10 Amazing Uses For Coconut Oil I Bet You Don’t Know About

I love coconut oil. I make deodorant out of it, use it as a lip balm, use it to treat my hair, and cook with it too. But I’m always searching for new uses for the stuff. I’ve compiled this list of 10 amazing uses for coconut oil because I’d never heard of them, and you might not have either. Let’s spread the word about this awesome, versatile oil.

1. Cooking oil.

Okay, this one is kinda obvious. You can use coconut oil as a substitute for vegetable oil. It comes out tasting pretty good and it’s a good oil for you too.

2. Insect repellent.

This one was news to me. I had no idea that you could use coconut oil to repel bugs. Instead of using repellent filled with DEET, try mixing coconut oil with a bit of peppermint, tea tree or rosemary essential oils and applying it to your skin before you head out. The bugs won’t bug you!

3. Deodorant.

I mentioned this one before. Simply dabbing some coconut oil in your pits will help keep you odor free without the cancer-causing deodorants that contain aluminum. You can mix in a bit of arrow root powder and essential oils to give it more of a scent.

Note: I’ve used coconut oil as a deodorant for about a year now. I don’t stink and my armpit hair is downright shiny.

4. Relieves dandruff.

You can apply coconut oil to your hair before taking a shower. Take about a tablespoon and massage it into your scalp. Let stand for 20 minutes, then rinse with hot water. It may take a bit to fully rinse out, so give it time.

5. Makeup remover.

I’m a guy who hasn’t worn makeup since the Rocky Horror Picture Show stopped playing here in 2007. So I had no idea that it could be used with this. Dampen a washcloth with warm water, add a dime sized amount of coconut oil to the cloth, and the oil will break down the soluble compounds of your visage. It’ll even remove waterproof mascara.

6. Toothpaste.

I’m a little on the fence about the dental uses of coconut oil, but some people have had good luck mixing a little coconut oil and baking soda and using it instead of standard toothpaste. You may experience tooth whitening, but it’s worth a shot for sure.

7. Lip balm.

Did you know brands like Chapstick have alcohol as a preservative in their lip balm? It preserves the balm, but it also dries out your lips, making you dependent upon the balm. Quite the cycle, huh? I’ve used coconut oil as a lip balm for years and it really does the trick.

8. Coffee creamer.

I take my coffee black, but coconut oil can help make your coffee richer and will cut down on your dairy intake as well. One teaspoon in a full cup of coffee is more than enough.

9. Moisturizer.

If you have chapped skin, rubbing coconut oil on your skin can help moisturize. I’ve also heard it can reduce the appearance of stretch marks and cellulite, but I haven’t personally experienced that.

10. Butter substitute.

On popcorn, on your morning toast, and in baking recipes, coconut oil can serve as a substitute to butter. but use raw, fresh-pressed coconut oil. It’ll yield the most flavorful results.