The Many Uses of Coconut Oil

Ah, coconut oil.  That wonderful, jack-of-all-trades substance that God has seen fit to bless us with.  It smells good, tastes good, makes your hair feel good…what does it NOT do??

I hope to pleasantly surprise you with this list of all the delightful uses for coconut oil.  Consider it the corn of health products!

Use it on the Skin…

1.  Use as a basic body lotion
2. Treat athlete’s foot:  Mix with oregano oil
3. Prevent meconium from sticking to the skin
4. Treat and prevent pimples and acne
5. Get rid of cradle cap on a baby:  Massage into head, leave for a few minutes, and wash off with a warm cloth
6. Take as an allergy “medication”:  Rub the oil on the inside of your nose to alleviate symptoms
7. Aid in the healing of sunburns
8. Use as a natural shaving cream
9. Use as a tanning oil
10. Use as a deodorant
11. Apply to cuticles to help nails grow
12. Help treat cold sores
13. Remove your eye makeup
14. Use as cloth-diaper-safe diaper cream
15. Prevent stretch marks during pregnancy
16. Use as a natural SPF 4 sunscreen

Use it on Hair…

1. To get a beautiful conditioning effect, run a small amount through wet hair
2. To repair damaged ends rub a small amount into your ends
3. To prevent hair loss, apply a mixture of lime water and coconut oil to head
4. Remove gum stuck in your hair

Use it to Cook With…

1. Substitute coconut oil for shortening, butter, and other oils
2. Use as a sweetener for any beverage
3. Coat your cast iron skillet to ensure food doesn’t stick
4. Add to smoothies to help boost metabolism
5. Safe for deep-frying

Miscellaneous Uses…

1. Leather shoe cleaner:  Rub shoes with a dab of coconut oil to clean and soften the leather
2. Remove stickers from merchandise:  Mix with some baking soda, spread it on to the sticker area, leave for 10 minutes, and the sticker will rub off
3. Combine coconut oil and lemon juice to make a natural furniture polish
4. Make a natural whitening toothpaste by combining coconut oil with baking soda
5. Can help soothe the itch of mosquito bites, poison ivy, and chicken pox
6. Condition your wooden cutting boards

Wow!  And like I said, this list is not anywhere extensive!  My personal favorites were the natural diaper cream, the cure for split-ends, the furniture polish, and the natural sunscreen…can’t wait to try these out!!

Please share if you use coconut oil in any other creative ways!

“Coconut” photo in header by:  Eric Schmuttenmaer

Lauren Souers

Hi, my name is Lauren. I am the wife of one fine man and the momma of four (huge) young children – three boys and one princess! I love all of them. I mostly clean up messes and feed people all day, and it’s really fun to write about it. Jesus is the rock of my family – we love and serve a mighty King! I hope you leave here full of hope that “tired” can be good.