5 amazing uses for coconut oil that you may not know about! April 15, 2016 01:52 2 Comments
Unless you live up on a mountain (and one untainted by technology, at that), you must have heard about coconut oil and its myriad uses in the kitchen and beyond. We adore coconut oil because it allows us to substitute many store-bought items (with their long ingredient lists and dubious chemicals) in our home with an all-natural (yet totally effective) replacement. And, as if coconut oil isn't already enough of a do-it-all, here are some lesser-known uses that we think you should know about -
Source: forksoverknives.com
1. Deodorant
Coconut oil won't act as an anti-perspirant, but its anti-bacterial properties help prevent bacterial growth that is the main cause of the stench! Swipe a thin layer on for some natural odour control.
2. Shaving oil
The razor just glides over it beautifully. Added bonus: Coconut oil's anti-inflammatory properties helps prevent post-shave irritation, and it leaves your skin silky-soft!
3. Baby diaper cream
An all-natural and highly effective diaper rash cream! The moisturising, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory components of coconut oil help soothe and heal baby’s skin while reducing pain. It also forms a waterproof barrier that helps prevent future irritation.
Why we love it? No toxic chemicals as are usually found in store-bought diaper creams!
Do use a liner though, if you are using cloth diapers to avoid affecting their absorbency! (And if this advice comes a tad too late, laundering the cloth diapers with a non-toxic dishwashing liquid strip the diapers of the oil and restores their absorbency.)
4. Cradle cap remedy
Got the tip from the lovely Red Miller. Just massage coconut oil into baby's scalp, leave it on for a while (15 minutes, or longer), and then gently rub the scalp with a warm washcloth - a textured terry cloth one works best!
5. Eczema salve
Read all about using coconut oil to soothe eczema from our blog post here!
When picking your coconut oil, do go with virgin coconut oil! As opposed to refined, bleached and deodorised coconut oils, virgin coconut oil undergoes much less processing (all coconut oils are processed since coconut oil needs to be extracted from coconuts!), is produced without chemicals and hence, retains much more of its antioxidants and skin-loving benefits.
Comments
Ashley@Pur'itsy on May 24, 2016 00:45
Hello, yihui! Yes, just apply the coconut oil direct to baby’s bum! Start off with a couple of drops, and you can adjust the amount of oil applied to your preference. Massaging the oil into baby’s skin helps speed up absorption, but the skin will just drink it up even if you leave it to air-dry. You don’t need to wash it off with soap at all – just use it as you would use regular moisturiser.
huang yihui on May 22, 2016 17:06
hi, i have queries instead.
In regard to the usage of coconut oil as a diaper rash cream, i just wanted to confirm that the oil itself is applied to baby’s bum?
If so, isnt that very oily on the skin?
so does soap needs to be applied to wash away the oil?