I am a massive fan of coconut oil. I think it's such a versatile item which you can use in so many ways. Before I get started, this isn't a sponsored post. I think everyone should have a pot of virgin coconut oil in their kitchen or bathroom because it's so good for you.
Coconut oil is anti fungal, anti microbial, anti bacterial, anti inflammatory, anti parasitic, anti viral and antioxidant.
Anti fungal - helps against Athletes foot, fungal toenail infections, yeast infections, ringworm, etc.
Anti microbial - kills microbes or inhibits their growth.
Anti bacterial - kills bacterium or inhibits their growth.
Anti inflammatory - reduces inflammation.
Anti parasitic - destructive to parasites.
Anti viral - inhibits the development of viruses - helpful to use to get rid of cold sores once they appear.
Antioxidant - inhabits the oxidisation of other molecules, which can prevent the production of free radicals, which may damage or kill cells which in turn can lead to disease.
What can you use coconut oil for?
Just about everything! It would probably be quicker to tell you what you can't use it for. I will go through some of the ways you can use it then tell you about the ways I use it myself.
Edible uses:
Firstly, you can eat it, cook with it, even fry with it. I strongly advise using food grade virgin coconut oil, because it tastes fantastic. I wouldn't want to taste the stuff designed for use on the body! You can use it as a sweetener in tea or coffee, use it in the place of margarine or butter in cooking, and fry with it - the taste is totally undetectable when fried and doesn't break down harmfully like other oils.
Topical uses:
You can get non-food grade coconut oil which you can use on the body. I use this one from Superdrug. You can use it as conditioner, as a cleanser, make up remover and moisturiser, as a shaving 'cream', as a vaginal lubricant, as lip balm, as a massage oil, to help prevent stretch marks, on cracked nipples from breastfeeding, as baby lotion, as a hand, nail and cuticle moisturiser.
Health uses:
To ease a sore throat, on cold sores, for treatment of eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis, to get rid of head lice, as a scalp treatment for cradle cap or dandruff, as athlete's foot treatment, to soothe nappy rash, to ease aches and pains from arthritis and other inflammatory pain conditions. It's good for your heart because the good fatty acids increase good (HDL) cholesterol. It also boosts metabolism.
Animal uses:
Used topically to get rid of fleas, and taken internally to help ease joint problems and to ensure a glossy coat.
Ways I use it:
I put a level tablespoon in my smoothies to add a bit of tropical taste and to make my hair and skin glow with health. I put a level teaspoon in with my porridge for the hair and skin benefits. Sometimes I use it in place of butter on toast - it tastes delicious. I will top it off with banana and some seeds - delicious! If I've run out of agave nectar I'll use it as a sweetener in my tea. When I have a sore throat I eat a level teaspoon straight off the spoon so it melts and tip my head back so it trickles down my throat. Repeated a couple of times a day it soothes the sorest of throats.
I have athlete's foot on one foot so I mix coconut oil with tea tree oil and rub it in it all over my foot (about a level teaspoon of coconut oil and 5 drops of tea tree oil.) I also have three fungal toenails and I use tea tree oil under my toenails where they've lifted from the nail bed (gross!) and rub coconut oil into the nails themselves. I've been doing it for about 3 months and I have some non-fungal nail growth coming through now! Stick that in your pipe and smoke it, Curanail! Whilst using Curanail I went from 2 fungal toenails to 3, because although they advise you to file down the affected toenails each week, they don't tell you to tape your other toenails up or else you're just spreading fungus spores about everywhere! If you us Curanail, fer God's sake CUT your nails instead of filing them or tape your other toenails up if you must file them.
I use coconut oil on my face after I've waxed my tache and eyebrow stragglies. This is my post-waxing rescue kit:
Elemis body oil, tea tree oil and food grade coconut oil, which I get from Holland and Barrett.
The Elemis body oil is a solid until you immerse the glass bottle into hot water. I tip about a level teaspoon's worth of oil into my hand and rub it all over my face to get rid of any wax residue from the waxing, which is an absolute nightmare to remove otherwise. I leave it on for a few seconds, then wipe it all away with a warm damp flannel, taking all the stickiness with it. Then, to prevent getting spots after waxing I mix about a level teaspoon's worth of coconut oil with about 5 drops of tea tree oil and rub it all over my face. No spots! Before using coconut and tea tree oil on my face I'd get dozens of angry yellow heads in the areas I'd waxed.
I could use the non-food grade oil on my face, but I prefer to use the food grade oil on my face and the non-food grade oil on my body. Of course if money was no object I'd use the best quality oil with abandon.
Have you ever used coconut oil? Do you want to try it?
Thanks for reading!
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