you recommend for high heat or alternative?
Kat, oils in general aren’t great for high heat. That’s because they burn easily and become rancid. Coconut oil is one of the oils you can heat the highest. I pretty much never cook at high heat, but I do sometimes cook without oil. I’ll stir fry in a vegetable broth, or a tomato sauce, and you can heat those things on higher heat.
I’m already a big fan of coconut oil…more so now! We only eat it though, didn’t realize its benefits extend beyond the kitchen.
It is amazing the things you can do with coconut oil, isn’t it?
I keep coconut oil on hand for baking certain things. I am not a fan of the taste of coconut oil and tried to get over it by putting it in my protein shakes. Not so much. I do like it on my skin and…in a pina colada. I’ll have to try the greek yogurt/pineapple variety. That may do the trick!
I LOVE the flavor of coconut oil. Too bad you don’t enjoy it. Smoothies are probably the best best for disguising it.
I love all things coconut!!! Coconut Oil for cooking is the way to go!
I love coconut oil and use it daily! I use it as a moisturizer, in my coffee and smoothies, and for oil pulling. It is always in my pantry!
That’s great that you use coconut oil so often!
I love coconut oil. I can’t go without it at home.
I use coconut oil for all kinds of things but learned a few new uses here! It’s such a great product!
I still find uses for coconut oil all the time that I never thought of.
What a comprehensive list! I had no idea it could be used for so MANY things. Pinning for future reference. Thanks!
Glad you found this list on coconut oil helpful, Alexandra.
This is so informative! I cook with coconut oil sometimes but had no idea it could be used for so many different things! Thank you for sharing!
Yes, you really can use coconut oil for a lot of things!
Wow! I didn’t know that there are so many uses for coconut oil. I’ve heard that it helps to tame frizzy hair and good for dry skin, but I didn’t know you can also cook with it. I guess it makes sense because coconut is first and foremost a fruit after all. Here in Indonesia we use coconut milk in a lot of our cuisines, however cooking with coconut oil is more uncommon. Thank you for sharing all these different uses of coconut oil. I’ll definitely have to try some of them!
Wow, I didn’t know that cooking with coconut oil was uncommon in Indonesia. But of course I know of the use of coconut milk. I cook a lot of Indian and Thai foods so I use coconut milk a lot too.
This is an absolutely fabulous post, Erica. I do use coconut oil, but obviously on a far too limited basis. I am going to bookmark, pin, stumble and share your post so that I slowly begin to use it more and more. Thanks so much!
Glad you found this informative, Doreen. I sometimes forget how many ways I can use coconut oil so it is always good to be reminded.
Coconut oil came under my radar a couple of years ago. It really is wonderful in all of its uses. I’ve only just started to get into cooking with it though.
Glad you are experimenting with coconut oil. The more you use it, the more you’ll like it. At least in my opinion.
All of these tips sound wonderful with the exception of consuming a spoonful of it – YUCK! Sorry, it’s just not a taste I’ve been able to acquire. But I do agree that it is highly versatile, though I can see from your list I haven’t even scratched the surface yet. Thanks!
Haha! I’ve gotten a bit of that spoonful reaction. But there are plenty of other ways to use coconut oil so no need to do that one.
Erica, I have always loved Coconut oil, whether it comes to applying it on skin to using it for frying I have loved it all. To be true I had n impression I knew all the uses of the Coconut but damn, you proved me wrong and I am happy about that 😉
Need to incorporate the use at new places as well 😀
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Sushmita, glad you found some new uses. The great thing about coconut oil is I don’t think we’ll ever be “done” with the list of what you can do with it. There are so many possibilities.
This post has much the flavor of Lenie Hokansson’s “1,001 Uses for X” posts, and I was hoping to see Lenie stop by in acknowledgement thereof, but alas, it was not to be.
Andy, I heard Lenie was dealing with some health stuff, and I really haven’t heard much from her since. I hope she is doing OK.