Coconut Oil Can Replace Dozens of Beauty and
Personal Care Products
One of the best personal care products you'll ever
find may be sitting in your kitchen cupboard right now. The video above,
featuring HolisticHabits3
blogger and coconut oil aficionado Sarah, recounts many of its beauty uses. The
second video includes a recipe making your own coconut oil-based deodorant. A
previous article by Delicious Obsessions4
also lists no less than 122 creative uses for this household staple, including
21 DIY coconut oil skin care recipes.5
For example, coconut oil can be used to replace the following personal care and
beauty products.
Makeup remover: Swipe on
with a moist cotton ball. Wipe off with clean cotton ball or wet washcloth.
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Facial cleanser: Massage
a dollop of coconut oil onto face and neck. Wash off with wet washcloth and
pat dry.
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Body scrub: Mix equal parts coconut oil
with organic cane sugar in a glass jar. Use the scrub on dry skin prior to
your shower or bath.
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Facial scrub: Instead
of sugar, mix coconut oil with baking soda, or oatmeal with a dash of
cinnamon, for a gentle facial scrub.
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Shaving lotion: Apply a
thin layer of coconut oil on area to be shaved, and shave as usual. The
lauric acid in the coconut oil will also serve as an antiseptic for cuts that
result from shaving.
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Face and body moisturizer: You can
use it either by itself, or add your favorite essential oil. (Make sure
you’re using a high quality essential oil that is safe for topical
application.) The featured article6 also suggests whipping the coconut
oil with an electric mixer to produce a fluffy moisturizer that stays soft
and spreadable even in cooler temperatures.
When applied topically, coconut oil helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by helping to keep your connective tissues strong and supple, and aids in exfoliating the outer layer of dead skin cells, making your skin smoother. |
Eye cream: Apply a thin layer of coconut
oil around your eyes to soften wrinkles and counteract thinning, sagging
skin.
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Cuticle cream: Simply
rub a small amount of coconut oil around your cuticles to soften dry areas.
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Deodorant: Applying a small amount of
coconut oil directly onto your armpits can help keep odors at bay, courtesy
of the oil’s antibacterial properties. If you prefer, you can add a small
amount of baking soda, or make a homemade deodorant using coconut oil, baking
soda and arrow root powder. For directions, see the second video above. DeliciousObsessions.com
also lists additional deodorant recipes using coconut oil as the base.7
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Bath soak: Adding
coconut oil to your bath can help moisturize dry itchy skin (Make sure to
scrub your tub afterward to prevent slipping!). Make sure the water is warmer
than 76 degrees Fahrenheit though, otherwise the oil will turn to a solid.
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Soap: Coconut oil is one of the base
ingredients in many homemade soap recipes, such as this one by
NourishingJoy.com8
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Lip balm: You can either apply a small
amount of coconut oil, as is, or make your own lip balm using coconut oil as
one of the base ingredients. You can find all sorts of recipes online, but
here’s one by The Liberated Kitchen.9
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Toothpaste: Mixed with
baking soda, coconut oil can replace your regular toothpaste. The baking soda
will gently cleanse while the coconut oil’s antibacterial action may help
keep harmful bacteria in check. For recipes using essential oils to spruce up
your toothpaste, see DeliciousObsessions.com.10
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Insect repellent: Mixing
coconut oil with high-quality essential oils may help keep biting insects at
bay when applied to exposed skin. Effective choices include: peppermint,
lemon balm, rosemary, tea tree oil, neem, citronella (Java Citronella), geraniol, catnip
oil (according to one study,11 catnip oil is 10 times more
effective than DEET), and/or clear vanilla extract
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