In our house, there’s always at least one container of coconut oil floating around. We use it not only for cooking but in a bunch of different ways! So, I wanted to share with you some really clever coconut oil hacks, so you can use coconut oil outside of just frying up your favorite foods!
The Scoop on Coconut Oil
If you’re out shopping for coconut oil, you’ll probably notice there are two kinds—there’s virgin (or unrefined coconut oil), and then there’s refined coconut oil. Virgin coconut oil is typically hard at room temperature but will melt when heated. It’s got a beautiful coconut scent and flavor. On the other side, refined coconut oil has basically been deodorized and de-flavored and will always be in a liquid form. This makes it easier to use if you don’t want to have to melt it down.
Condition Your Cutting Board
One of the things I use in my kitchen on a daily basis is my wood cutting boar—I absolutely love it! But it’s definitely high maintenance. It’s clearly important to clean your cutting board regularly, but it’s also really important to moisturize it as well. You can do this with coconut oil, which, unlike other food grade oils like olive oil or canola oil, will not go rancid All you have to do is take about a teaspoon, apply it onto the cutting board with a paper towel and rub it in evenly. Do this a few times then let it dry for several hours. You should do this about once a month.
Hair Conditioner
There are tons of coconut oil hacks when it comes to beauty and hygiene. My favorite use is as a hair conditioner or hair moisturizer. You don’t want to put too much in there because it’ll result in greasy tips, so, just take a little drop (about half a teaspoon), rub it between your palms and then gently apply it to the tips of your hair. Let the coconut oil absorb into your hair, the results are amazing. You can also do an overnight coconut oil treatment. To do so, just apply coconut oil to your hair, wrap your head in a towel or turban (so it doesn’t get all over your pillow), then shampoo it out the next morning. Your hair will feel amazing.
Sticker Removal
If removing a sticker has ever been a challenge for you, you’ve got to try this DIY Goo Gone recipe. All you do is mix equal parts of coconut oil and baking soda together. Then apply a little bit of the mixture onto anything sticky. Let it sit for about 10 minutes. The oils and the abrasiveness of the baking soda work together to loosen any sticker residue. After you’ve let it sit, give it a good rinse with water and a little bit of dish soap and pat it dry.
Skin Moisturizer
I am militant about moisturizing and I use coconut oil exclusively. After showering, I leave my skin slightly damp and then apply the coconut oil. I leave a jar of unrefined oil in my bathroom then I just scoop some out, massage it between my hands and apply all over. It’s so nourishing for your skin and it smells amazing. Just keep in mind that you need to give it a few minutes before you get dressed so that the oil can actually absorb into your skin. You don’t want it to transfer onto your clothes because then you’ve got to deal with a grease stain and nobody wants to do that.
Gum Remover
You’ve probably been in a situation before where you’ve had to either remove gum from someone’s hair or have gum removed from your hair. It is not pretty but I have a coconut oil hack for you that’s going to make gum removal from hair really, really easy. All you have to do is use some coconut oil! Get a clump of coconut oil, work it into the clump of hair with the gum and it’ll slide right out.
Make-up Remover
Coconut oil is also a great gentle makeup remover. Simply put a little bit of coconut oil into the palm of your hands, maybe half a teaspoon, then rub your hands together and apply it to your skin. Gently massage it in and pat it off with a tissue or a cotton round, then wash your face as usual. The oil helps break down the makeup and makes it easy to remove. The only thing you need to keep in mind is to not use it on your eyes. I did that and started to get fatty deposits in my eyes and they became all blurry. So, I just use an oil-free eye makeup remover, but coconut oil is great for everywhere else.
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I have used coconut oil for years, for tons of purposes! One way, I didnt see. mentioned was use on animals! I use it on my animal’s coats as a flea killer and flea and bug repellant! Plus,they love it’s non harmful taste which, when ingested, ALSO. Repells fleas and bugs. I also feed it to birds and squuurrels for the same purpise. A squirrel i feed regularly showed up all cut up and bleeding with gnats flying all around and on him. Another squirrel had some kind of skin disease and rash which left him with broken out skin and furless patches, i guess from scratching her rash. I couldnt easiy apply ciconut oil to their coats but incorporated the oul into tbeir g
Foid which all the squirrels and birds preferred coconut oil incorporated food oposed ro normal unincorporated food! In less than a week, both animals were as healthy acting and looking as can be! Try coconut oil on ypur pets and watch the fleas drop dead!!!
I have used coconut oil for years, for tons of purposes! One way, I didnt see. mentioned was use on animals! I use it on my animal’s coats as a flea killer and flea and bug repellant! Plus,they love it’s non harmful taste which, when ingested, ALSO. Repells fleas and bugs. I also feed it to birds and squuurrels for the same purpise. A squirrel i feed regularly showed up all cut up and bleeding with gnats flying all around, and on him. Another squirrel had some kind of skin disease and rash which left him with broken out skin and furless patches, i guess from scratching her rash. I couldnt easiy apply coconut oil to their coats but incorporated the ou into their
Food which all the squirrels and birds preferred coconut oil incorporated food opposed ro normal unincorporated food! In less than a week, both animals were as healthy acting and looking as can be! Try coconut oil on ypur pets and watch the fleas drop dead!!!
Great tips Melissa!
I also use coconut oil for moisturizer, but I also use it to keep my feet looking good. I soak my feet for 15 minutes in warm water and dish soap, using a pumice to get rid of the dry skin. Then I dry them off and massage with coconut oil. I also keep them up with a bit of coconut oil after showers. Keeps my feet ready for sandal weather. The girls are always happy to see my feet when I get a pedicure because they look awesome already.
I too have used it for dry scalp. I also use it in cooking . Love the smell !
Love love ❤️ coconut oil!! Just recently started buying the big boy at costco!! Use it for cooking, moisturizer, chapstick, conditioner/frizz reducer!
We love coconut oil for many things helps sunburn, is good for cooking, we use in place of butter love it on toast with jelly, husband uses it his baked potato’s the list goes on……
I love to cook with coconut oil, but my husband hates the smell and taste. Make the best popcorn on the stove too!
I used a paste made of coconut oil and baking soda to remove the burnt on cooking spray in my frying pan. I’d tried every available cleaner and trick I could think of and then it occurred to me that they’ve been selling oil facial cleansers, saying that the oil attracts the oil in your skin so it cleans your skin well. I figured if that were the case, then maybe the coconut oil would attract the burnt on cooking spray. It worked great! Give it a try.
I use Coconut oil as a moisturizer for myself and 3yr old son…it works wonders keeps both our skin soft…I swear by it
I LOVE coconut oil as a moisturizer. I have never found anything that works as well on ‘winter itch’ dry skin ( live near you in Tillsonburg, ON) and I find it works great on dry scalp also. If some gets on your sheets or pj’s it will wash right out! It’s miraculous! We buy ours at Costco ( as I see you do) as it’s the best price!
I had a total knee replacement in February and I’ve used coconut oil (unrefined/virgin) as a moisturizer on my knee ever since the incision has healed. It keeps the incision area soft and make doing my p/t every other day more comfortable. I also use it as a pre-shower moisture-mask, as a shaving “cream”, I rub it onto the stickers on my vegetables before I wash them so they slip off; I rub a tiny bit on my teeth and gums before bed to keep my mouth moist.
Love your videos, Melissa!
Melissa and Chad, I appreciate and enjoy your videos! I Would not be without coconut oil in my home. Big companies in the past have marketed tropical oils as unhealthy as they were making big money on other forms of cooking and manufacturing oils. Coconut oil is pleantiful, usually organic and a great choice! Oil pulling for dental purposes is an ancient practice used in Asia, India and other countries that had access to the tropical oil. In May 2014 the ADA placed an publication on their website, “The practice of Oil Pulling.” There are few scientific studies on the practice of using coconut oil for dental hygiene. Today there are other commercially available products, i.e: dental toothpastes and oral rinses that have undergone extensive testing and found to be highly effective. Personally I have tried using coconut oil as a toothpaste and oral rinse-once. Bottom line…it’s a weird and kind of gross feeling to use oil in the mouth for dental care. I guess in the absence of anything else it would be better than using nothing at all. Oils could have the potential to ‘suspend’ or hold bacterias-however, I could see the value of using cocunut oil for extremely dry mouth or other oral irritations. Checking first with a Dentist is always best practice⭐????
I have never purchased it. Some say you put oil on wood to clean the oil off wooden cupboards in the kitchen. I have yet to try it but my question is, “Will coconut oil do the same thing?”
Has anyone used it for cleaning?
Yes to oil pulling! Keeps teeth white plus I have 2 “iffy” root canal teeth that act up when I don’t stick with the pulling 🙂
I use coconut oil ever since my husband accidentally spilled hot coffee on his chest and abdomen. He is a Type 1 diabetic and this means injuries take forever to heal. When the accident happened I said we should try coconut oil as I had heard it had healing and antibacterial properties and he had nothing to lose. We bought the virgin type (solid) and gave it a try. It was amazing how overnight the redness reduced significantly and in a week he was almost recovered. I wondered if coconut oil would help with MY on-going problem which is irritation in the creases where there are skin folds (I am a large woman). Every day after showering I apply coconut oil under my apron roll (if you have one you know what it is) and also under my breasts. I have not had even one problem (irritation, bacteria or yeast) since I started applying the coconut oil 2 years ago. I have found coconut oil works well as an anti-itch and if you have contact dermatitis from ANYthing the coconut oil soothes immediately. In the summer I add lemon and lime oil to the coconut oil and use it as an insect repellent.
Melissa, Thank you for your videos! Really appreciate that you do your research & give great tips 🙂 !!
About oil pulling: this ancient practice is incredibly beneficial to gum health by promoting good tissue & by removing undesirables (bacteria, oil-soluble bad actors). You may find more info from Ayurveda (oldest health system in the world) or on the web site lifespa.com , the mouthpiece of Ayurvedic doctor John Douillard. Another source might be Dr. Vasant Lad of Albuquerque School of Ayurveda ( the best Ay. Dr. in the USA).
Anyhoo, good luck and thanks again for all your hard work! I’m the beneficiary 🙂
Happy Holidays,
Marjorie
Yes, I do oil pulling! And it’s a wonderful oral hygiene tool! It pulls out the nasty bugs, freshens your breath and whitens your teeth too. You will actually see the difference. And my friend who has had a root canal ages ago–and that tooth is now bothering him–it helps him deal with it. And when I get a toothache, it goes away after oil pulling.
Moreover, for years now, I have used it to remove eye make-up. And just like K Ruppert below, I have never had problems with my eyes. Just shut your eyes when doing so and if you still get a little bit of it in your eye, it’s really not a problem, and won’t cause any harm. The blurriness goes away.
I love your website. I always check on it. I’ve been learning so much from you guys. Kudos and more power!
Thank you for sharing your experience Therese!
Everything Therese G said!
I do oil pulling and have been going to periodontist since I was 15. I truly believe it helps.
I also remove my eye makeup with it nightly.
Coconut oil works on healing my canker sores. I dab some on with a Qtip.
Great idea, Marta!
Many many awesome benefits of coconut oil just FYI on investing it as a benefit, it is not good for people with heart disease or coronary artery disease. So please don’t put it in your coffee etc. It is a beneficial fat but will clog arteries
The belief that it clogs arteries is outdated. The top oils recommended these day are coconut, avocado and olive oil.
Yes! Use it as a pull. The medical world doesn’t like any natural way of healing as it keeps them from making money.
I do however, use it as an eye make-up remover and have never had the problems you’ve encountered.
Btw, I really enjoy your videos!
I love using cocoanut oil. I even use one on my chickens to help if they get skin irritations and it also helps to get rid of mites on them! The chickens love to eat some, too. Just don’t overdo or they can get the runs pretty bad.
Yes I love it! And I do the oil pulling. It whitens your teeth.
Nutiva is available at Costco?
I use coconut oil for pulling. It makes my toof feel just like after a cleaning at the dentist. I don’t know about any miracles happening as you said you’ve read. I do it once or twice a week.
Of course the professional dentist/medical community won’t have anything to say about it. They and their puppet master dental product manufacturers don’t make any cash from it.
We LOVE coconut oil! I have tried oil pulling & think it does a great job cleaning around my gums. My husband says he likes when I do it because it keeps me quiet for twenty minutes! Lol