Happy Friday Granolaville! Well I've made it through my first week of sharing my holistic living ideas with you all. A BIG THANK YOU needs to be hurled at my ever so patient and supportive husband, my uber cheerleader mom, my kids for not driving me crazy, and fitness expert Liz Cort for her AWESOME guest post on clean eating. But most importantly, thank you to ALL those who have, tweeted, commented, liked, or shared Granolaville here on the interwebs! I'm so excited about creating this community of holistically crunchy peeps, so thank you for being a part of that.
OK, enough with the sappy shizzle....here's some fun stuff you might not know about COCONUTS!
Over the last few months coconut oil has replaced all other oils in my pantry, aside from olive oil. When I began using it we had already become accustomed to coconut milk in lieu of cow's milk (though now we are strictly an almond milk family). My dairy allergic son was even chowing down on coconut yogurt and ice cream. But I had no idea how many uses there were for coconut oil...aside from making delicious almond fried chicken ( I told you I had a weakness).
1. As a lotion. I suffer from SUPER dry skin and so do my two younger sons. You can literally take virgin coconut oil from the jar, rub it in your hands to melt it, and smooth anywhere on your body. Especially in the winter months this works best by applying right after a shower or bath. For super smooth feet generously apply and then cover with socks. They will be just as smooth as those pricey pedicures, for a fraction of the cost, and without getting those nasty germs from the guy with foot fungus.
2. Stop Buggy Itches. Next time a pesky mosquito tries to feast on you, dab a little bit of coconut oil on the area. It's antibacterial properties will prevent scarring and stop the itching. You can also mix with peppermint oil and you'll have a sweet smelling bug repellent.
3. Ward off Eczema. I have first hand experience with this remedy. Though the cause of most eczema is an allergic reaction to foods or an imbalance in the micro-flora in the gut, used topically, coconut oil help protect your skin from outbreaks. Be sure to only use virgin oil to avoid further irritation and don't use if your skin is already inflamed.
4. Fight Foot Funk & Fungus I'm sure my hubby is dying to share with you his slight (and by slight I mean so strong it feels like you were smacked in the face by the smell) foot odor. Who knew that by applying coconut and tea tree oil on smelly tootsies you can cure athlete's foot and funky odor?
5. Remove Rust. If you have any tarnished silverware or metal objects try rubbing oil on it, letting sit for about an hour and rinse.
6. Moisture Your Hair. If you're spending and arm and a leg on fancy conditioners STOP. RIGHT. NOW. If you want luxurious soft locks melt a tablespoon of organic virgin coconut oil, like Tropical Traditions or Nutiva by rubbing it in your hands. Apply directly to your wet or dry hair then let sit for 20-45 minutes. I can tell you from personal experience this has worked wonders on my hair.
7. Deodorant. Since traditional, even "natural" deodorants use aluminum as the main ingredient, have been linked to breast cancer and mess with estrogen levels, why not try making your own. Fellow crunchy blogger, Crunchy Betty, has a simple recipe that she swears by. It looks so easy I might even try it.
8. Lip Balm. Coconut oil is a white solid at room temperature, but just the heat from your fingers will leave it smooth enough to apply right to your lips. Bonus side effect----your lips will taste like you've been sipping Pina Coladas on some tropical island. I keep a small BPA free plastic container in my bathroom just for my cosmetic needs.
9. Make-up Remover. Who ever thought it made sense to remove chemicals, dirt and toxins from your face with more chemicals??? Well if you look on the back of any name brand face wash that's what you are getting. Instead, dab a little bit of coconut oil on a slightly damp washcloth and wipe anywhere on your face. It will leave your skin glowing and moisturized.
Do you have any non-edible uses for coconut oil?
Going Coco-nutty in Granolaville,
6 comments:
Excellent post!! I have also been turned on to the many wonders of coconut oil! Most recently as my children have had chicken pox. It has been great for putting on the itchy spots as well as taken to help clear the system. My oldest daughter has also started using it on her skin for acne, and it has helped clear her skin way better then the other commercial products she has tried.
We use coconut oil (with a little tea tree oil) on disper rashes. Safe for cloth diapers!
Definitely as a cloth-safe rash cream! I've also used it on sunburned lips. Felt SO good, and smelled great, too!
I use coconut oil for my eczema which is primarily on my hands. I'll lather up at bed time and wear white cotton gloves while I sleep. I works wonders and beats any prescription steroid cream I'd get from the dermatologist. Great post! Thanks for sharing.
SuperMommaDoula- I'll remember the acne tip for my teenage son!
Stephanie & Bekki- Makes sense that it works so well on little butts. My son is about to be slathered down!
Jessica- We've gone through the whole steroid cream debacle. It just covers up symptoms and doesn't treat the cause of eczema. I wish more doctors knew that.
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