Coconut oil was all the rage in 2014, especially if you find yourself on Pinterest much. But the fact is that it’s been used for centuries for not only cooking, but for health and beauty and household products. It has anti-inflammatory properties, as well being anti-microbial, anti-parasitic, anti-viral and anti-fungal. Here are just a few things you can do with coconut oil that you may not have been aware of.
Clean, healthy makeup brushes
Coconut oil contains a very large number of medium-chain fatty acids. That’s what makes it ideal for cleaning out your makeup brushes. Combine one part oil and two parts anti-bacterial soap for a safe, mild soapy mixture to clean them with. Rinse with warm water and give them time to completely air dry.
Not only is it good for cleaning the brushes, but it’s also a really good makeup remover for your face too. Simply put a little on your finger tips or tissue and wipe off. Most makeup wipes right off and because it’s anti-bacterial you'll also help prevent annoying blemishes. Many people also use coconut oil for acne, but I can’t say I’ve tried that.
Nipping eczema in the butt
Coconut oil has quite a small molecular structure. That means it’s much more easily absorbed into the skin and can be good for treating skin with eczema. So if you get a flare up, you can try rubbing some on the area, as it’s actually been shown to be able to help damaged skin recover.
Shaving cream
While many people use it as a moisturizer, not so many realize just how good of a shaving cream it can make. And because it’s naturally water-resistant (hello, it’s an oil right?) it won’t go sliding off before you’ve had time to get a silky smooth shave. Oh and how many times have you shaved over the top of a cut, sore or scrape because you couldn’t see it due to the shaving cream? Using coconut oil you'll have a clear view and easily be able to avoid that painful annoyance.
Say goodbye to the sticky
I love to reuse jars – even those small plastic spice bottles. But the sticky residue that’s often left is pretty annoying to get off. Coconut oil to the rescue. Again. I’m sure that there are plenty other uses that it could be used for. Just be careful with anything that’s cloth or cloth-like substance, as you don’t want to end up with a big oil stain in place of the stickiness.
I found tons more uses at Lifehack, but can’t really speak for most of them. Yet.
