Cucko for Coconut Oil

It’s official. 

I am a HUGE fan of coconut oil.

Usually, my outlook is that anything that is so super hyped up as coconut oil can’t really be true, right?  Well it seems like I thought wrong.

I have begun to use this stuff for EVERYTHING—cooking, body lotion for my dry and cracked winter skin, facial moisturizer, my dry and damaged hair—I even tried eating a tablespoon plain, because supposedly it’s good for your gut.  While I immediately regretted the decision to swallow a tablespoon of semi-solid coconut flavored gel, I definitely am SO thankful I incorporated this super powered oil into my daily routine.

What is it?

Coconut oil is made out of mostly medium-chain fatty acids, so it is is easily digested and converted into energy in the body.  It’s a great source of those “healthy fats” that keep our hair and nails looking good.  Coconut oil also contains lauric acid which purportedly induces tons of healthy side effects, such as reducing hypertension, reducing arterial injury, helping to keep proper cholesterol balance, improving thyroid function, and aiding overall immunity.  It has antibacterial, anti-viral, anit-microbial, and anti-fungal properties, and when consumed regularly is said to prevent yeast overgrowth.

How to use:

A simple Pinterest search reveals hundreds of different uses.  I use it in several different ways—

1.       Cooking.  Use in place of vegetable oil or butter to sauté, coat pans, etc.  It’s a godsend for people cooking vegan/ gluten free diets!  Use at a 1:1 ratio.

You can also put it on toast in place of butter.  I like butter too much, so I mix it instead of using it plain.

You can apparently use coconut butter to season cast iron skillets or treat wooden cutting boards, but I don't have either of these in my NYC shoebox apartment.

2.       Digestive health.  This is the whole reason I tried to swallow a spoonful of this stuff.  For me, that wasn’t the best route to take—I felt a little ill afterwards.  However, it is said to kill all sorts of digestive system baddies, such as bad bacteria and parasites, that can make you have stomach cramps, feel bloated, or suffer from fatigue.  I’m going to keep trying.

3.       Face moisturizer.  THIS IS MY FAVORITE USE.  Law school basically destroyed my perfect skin.  I never had zits or acne, but law school stress changed that.  I started breaking out all along my chin and forehead, which stressed me out even MORE.  My skin had dry patches and generally looked dull.  I used lots of different types of moisturizers, but some of them made me break out.  I started putting coconut oil on my face before bed, and it makes my face baby soft in the morning without any greasiness.  My makeup goes on smoother, and my face looks generally healthier.  And the zits that plagued my chin are almost gone! The forehead zits are slowly going away too.  #WINNING!

      One recipe suggests using baking soda mixed with coconut oil for an exfoliating face scrub.  I haven’t done this yet, but I plan to.  I’m just too lazy to go get any baking soda from the store.

4.       Body lotion.  Coconut oil has been said to soothe skin irritations like diaper rash, eczema, sunburn, poison ivy, etc.  I used it this winter to save my dry, itchy skin. After moving to NYC during the never-ending winter of 2014, my skin was SO dry and my legs constantly itched from the dry air coming through the heater.  I started applying coconut butter at night, and it worked like a DREAM.  My skin is now super happy and much healthier looking.  Use post-shave for a little slice of heaven.

5.       Hair masque/ deep conditioner.  For super shiny, healthy hair, replace your conditioner once a week with good old coconut oil.

1)  Wet hair.

2)  Apply a small amount to the bottom section of your damp hair 

3)  Pile that hair on the top of your head and clip it there.  This is a good time to get use out of those alligator clips you had in elementary/ middle school.

4)  Slap a shower cap on top of that so it doesn't slime on anything or wash out.

5)  Either let sit for 15 ish minutes or finish your shower (shave, etc) and wash out at the end. 

6) Wash out thoroughly. 

      Or, if dry scalp is your thing, use a TINY amount on your scalp to fight irritation and dandruff, and wash out.  No matter what you do though, make sure you get it all out—or else you’ll have greasy strands.

6.       Eye makeup remover.  Use like cold cream—eye makeup slides right off.

7.       Nail strengthener.  OK this is the one place where I feel like coconut oil actually HASN’T made that much of a difference.  My nails are still brittle.  The only thing that helps is still Sally Hanson. Sigh.

Other uses that I haven’t tried:

These are some other interesting uses that I’ve heard… add yours in the comments section!

1.       Tattoo preserver/ healer. Put on over tattoos to help make them crisper looking longer, and put on over new tattoos to help them heal quicker.

2.       “Oil Pulling” for white teeth—According to Gwyneth Paltrow, Divergent Star Shailene Woodly, and some crazy woman I saw on the Today Show, swishing coconut oil in your mouth for no more or less than 20 mins. leads to healthier gums and whiter teeth.  But I ask them:  HOW DO YOU SWISH FOR 20 MINUTES?  HOW DO YOU NOT SPEAK FOR THAT LONG?? Don’t your cheeks get tired??  So many questions…. 

3.       Breast feeding.  Because I have so many pregnant friends, I thought I’d include this.  Put coconut oil on *ahem* irritated areas during breast feeding for a natural and non-harmful way to get some relief. My little sister was born with a tooth, y’all.  My mom could have used this info.

4.       Get chewing gum out of hair.  Just like mayonnaise, but with a much better smell.  This one goes out to all those nursing moms as well, because you’ll probably need this tip in a few years.

5.       Magic Shell topping.  This is something I NEED to try.  Apparently you can mix chocolate and toppings into this stuff, and it hardens on ice cream just like Magic Shelltopping. 

6.       Sugar Scrub.  I just bought a body scrub not too long ago, so I don’t have need for this yet.  However, here’s a great DIYrecipe if you want to make your own.

7.       Pets.  According to multiple sources, pets reap the benefits of coconut oil when small amounts are placed in their food.  It is also a non-toxic way to help relieve dry skin and redness.

There are many, many more uses for coconut oil that I haven’t talked about here.  I just love it because of the space it saves when travelling—imagine combining toothpaste, lotion, facial moisturizer, conditioner, etc. etc…. my suitcase will lose about 10lbs!