Wednesday 9 September 2015

Life Hack Wednesday: 10 Uses For Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is so versatile and so good for us!! I've been using coconut oil for a year now for lots of different things so I thought I would share with you guys some of the many things you can use coconut oil for ;-)


The coconut oil I get is from my local supermarket. It's around €6 and it's completely organic, cold pressed coconut oil. So basically, it's 100% pure coconut oil with no extra additives :-) 

It comes as a solid form but melts in the warmth of your hands, or you can melt it in the microwave too :-) 
As you can see below, it's a solid form but it has started to melt from the heat of my hand...

I'm obsessed with coconut oil so let's jump straight into it, here are 10 things that you can do at home with coconut oil :-) 

1⃣ Hair Mask
You can use coconut oil to lock moisture into your hair. I lather my hair from root to tip in coconut oil before I wash it, and it's made a huge difference to the overall health and condition of my hair. 

You can also heat the oil up in the microwave for about 30 seconds (depending on how much your using) and use it as a hot oil hair mask! Add a hot towel, or even better; a cotton T-shirt to your hair and you've got yourself some serious hair pampering going on ;-) 
You can heat the towel or T-shirt on a hot radiator for a couple of minutes. 

For anyone wondering why a T-shirt is better for your hair than a towel, it's because the fibres of the cotton T-shirt are softer and more gentle on your hair and don't harm damaged hair as much :-)

For more hair strengthening tips and hair growth tricks you can read my blog post on How to Grow Long and Healthy Hair Here ;-)

2⃣ Cooking
You can also use it as a healthier cooking oil! I use coconut oil in the frying pan when I'm making flourless pancakes, and when I'm popping popcorn on the hob! It gives the food a very very slight coconut flavour, so it doesn't alter the taste that much at all :-) 

3⃣ Moisturiser
Coconut oil can be used to add moisture to extreme dry patches like elbows and knees. You can rub a small amount into your dry areas and and leave it to work its magic :-) 

If you have rough and dry feet, try lathering your feet in coconut oil and putting a pair of cotton socks on over it. You can leave this on during your lazy days at home or sleep in them, and the next morning your feet will be baby soft :-) 

4⃣ Teeth Whitening
I'm actually testing out this method at the minute, so I'll have a more in depth blog post about this with before and after pics in the coming weeks :-) 
But yes, there is a trend going around called 'oil pulling' that dates back centuries! Apparently, putting the melted oil into your mouth and swishing it around your mouth can actually whiten your teeth!

Have you tried this method before? Let me know what you think in the comments below, I'd love to hear your stories :-) 

5⃣ Makeup Removal
As you may already know, oils can break down even waterproof makeup. I use coconut oil to remove my makeup all the time, and it literally breaks up all the makeup on my skin and it's so easy to wipe off using a cotton pad! :-) 
Even Benefit's They're Real Mascara comes off with this oil!! 

It does leave an oily residue on your skin so it's best to wash it off using a cleanser or facial wash afterwards :-) 

If your worried about putting oil on your face, don't!! The properties in coconut oil are too big to sink into your pores, and because it has antibacterial properties, it won't break your skin out if you are using it to remove your makeup :-) 

6⃣ Lip Balm
Use a dab on your lips to soften and moisturise, or you can even melt the oil and mix in some colouring for a natural lip stain! 

7⃣ Natural Body Scrub
Combine coconut oil with sugar and you've got yourself an natural body scrub! Use it in the shower to exfoliate dry patches and remove the last bits of your tan!! 

8⃣ Shaving 
You can use coconut oil as a natural shaving cream, just lather it on and shave! This can also be used as an after shave balm to, rub in into your legs or any area you have shaved for a calming effect :-) 

9⃣ That Glow Though!
Add a small bit of coconut oil to your chest and shins for a natural looking glow! This is perfect for giving your skin a summery glow, but don't put it over an instant tan as most tans will break up under the coconut oil! :-) 

🔟 Health Benefits
I've heard loads of people say that consuming a tea-spoon of coconut oil a day can have many health benefits for you. Like a natural energy boost, and even aiding in weight loss as this is a form of healthy fats and is not stored in the body. 

I've never tried this before so I can't vouch for that, but let me know in the comments below if any of you have tried this little life hack and if it has made any difference to you :-) 


I hope you guys enjoyed this post, let me know if you have any other suggestions for what I can do with my coconut oil- I'm obsessed! :-) 
Also, if anyone has tried any of these methods out I'd love to know what you think :-) 

Love & Hugs, Lora xo 

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