So you’re being bombarded with blogs and videos of how miraculous coconut oil is for your diet, your skin, hell even your cleaning products. And you’re wondering, what’s the big deal? You’ve been cooking and baking with coconut for donkey’s years. Your granny used to make you put coconut oil in your hair. Why has the rest of the world just discovered this as if it’s something new……? Well, truth be told the Western culture didn’t really include much coconut. Being a tropical plant, the verdant and lush palm forests were prevalent in the east. My family, as in my grandparents hail from the Maharashtra district of India in Kalusta to be specific where cooking with coconut was particularly common. So I am quite used to incorporating this new found miracle fruit into my daily life. I have taken it one step further though. Since I started on my health journey months ago, coconut has become my preferred oil for cooking, even baking and some other great uses which I’ll get into below.

Virgin unprocessed coconut oils are always recommended for using in any kind of cooking and beauty routine. They come at a steep price but have higher benefits. A 1 litre tub nowadays easily sets you back about R150. There are refined coconut oils on the market that has been further processed to remove the smell and is more neutral. It also has a higher smoking point than virgin coconut oil, so can be used for higher heat cooking like stirfrying.

Here are some great uses for Coconut Oil you may never have considered.

Moisturiser
When I started using coconut oil as a moisturiser I wasn’t sure what to expect. I imagined looking like a glazed donut after trying it. But when I did try a small amount, no more than the tip of a teaspoon, I was delighted by how quickly it absorbed right into my skin, without feeling greasy at all.

Dry Hair
Warm a half a pea sized amount between your hands till melted and rub into the bottom strands of your hair to fight frizz. Yes, it’s what your gran used to do back in the day and you vowed you would never cos you didn’t want to smell like a coconut. Well, the tide has turned and it’s rather fashionable to smell of coconutty… however, if you’re not too crazy about the smell, go for the refined version.

Body Scrub
I recently tried using it as a body scrub in the shower. Mix a half cup of sugar with an equal amount of coconut oil, and then use your hands to rub it all over your skin and rinse off. The scrub moisturizes while removing dead skin cells. The result: skin that’s baby soft. Add a drop of lavender essential oil to the mix if you don’t want to smell too tropical after your shower. No need to moisturise after you dry off.

Lip Balm
Scoop some coconut oil into an old lip balm holder and dry lips don’t stand a chance. Apply as you need throughout the day.

Under Eye Cream
Dab a few drops under your eyes for a gentle moisturiser for the soft skin in the eye area.

Frying
I’ve opted for coconut oil when I fry eggs, fish, even french toast. I find it burns less than butter or even ghee. I did this Nutella toast that I featured months ago on my Instagram page in coconut oil this morning and it was just as delicious. And it went down with the hubby, my 3 year old and 2 young nephews as well. I used the refined oil for this though. Here is my recipe in pictures:

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