my top 5 ways to use coconut oil

Hey there 🙂 So today is Thursday which means it is almost the weekend! I am spending the weekend working in NYC but I’m not too bummed because I get to see a lot of my friends from college and my sister while I’m there. I’m also bringing my puppy Louie to my sister’s apartment and we plan to take him to a dog park together tonight. I’m always happy when I can include him because otherwise I feel so bad leaving him behind at home.

Over the week, I was thinking, as usual, about what I should post on the blog when I found myself telling my cousin about how often I use coconut oil and I thought, “There we go! This is a perfect blog post!” There was also just a recently published article about how coconut oil isn’t actually that healthy for you after all so I figured I’d tackle both subjects with the same post.

• Why they say it’s bad: Too much fat in your diet isn’t good for you. And while coconut oil is filled with the “good” fats, don’t think it means you should consume it as often as possible. Just like everything else, moderation is best.
• Why I’m going to keep using it: I use coconut oil SO often (see below) and I am going to keep using it despite the controversy. It has loads of benefits and because I consume too much of it, I don’t see a reason to stop using it.

My top 5 ways to use coconut oil:

• As shaving cream. I use coconut oil instead of soap or shaving gel and it honestly has changed the way my skin feels and looks. It supplies tons of moisture to my skin and afterwards, my skin feels silky smooth as though I just got it waxed.
• As a hair mask. You guys. My hair can get so brittle from how often I dye it (I’m not 100% a natural blonde but I so desperately want to be!) If I just left it alone, it would end up so course and unhealthy.  Often, I’ll apply mask to my hair, flip it into a bun for an hour, and then wash it out (shampoo twice!) My hair feels so soft and healthy for many days afterwards.

• As a makeup remover or moisturizer. When my skin feels super dry, I try to incorporate coconut oil into my beauty routine more. In the winter months, or when my face might be peeling from a sunburn, I take off my makeup with coconut oil and leave my face oily for about 10 min as a bit of a mask before I wash it off. Try it and your face will feel soft as can be afterwards. Bonus: It helps to soothe sunburns!
• To season your pans / get rid of rust. Instead of olive oil, I spray pans with coconut oil spray or drop a dollop before frying something up. This gives it a nutty taste and feels much healthier than butter or oil. Bonus: you can rub the outside of your pan with coconut oil and leave it on overnight. When you wash it off the next day, your pan will look brand spankin’ new!

• As a toothpaste. Mix coconut oil with baking soda and a drop of peppermint oil for your very own organic and natural toothpaste. Baking soda whitens and coconut oils helps protect against cavities and enamel erosion. Peppermint is just my personal touch so it tastes good 😉