I want to say that coconut oil is probably my favorite natural product of them all. Why?
It is so VERSATILE!
The fruit itself for example, in many countries where outdoor cooking is part of your daily lifestyle the coconut water and meat is used for cooking in many ways. Coconut can be turned into milk, it's meat used for cooking dishes, coconut oil used to actually cook the food and the shell used for fire burning. Coconut water for hydration.
Zero waste.
Mother Nature , you are beautiful! Happy Earth Day by the way!!
Below I will be sharing with you how I use coconut oil.
I purchase a large tub of Organic cold pressed coconut oil from Costco and it lasts me a whole year!
Firstly, make sure you use organic and cold pressed. Secondly, make sure the only ingredient is coconut oil and that it is not mixed with any chemicals.
Coconut oil keeps really well and is unlikely to ever go rancid.
Baking
Every now and again, I bake vegan banana bread. I personally LOVE the taste and scent of coconut so I use coconut oil as a butter substitute. The flavor blends in really well with banana
You can use coconut oil for any cake or baked good.
Cooking
I tend to cook with coconut oil mainly when making a Thai style curry.
Since Thai cooking uses so much coconut anyway, it lifts the flavor even more when you use coconut oil to cook your ingredients.
Coconut oil has a super high heating point too so it's perfect for stir fry dishes and curries etc
Coconut oil can also be used as a creamer in tea and coffee.
I won't get too technical but coconut oil is high is MCT (medium-chain triglycerides) Triglyceride also just a fancy word for fat.
MCT's go straight to our liver to produce energy or they get turned into ketones which break down fat in our body.
With that being said, this is why I like to add a little to my tea and coffee.
I also love the coconutty flavor.
Hair & Skincare
Okay! So this is where I use coconut oil the most. My skin and hair!
I have very dehydrated skin. My skin is dry all of the time. I lather coconut oil (which will melt very easily between your hands) all over.
It is a greasy oil but it absorbs well so make your you rub it in really well.
If your skin is also dry, another tip I have is to put a teaspoon into your bath and bathe in it.
When you come out of the bath, you're already moisturized from top to toe.
To make your bath spa like, add a couple drops of essential oil. Make sure to rinse your bath out well after with lots of hot water. Coconut oil is unlikely to clog the bath as it melts at 24 degrees (Celsius) running hot water will melt it away.
*Remember essential oils should only be put onto the skin if used with a carrier oil!*
Make-up removal - If you run out of make-up remover, no fear. Lather your face with coconut oil until it has melted your make up off and wipe away with cotton pads or a muslin cloth. Do this a couple times until your skin feels super clean. Coconut oil is safe to for eye make-up removal too!
Shaving - Coconut oil is also fantastic for shaving too, throw away your shaving foam!
Who needs chemicals when you can use coconut oil?
Hair massage - I massage warm coconut oil into my scalp and the roots of my hair weekly.
Simply put your coconut oil into a saucepan on very low heat, warm it up.
Make sure you don't heat it too much.
Test the temp before you pour it onto your scalp.
The idea is to lightly warm it so that it feels good when you pour it onto your scalp.
I simply pour it down my parting and massage it in bit by bit.
I then braid/plait my hair and keep it in for up to 24 hours (some people keep it in even longer)
Coconut oil keeps your hair from getting frizzy, makes it shinier and healthier. A great natural alternative to chemical hair masks.
Speaking of hair, if you have kids and they ever get lice (Let's face it.. every child gets lice at least once!) do the same thing and the lice will comb out very easily with a lice comb. Gross but handy to know, right? Better than the harsh lice treatments out there!
Oral Health
Since coconut oil is naturally antibacterial and anti-fungal, it is fantastic for oral health.
In Ayurvedic teaching, it has been taught for centuries that swishing one tablespoon of coconut oil in your mouth for 15-20 minutes can prevent gum disease and tooth decay.
By removing this bacteria from the back of your throat and throughout your mouth can also prevent sickness in the nose and throat area.
It takes some getting used to but i love doing this.
Remember your jaw will be a little sore from swishing, it's okay to start with 5 minutes then to work your way up to 20 :)
*You can spit the coconut oil into a bin as you use more than bath-time*
Stay safe!
Sending love & light always,
Alisha