Coconut oil

I am a big fan of this & use it a lot!  Besides it smells like summer & that is not a bad thing either.

Quality makes a big difference for this one. A good coconut oil should smell fresh (surprising I know!) Older ones can smell a bit fatty & the smell isn’t as strong – it’s almost a stale smell.

OK, coconut oil is full of medium chain fatty acids & lauric acid (which one reason is why it is good for so many things!)  It is an effective natural fungicide, has a mild SPF factor (about 4-6) – although I still use sunscreen regularly, it is interesting to know, plus it’s antibacterial.

Some of my favourite uses:

Cooking

I often use it for a variety of cooking & baking.  It’s pretty easy to replace butter or oil in most recipes. I find Asian style cooking & baking the best recipes to use it in.

Moisturiser

It is great for your skin.  Although it will feel a little oily at first – it does soak in pretty quick though!  Just remember a little goes a long way.

Heel / knee / hand scrub

Mix with some sugar (I use brown sugar because it smells so good with a drop of vanilla or lavender).  Just rub on your feet and heels (or wherever you are scrubbing), then just rinse off. 

A word of warning on this one, I was so impressed with this mix, I thought “this would be a good body scrub”. Mixed results – yup, it was good as a shower scrub but shower was VERY slippery. I do not recommend this to any of you! Learn from my mistakes on this one besides no one loves cleaning showers!

Conditioner

About once a week I put some onto my dry hair & just let it soak in whilst I do some chores, then wash out, followed by a shampoo. (If you don’t shampoo after – it looks greasy).  My hair is thick & coarse, so it will drink it up whatever I give it in the way of moisture.  Always feels nice & soft, plus smells great after & it’s less frizzy.  Winning!

Flaky scalp

OK, this I don’t often have a problem with however I suspect as I’m putting coconut oil in each week, that is a possible reason or I could just be lucky.  Massage oil into scalp & let sit for 10-15minutes, rinse out & follow up with a mild shampoo.  Repeat twice a week or as needed.

Make up remover

This is super easy, super cheap & super effective!  Scoop some onto your fingertips, rubbing hands together to melt.  Rub in a circular motion over your face and rinse with water.  Pat dry.  I love a bit of eyeliner, sometimes mascara & this totally does the trick for me.

Reduces fine lines

Your skin needs collagen & elastin – that is what keeps it supple & firm.  Sadly, the production of these decrease as we age…sigh! The fatty acids in coconut oil help with collagen linking (also why it’s great for wound healing).  Whatever, I have noticed a difference since using it as a makeup remover & moisturiser.

Salves & scratches

It’s the same collagen linking system that makes it great for wound healing.  Scratches, grazes, anything small.  It’s naturally antibacterial & antifungal.

Insect Repellent

OK I don’t know the science on this, because to me coconut smells so good!  I don’t understand, why it works – maybe their little feet can’t get a grip on your skin?

I suspect there are many more uses which could be added to the list. 

#naturalhealth #easypeasey #alternatives #happyhealthypeople #consciouslynutritious