If there’s one natural ingredient we consider essential to have in your home at all times, it has to be coconut oil! From cooking to taking off waterproof makeup, this stuff is a major key to several life hacks you need to know about, right now. Not only is coconut oil so multi-faceted in helping with every day needs, it is super affordable and easy to get your hands on. So whether you’ve heard about this fruity gem on the Internet, or are wondering how you can step up your existing coconut oil game – we’ve got you. Keep reading to brush up on all of the amazing benefits and uses for coconut oil!

For the kitchen...

Ditch spray oils and stop spending a fortune on olive oil. Coconut oil is here, and does just as good (if not better) a job at greasing that frying pan of yours. Use it in the exact same way you would in your stir-fries, or any other dish you usually cook with the help of an oil. If you’re worried about the coconut flavor affecting your meal, don’t! Once this magical stuff melts, the scent and flavor of coconut is extremely faint. Meaning you will not notice it in that chicken pad Thai, we promise.

Coconut oil is also heaven-sent for all of your baking needs. It makes an excellent substitute for butter, canola oil, or vegetable oil in any of your favorite recipes. Oh and on top of that, it’s way healthier too. Coconut oil has all of the essential fatty acids your diet requires, making it a total knockout at protecting your heart health and brain function. If you want the lowdown on just how healthy coconut oil is when ingested, click here.

For the face...

If dry skin has you down, coconut oil is the solution. Slather a generous amount onto your skin and watch dry spots virtually disappear. If you’re on the oilier side, you can still use this method to shrink pores and get rid of bacteria on your skin. Coconut oil contains some serious antibacterial properties, making it a go-to solution for acne prone faces.

You can apply pure, raw, coconut oil to your skin and leave the oily mix on for 10-15 minutes. Rinse off when the time’s up, and add your moisturizer of choice on top. Alternatively, if you prefer a not so slippery facemask, simply mix 1 tablespoon of this golden oil with 1 tablespoon of baking soda, and you’ll get a more solid consistency to apply to the skin.

Whichever way you choose to use coconut oil as a face mask, the results will not change! Moisturized and bouncy skin for the win.

Want luscious locks? Check out this next hack.

Out of all of the benefits and uses for coconut oil, this next one is probably one of our faves.

If you want to keep your hair healthy and free of split ends, you need some coconut oil in your life babe! Applying coconut oil to your hair once a week is by far the easiest and most natural way to keep it moisturized, shiny, and frizz free.

All you need to do is warm up a generous amount of coconut oil (depending on your hair length), and apply it to your locks. If you tend to have an oily scalp, don’t stress. Coconut oil works wonders as a scalp treatment, especially for those of us who deal with dandruff. Ideally, sleeping with this mask on your hair overnight works best for optimal results. Just make sure you lay a towel down on your pillow to avoid any stains on your linens in the morning.

If you can’t do the overnight thing, no worries. Just keep the hair mask on for a minimum of 1-2 hours for your hair to soak in all of the coconut goodness this natural remedy delivers. Shampoo and condition your hair as usual, and enjoy a frizz free blowout once you’re out of the shower!

The benefits of coconut oil hair masks are numerous, but we especially love that they are great at keeping your hair moisturized, shiny, and can help reduce hair loss.

Need to refresh that mani of yours? You guessed it: COCONUT OIL

If you’re anything like us, you certainly have those weeks where you want to stretch out your manicure as long as possible. I mean, ok fine. We all love to get pampered but sometimes sitting at the salon for hours can really mess with our hectic schedules, and our budgets!

The best way to make your fingers look clean and refreshed when you’re between appointments is to keep those cuticles looking good. If your cuticles are dry and broken, chances are your nail beds won’t look so cute either. So rub some coconut oil onto them to keep them moisturized, and never flaky.

You’ll have to hit up your nail tech eventually, but this trick will give you that extra little bit of leeway when you need it! Coconut oil’s got you covered.

Ditch your shaving cream & use coconut oil instead

This one’s going to blow your mind, we guarantee it. Forget buying shaving cream that is often full of toxic ingredients. Instead, reach for that coconut oil the next time you’re in the shower.

Make sure your skin is damp, and that you’ve been chilling in the shower for a few minutes. The reason for this is that it will open up your pores, making shaving in general much easier. Once you’ve sang a Britney hit or two, slather on some coconut oil and watch your shaver literally glide across those gams! This method doesn’t only make using a razor a cinch. You’ll step out of the tub hair-free, and totally moisturized at the same time.

Pro-tip: if you’re feeling extra dry, apply one last small amount of coconut oil on to your legs once you’re out of the shower. We recommend doing this while your skin is still damp and ready to receive more moisture!

Take off even the toughest makeup, effortlessly

Out of our list of benefits and uses for coconut oil, this next hack can definitely get messy. However, it does work like a charm. Use coconut oil to take off all that glam at the end of the day. Trust us, you’ll wonder how you ever got that waterproof mascara off any other way.

Here’s the deal. Take a small scoop of coconut oil and warm it up between your fingers. You’ll notice that it almost instantly becomes slippery and oily, which is exactly what you want for this makeup removing method. Apply the oil to a dry face. You’ll notice that by rubbing ever so gently, all of the product on your skin will virtually melt away. This is also where that little bit of mess comes in.

We’re always real here, so if we told you that you didn’t need an additional cleanse after removing your makeup with coconut oil – we’d be lying. Once you’ve melted all the gunk away, we recommend using a foaming cleanser. This will really clean out your pores and ensure any trace of makeup has left the building.

But regardless of our obsession with double cleansing in general, we need to stress that coconut oil is a huge player in this makeup removing method. It really does the heavy lifting in removing product without having to tug at your skin, making your second cleanse a breeze.

Pro-tip: do all this cleansing in the shower at the end of the day instead of making a mess on your bathroom vanity. You’re welcome ;)

Coconut oil for your pout!

If you know us, you know we love a good lip balm and lip scrub. If you’re low on your usual go-to lip products though, coconut oil can definitely save the day.

As a balm, all you need to do is rub a tiny amount on to your lips. The oil will take care of any cracks or sores, and acts as a great barrier to bacteria. Apply it as often as needed, and you’ll have baby soft lips in no time.

As a scrub, just add the tiniest amount of sugar to your coconut oil. This will act as a natural exfoliator. Rub the mixture on dry lips, then rinse! Seriously, it’s that easy. We love incorporating our lip scrubs into our nightly routines and making this an essential part of our daily skincare habits.

Coconut oil as… insect repellent?

You know we had to throw in an unexpected hack in our list of benefits and uses for coconut oil.

If insects seriously get on your nerves… wait, did we say if? Let’s rephrase that. SINCE insects can totally get on your nerves and irritate your skin, you need to know about this next coconut oil hack.

We’ll be honest. The essential oils you choose to make this mix with are what is going to really repel those annoying little pests. However, coconut oil acts as an amazing carrier oil with these superstars. Additionally, studies have shown that the fatty acids found in coconut oil also play a role in deterring bugs. Peppermint, lemon balm, rosemary, or tea tree oil all make great insect repellents. Not to mention, they smell a heck of a lot better than a bottle of toxic store bought spray!

Add your coconut and essential oil mix to your neck, wrists, ankles. You know, and any other areas where mosquitoes tend to somehow be drawn to you. After that, say adios to bug bites!

Coconut oil for *basically* your whole life

Ok so coconut oil can’t fix everything in your life. But honestly, it sure can make it better!

The benefits and uses of coconut oil are endless. For real, this article could have gone on for pages! We hope you enjoyed our top favorite ways of using coconut oil. And we want you to try out a couple of these hacks for yourself! Let us know down below why you reach for coconut oil in your daily routine. We love hearing from you, beautiful. Until next time, keep living your best natural life – coconut oil in hand for the ride. BBE loves ya <3