How to effectively use Coconut Oil
Virgin Coconut Oil and Coconut Cooking Oil
Coconut oil is increasingly gaining popularity as a wonder-product for things as diverse as cooking and hair care to dental cleaning. But how do you effectively use coconut oil so that you get the best results, whatever you use it for? Here we take you through everything you need to know about how to effectively use coconut oil.
Cooking with coconut oil
Let’s start with the most common use of coconut oil: cooking. Coconut oil is commonly being used as an alternative for high cooking temperatures and with great reason – it’s versatile, tastes delicious and refined coconut oil is resistant to burning and oxidation. As such, it’s great for everything from stir fries to baking.
Here in the West, we’re late to the party using coconut oil in cooking. It’s long been the main staple cooking oil in South Asian cultures, and it’s great that we can now benefit from it too.
Try it for yourself in our Tofu Coconut Korma Curry or our Raspberry, Coconut and White Chocolate Muffins.
When it comes to how to use coconut oil effectively in cooking, remember that it’s a healthy fat, but it’s still calorific. However, it is an excellent choice for high-fat low-carb diets, or ketogenic diets. You can even use it, or coconut MCT oil, in your morning coffee for a frothy and delicious keto-friendly morning power boost.
Healthy nails and skin with coconut oil
Another way to use coconut oil that’s simple and gaining a popular following, is using coconut oil as fabulous hydration for dry nails and skin. It is non-comodogenic – this means it doesn’t clog pores and make breakouts occur or worsen, so you can apply it to your face too. Indeed, coconut oil is rich in lauric acid which is naturally anti-microbial, helping to combat those tricky outbreaks as they occur. Just make sure to use it sparingly, as a little goes a long way!
Coconut oil is a fantastic and effective moisturiser, locking in hydration. No fancy branded moisturisers needed just good honest coconut oil!
There are many ways in which you can use coconut oil as a moisturiser, but a particularly effective way is to use it to target dry and cracked heels. Apply a slather to your heels before bed, pop on some socks, and head off into the land of slumber.
It’s not just effective as a moisturiser either. You can use coconut oil to remove eye make-up. Another use is to rub it into your cuticles for the best looking manicures. Want a quick hand scrub? Mix some coconut oil with granulated sugar and you’ve got one!
Teeth cleaning with coconut oil
We’re so socially trained to think that frothy minty toothpaste is the only route to clean pearly whites. However, coconut oil can be used to help cleanse your mouth, much like a mouthwash. There is reasonable evidence to show that this helps with your oral hygiene and can even help to reduce bad breath. This practice, known as oil pulling has been used for centuries in Eastern traditions and is gaining popularity more and more, as consumers seek a natural alternative to artificial toothpastes.
Some also advocate that coconut oil is good for whitening your teeth. Given the harsh chemicals involved in most teeth whitening processes, coconut oil is a wonderful natural alternative.
Coconut oil for haircare
Coconut oil has been used since ancient times as a nourishing hair product which deeply hydrates. Being rich in fat, it can even help to reduce hair damage. It’s believed that once again, it’s the lauric acid in coconut oil that makes it so effective at ensuring healthy hair. It can penetrate the hair shaft and deliver the hydration needed. With fewer breakages and split ends, your hair will grow better too.
Coconut oil is also suitable for soothing dry scalps and the anti-microbial element may help with dandruff. Simply moisturise the ends of your hair with a little coconut oil and brush it (not too much to make your hair greasy) and let it get cracking.
There are a number of different ways of how to effectively use coconut oil in hair care. You can protect your hair with a prewash to help it not soak up as much water (which is actually drying) when you wash it. Apply it about half an hour before you wash your hair as usual. You can even use coconut oil as a conditioner, especially if you struggle with frizzy hair. Some people use coconut oil instead of a regular styling aid like wax or gel! If you’re not ready to go the whole way just yet, then you can opt for using coconut oil as a nourishing hair mask between washes.
Coconut oil as a lip balm
It’s not just your skin, hair and nails that benefit from the moisturising effects of coconut oil. Coconut oil makes for a natural, effective and pleasant lip balm. Not only is it effective at moisturising and helping to heal dry and cracked lips, it may even offer a little protection against sun exposure.
Given that many commonly bought lip balms are laden with artificial ingredients, it’s great to know that this simple one-ingredient product can actually do the job.
Cleaning with coconut oil
From polishing shoes to cleaning make-up brushes, coconut oil is a versatile product that will soon become your cleaning aid. It can condition and restore wood, much like a wax, even helping to prevent water stains. Got some tricky scuffs on the floor? Coconut oil can come to the rescue there too. Polish up your stainless steel appliances to a high shine. Mix coconut oil with baking soda and you’ve got a great all-purpose anti-microbial cleaner for things like showers, sinks and baths.
It’s not just cleaning either. If you’ve got a squeaky hinge or a rusty fixture, coconut oil is useful grease here too. Got a sticky label stuck on something? Rub with some coconut oil and it’ll slowly give way.
Start using coconut oil effectively in different ways
Coconut oil is versatile and it’s definitely not just limited to use in cooking. For cooking like baking and light frying reach for unrefined organic extra virgin coconut oil. This oil is best for hair and skin care too. For cleaning, DIY and frying at the highest temperatures, choose our organic coconut oil.