These days, you’ve likely seen coconut oil popping up in health food stores everywhere. Perhaps you even have a couple of jars already. Not only is coconut oil (virgin in particular) a healthy choice when cooking meals, but it’s a more natural alternative to store bought products which are often laden with harmful chemicals. Sure, coconut oil is a great cooking ingredient that’s also been shown to boost energy levels and play a role in weight loss, but did you know it can also make your furniture shine and keep your acne at bay?
Read on to discover some lesser known uses for coconut oil.
Top 5 Helpful Uses for Coconut Oil
Toothpaste
Many toothpaste ingredients contain a host of preservatives, sweeteners and other chemicals. Rather than put this in your mouth, clean your teeth with coconut oil. Just mix even amounts of the oil with some baking soda and a few drops of peppermint oil. Your teeth will be clean, minus exposure to harmful additives and other artificial ingredients.
Moisturizes Skin
Skip that store-bought moisturizer and head to the health food store. Not only are many of them extraordinarily expensive for a small amount, but most commercial skin care products in the US today are made from polyunsaturated oils and carcinogens that result in free radical damage which affects the skin. Instead of providing a remedy, some face creams actually make the situation worse! For skin in need of moisturizing, coconut oil works wonders by softening and hydrating. Many people prefer to gently rub a dab of coconut oil on their face before bedtime in lieu of a store bough face moisturizer. Others make a face scrub by mixing coconut oil with a natural exfoliator of their choice like sugar or baking soda. The oil also works well to soothe sunburns.
Combats Acne and Other Skin Conditions
Coconut oil surpasses pharmaceutical drugs when it comes to treating skin conditions like acne. Antibiotics and drugs such as Benzemyacin and clindamycin only keep the problem away for a while, only to return once people stop taking the prescribed or over-the-counter medication. The reason is that many skin conditions aren’t fixed with a topical application, but rather from the inside out. That phrase about “you are what you eat” is true in the case of coconut oil, a gut and flora regulating oil that fights bacteria that cause acne and other skin issues. While applying it topically helps smooth and hydrate, ingesting it helps with more serious skin conditions such as acne, eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis.
Furniture Polish
Coconut oils gleam is great as a protective polish on wood furniture. Test a small area first to make sure you like the results and be sure to adopt the “less is more” approach because too much oil can yield very slick appearance. It works just as well as what you’d purchase in the supermarket and is a lot better for the environment!
Shiny Hair While Controlling Dandruff
Want shiny hair? Have issues with the itching and embarrassment associated with dandruff? Both? Many people tout the benefits of coconut oil for reducing scalp itch and flaking as well as for diminishing frizz and strengthening hair. It’s suggested to use coconut oil as a leave-in conditioner about twice weekly, rinsing after about 10 minutes.
So what are you waiting for? Coconut oil adds a great flavor when cooking, is good for us (years of being told by food and ad agencies that low-fat is food is ideal has actually harmed our bodies, but more on that in another article) and has benefits that can even keep our furniture looking good!
See for yourself.
Get some coconut oil from Amazon online store. (affiliate link)
Sources for this article include:
www.higher-health.org
coconutoil.com
www.sunwarrior.com
coconutoil.com
www.eatfatlosefat.com
