My Favorite Ways to Use Coconut Oil (+2 I don't recommend!)

To be completely honest with y'all, I thought I hated coconut for most of my life. I basically got tricked into liking it! I didn't know that coconut was in my favorite Girl Scout cookies for years and that's what made me reconsider my hatred. I am still not a full-blown lover of the flavor, but I won't run the other way when it's in front of me (anymore). I'm thankful to have my newfound openness for coconut or I would've missed out on my new all-purpose product: coconut oil.

The name is misleading because it's more like a solid gel than an oil in my opinion. Most oils are pourable, but coconut oil needs to be warmed up before it has a liquid consistency. It has a lovely smell and a light texture once it's thinned. I've been using this in many different areas of my life so I thought I'd share my favorite ways to use coconut oil, as well as 2 uses that I don't recommend after my experience!

Cooking. I originally purchased my jar of coconut oil off a recommendation from my sister, who is very health conscious and holistic. The obvious use for an oil is while cooking. Coconut oil does add a subtle coconut flavor to whatever you're cooking, so there's a definite time and place for it in my opinion. I love to saute veggies and seafood with this!

Removing eye makeup. Now this sounds extremely odd, but hear me out. I'm extremely careful about what I use near my eyes- my contact solution, my mascara, eye drops, eye makeup remover, etc. It all undergoes scrutiny before I make a choice on what to use. Why wouldn't you want to use something that's natural?! It takes a little bit of rubbing, but this removes my mascara, eyeliner, and eye shadow COMPLETELY. Simply take a small scoop, warm it between your fingers and gently swipe your fingers across your eyes. The makeup will melt right off! I wipe it all off with toilet paper or a wash cloth and then proceed with my nightly skin care routine. I've also noticed a change in how soft and conditioned my eyelashes are since I've started this!

Moisturizing your skin. It may seem strange to rub cooking oil on your skin, but coconut oil has antibacterial properties so it is great for dry spots or acne-prone areas! I love to lather this on after an evening bath/shower before I hope into bed. I wake up smelling like the tropics AND with soft skin!

Soothing chapped lips. This isn't a total substitute for my favorite chapstick or vaseline, but it's great at night. My nose has been stuffed up with allergies lately, so I've been breathing through my mouth at night. Sliding on a little coconut oil before I hop into bed keeps my lips from drying out over night.

Drawing a soothing bath. It's no secret that I love to pamper myself. One of my favorite ways to do so is to take a luxurious bath. I've drawn up a warm bath, added a scoop of coconut oil and a few drops of lavender essential oil, and been transported to relaxation station.

DIY deep conditioning hair treatment. My hair is pretty long right now, and I do whatever I can to treat it well (read more about my hair secrets here). I love to do a deep conditioning treatment every now and then, and coconut oil is a great alternative to some of the pricey treatments you can find. I will warm up a little between my hands and apply to my hair, concentrating on the ends. I usually braid my hair and sleep with it in, then wash my hair as usual in the shower the next morning. It's not particularly goopy or thick, so it doesn't require an extra wash for my hair.

These are my favorite ways to use coconut oil, and really make the cost of a jar into a bargain price. These uses that I've shared just scratch the surface- there are so many great uses out there. If you use it in any way that you love that I didn't list, please let me know! I'm a newbie and would love to try out your recommendations. While discovering these great uses, I came across 2 uses that I did not enjoy and do not recommend.

Cleaning your makeup brushes. Given the fact that I use this miracle oil to take makeup off my face, I thought I'd give it a try on my favorite foundation brush. Major FAIL! The bristles were stuck together, even after I rinsed 5+ times with hot water. I was able to fix this by using my regular method of cleaning my brushes, twice, with VERY hot water. But I won't be deviating from that again.

Oil pulling. This is a popular phenomenon, so I thought I'd give it a go. I did NOT enjoy the experience any of the 3 times I tried to swish it, and ended up gagging 2/3 times. I'm all about whitening your teeth and removing bacteria from your mouth, but I'll stick to Listerine.

Do you use coconut oil? What are your favorite uses?