Clever Uses and Benefits of Coconut Oil

COCONUT OIL KEEPS ON GIVING! Here are some benefits of coconut oil including clever uses, personal care uses, and health benefits.

USES FOR COCONUT OIL (CO)

If you have a wooden cutting board as I do, you can use CO to clean, condition and sanitize the board.
If you use oil-based paints, CO will remove the paint from your hands and brushes instead of having to use mineral spirits.
It will remove chewing gum from practically any area, including carpets and hair.
If you have indoor plants, you can wipe their leaves with a bit of CO on a lint-free cloth to clean them and give them a glossy finish.
If you use cast iron pots, as I do, season them with CO.
Instead of using WD-40 for squeaky hinges and other mechanisms, use CO!
It will lubricate your guitar strings.
I used it as a metal polish on some bronze book-ends and was amazed how shiny and bright it made them look. Plus, it’s not toxic and harmful to the environment. You can see the results here in the before and after pictures.

FOR PERSONAL CARE

Use as a makeup remover, follow with a warm wet washcloth.
Use as a facial cleaner, massaging a small amount on face and neck and then wash off with a warm wet washcloth.
Mix equal parts organic cane sugar (or brown sugar) and CO in a plastic jar and keep in the shower to use as a body scrub.
A thin layer applied around the eyes at night will help soften wrinkles and help with sagging, thinning skin in this area.
Mix CO half the amount of baking soda and use as toothpaste. Since using this formula, my teeth are brighter and feel cleaner!
Use as a pre-shampoo conditioner. Put a small amount on your hair, massage through and leave for about 30 minutes or longer. You will have to wash it a couple of times to remove it, but your hair will be shiny and fuller and will be able to fight the “frizzies” in humid weather. It is especially effective for chemically treated hair and will help fight scalp problems such as dandruff.

HEALTH BENEFITS

CO has antimicrobial properties and is beneficial for heart health, healthy brain function, aids in weight loss, supports thyroid function, strengthens the immune system and maintains and keeps a healthy youthful looking skin. According to new studies, there are new benefits researchers are discovering on an ongoing basis, such as providing drug-free energy, improving Type 2 and Type 1 Diabetes, and most recent and encouraging was that it improves and can help reverse Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, another study published in the Journal of Basic and Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology found “Virgin Coconut Oil can protect the liver from toxic antibiotic drugs” (SOURCE).

BAKING WITH COCONUT OIL

Coconut oil (CO) promotes good health inside and outside and is excellent for baking. A piecrust recipe that I’ve used for years with the flakiest crust ever calls for Crisco shortening! I’ve changed my recipe substituting Crisco shortening for coconut oil. The crust is flaky and tastes delicious! Here’s the recipe if you’d like to try it: FOOLPROOF PIECRUST

With a fork mix:

4 cups organic unbleached flour
1 tablespoon organic cane sugar
2 teaspoons salt

Add to flour mixture:

1 ¾ cup organic virgin coconut oil

and mix with fork until crumbly

Last, add in:

1 egg
½ cup water
1 tablespoons Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar

Continue to mix with fork, may have to mix with hands to form into balls.

This yields about 5 nice size “snowball” balls. Place into baggies, smash them down a bit, and refrigerate about 15 minutes before rolling out. This makes 2 – 9” double-crust pies and 1 – 9” one-crust pie.

COCONUT OIL KEEPS ON GIVING

Coconut oil that is organic means that it is made without pesticides, GMOs or hexane. Hexane is an industrial chemical used in the extraction process of some cooking oils and has toxic effects (SOURCE). By Giving Back some information about coconut oil, the on-going list of the beneficial uses of coconut oil grows.