The first time I heard about the wonders of coconut oil was from two of my favorite bloggers (Maggie and Kim!) during a dinner date at a Mexican restaurant in my hometown. It might seem odd that I remember the exact occasion, but trust me — it was a life-changer! Up until that moment, about four years ago, I had NO CLUE that coconut was such a fantastic staple to have around the house — come to think of it, I maybe hadn’t heard of it at all!

Fast forward to 2014 and I’ve since been using coconut oil for, well, just about everything, and today I want to share a few of the ways I love using it, as well as some ideas from friends!

If you haven’t climbed aboard the coconut oil express, keep reading below… and hop on!

Coconut Oil: 10 Awesome Ways To Use It!

10 Awesome Ways To Use Coconut Oil!

1. As a moisturizer for your face and body! Your skin will look, feel, and even smell amazing. Plus, coconut oil offers natural protection from the sun which we all know is super important these days! (And if you forget your sunscreen and end up with a burn, you can use coconut oil to make it feel much better!)

2. To tackle that pesky diaper rash! We all cringe at the chemical available for us to slather on baby’s bottom, so why not reach for something a little more natural? Try coconut oil straight up to combat the redness and irritation of diaper rash, or make your own diaper cream. (Hint: It’s cloth diaper safe too!)

3. To make body butter! Annie of Mama Dweeb whipped up (pardon my pun) a fantastic body butter recipe using coconut oil, essential oils, and a few other ingredients your skin will LOVE. Find out how to make it

4. For cooking! I’ve all but replaced every other cooking oil with coconut in my home. I still keep olive oil on hand, but coconut oil even replaces butter for quite a few dishes. Its high smoking point makes it the perfect substitute when frying foods — and no, it won’t make everything you cook taste like coconut. I promise. Coconut oil is the perfect dairy-free substitute for butter — we even eat it on toast!

5. To make Bulletproof Coffee! This tasty trend isn’t going anywhere, my friends. If you haven’t heard of this drink — which is a combination of coffee, butter or ghee, and coconut oil — click here for an explanation. Beware, Bulletproof Coffee is an intense way to start your day — but I have a feeling you’re going to fall in love with it too!

6. To remove eye makeup! I was skeptical about this one (plus I was sure I’d just jab coconut oil into my eyeball) but IT WORKS! Click here for a quick and simple how-to that’ll have you tossing your chemical-laden removers in the trash. (But don’t actually put them in the trash, that’s bad for the environment, guys.)

7. As a topping for your popcorn! It’s so good, you won’t care that it’s not butter. Girl’s Gone Child has a fantastic recipe for some delicious no-guilt coconut oil popcorn!

8. To make your own deodorant! I don’t know about you, but store-bought deodorants aren’t my favorite thing in the world. Even though I’ve opted for the most natural brands on the shelf, and have absolutely steered clear of aluminum-containing antiperspirants, I’m still intrigued by the possibility of making my own coconut oil deodorant!

9. As a hair treatment! A little goes a long way! Click here for some advice on getting luscious locks with coconut oil — you can even do an overnight treatment!

And lastly, because we’re moms…

10. To get rid of head lice! I’m going to go ahead and say that everyone reading this sentence is now itching, right? Head lice are awful and getting rid of them can be quite the task — I seem to remember an incredibly unpleasant evening of my mother going through my hair with that terrible little comb, trying to get every last one out of my ‘do. It was horrifying. And I wish we’d known to use coconut oil instead of the awful smelling chemicals from the drugstore. Click here to learn more about this method.

And the list could go on and on, folks! There are so many neat ways to incorporate coconut oil into your life — and in my own daily use, I’ve barely scratched the surface. Now that I’ve written this out, I’m craving a mug of Bulletproof Coffee. Mmm, mmm!

I hope you found a little inspiration above and that you might be adding a little more coconut oil love into your routine!

photo credit: mealmakeovermoms via photopin cc