My top 15 uses for coconut oil

I love Coconut oil. I love it because I’ve never come across a product that is so versatile. I used to be a product junky. I had a product for everything. My bedroom and bathroom cabinet was full of a massive array of beauty and cosmetic brands. When I started to study health and nutrition, I noticed time and time again that the subject of cosmetics and beauty products would come up. At first I was so overwhelmed with all the information I was trying to take in, I paid little attention. When I started working for a company that supplied “beauty” products, my interest grew and I started to investigate further due to the large number of reactions and complaints from consumers. I eventually left the company for that reason as it conflicted with my beliefs.

A fantastic book that provides a useful guide of the best beauty products and what ingredients to avoid.

The marketing of cosmetic brands to young girls (and boys) starts young. I was certainly convinced that I needed all these products to look a certain way and fit in. I had all the usual products in abundance, face wash, exfoliator, shaving foam, perfume, hair removal cream, shower gel, shampoo and conditioner, moisturiser, makeup, the list could go on and on. Once I discovered that many of these products could potentially be doing me harm and disrupting my hormone balance, I decided to replace them all. Of course I went in headstrong and wanted to change everything all at once, but soon realised this wasn’t possible. Changing the habits of a lifetime, when everything you use is a synthetic chemical, is hard and I soon accepted that it would be a gradual process of change to replace my old products with new and exciting natural alternatives. I also started to make some of my own products. For example I make my own green clay mask which I apply once a week. I will share this little gem in a future post.

There are affordable, naturally-derived, ethical products available, you just have to look a little harder. Often the high cost of the mainstream products cannot be justified as they are full of mass-produced synthetic and often harmful chemical. At least if you’re paying for a pure essential oil or a product that’s been ethically sourced you can relax in the knowledge that you are getting your money’s worth. The smaller companies that make them do not usually have large marketing budgets for billboards and TV adverts and it’s not quite as easy for them to entice the beauty editors of the top fashion magazines to feature their products. They can’t sponsor big sporting events or hire a big star to raise the profile of their product. Granted you may not find a wide range in Boots and Superdrug, but I will certainly point you in the right direction if you’re interested in nourishing alternatives for your beauty regime.

For this article I want to focus on the wonders of Coconut butter/oil. It’s both butter and oil because when it melts it goes from a solid to an oil. It just depends on the weather.

Coconut oil is a medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) which has the excellent benefit of increasing the amount of calories burnt off as heat and therefore does not lay them down as fat, also known as thermogenesis.₁ The MCTs in coconut oil can also increase your endurance during exercise.₂

1. Breast-feeding – Coconut oil contains lauric acid and capric acid, a powerful anti-microbial fatty acid₃ that helps to protect the immune system. Lauric acid and capric acid comprises about 20% of the fatty acids found in breast milk and has been shown to be transferred into breast milk when consumed by the mother.₄

2. A teaspoon a day
If you eat a teaspoon a day it will help to stave off viruses and bacteria. The lauric and capric acid can protect against and even destroy lipid-coated viruses like flu. These fatty acids offer a powerful protection from the likes of herpes₅protozoa₆ such as giardia lamblia, and bacteria such as chlamydia₅ and heliocobacter pylori. The lauric acid in coconut oil showed bactericidal activity (prevents bacterial growth) against H.pylori.₇

3. Thrush (candida)
Coconut oil has wonderful anti-fungal properties due to the capric and lauric acid. Studies have shown that capric acid is the most effective against candida albicans by inhibiting growth.₆ It’s important to remember that prevention is better than a cure and by adding coconut as a regular part of your diet you could be preventing the overgrowth in the first place. If you’re suffering from thrush you can use coconut oil as a cream on the itchy or sore area. Also eat a teaspoon a day (raw) as this will help heal internally. Remember to focus on healing your gut as well – see my previous blog post on gut health. If you are a regular sufferer of candida/thrush, it is vital that you address your gut health to restore a healthy balance of good bacteria. A doctor will likely prescribe an anti-fungal drug such as Fluconozole. Please read up on this kind of medication so you can make an informed decision about whether this is right for you. There are instances when anti-fungal medication is necessary, but you should consider how to support your body during and after this, especially your liver and gut. There are natural alternatives that are worth trying and can work well before you opt for the prescription medication.

4. Nappy rash
As coconut oil is perfect for sensitive skin, it is a very good choice for babies. The anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties will prevent infection while the oil will reduce further friction on the area.

5. Skin healing
It will help to heal conditions such as dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, sunburn, rashes, blisters and insect bites. Many skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis stem from the gut, so eating a teaspoon of raw coconut oil everyday will help, as will addressing your diet and lifestyle. An anti-inflammatory diet has proven to be very beneficial with these types of inflamed and itchy skin conditions. Below are some examples of anti-inflammatory foods but there are many more. Removing refined sugar, industrialised seed oils and gluten would go a long way in reducing inflammation.

6. Cooking
Coconut oil stays stable at high temperatures due to the high saturated fat content, so it is a good option for cooking, especially if you’re vegetarian and avoiding ghee and butter. Don’t be afraid of the saturated fat as the medium chain triglycerides are good for you, as I explained earlier.

Making cumin sweet potato wedges with coconut oil

7. Oil pulling
My brother-in-law Luke, who featured in my last blog post about Crohn’s, uses oil pulling to prevent cavities. He was due to have seven fillings when he started oil-pulling and when he went back to the dentist after a couple of months, he didn’t need any. There are not many/enough studies on oil pulling at this time, but many people have great results with it including myself. Sometimes if something works you have to roll with it, especially as we know it’s not doing any harm.

8. Eye makeup remover
You only need a tiny amount and it will wipe away even the toughest waterproof mascara and is gentle on the sensitive eye area. I don’t use it on my face as there are better alternative oil cleansers for the whole face such as jojoba, almond and avocado oil.

9. Shaving oil
The oil provides a perfect layer of protection so you don’t get any cuts, while it moisturises and protects from dry skin. I always tend to have a little left on my skin afterwards which is fine because then I don’t have to moisturise.

10. Moisturiser
Coconut butter promotes skin elasticity and is a wonderful nourishing moisturiser. You only need a small amount as a little goes a long way. If you’re in a rush in the morning and want it to soak in quickly don’t use too much.

11. Conditioner
I use it on my hair as a conditioner and a treatment. I even sleep in it sometimes with a shower cap on and then wash it off in the morning with a natural shampoo.

12. Hand cream and cuticle oil
A perfect nourishing cuticle oil and handcream. Again, you don’t need a lot as a tiny amount goes a long way. I tend to focus on the backs of my hands so I don’t end up with greasy palms.

13. Lip Balm
I have a tiny pot so I can decant a little to carry around in my bag.

14. Stretchmarks
It will help to prevent/eliminate stretch marks during/after pregnancy and through weight gain/loss.

15. Lubricant
A perfect lubricant during sex and a far superior alternative to the brands you can buy in the chemist. Mother nature knows best and she produced the coconuts. Caution: Don’t use coconut oil with latex condoms as it can break down the integrity of the condom.

Where to buy
Always buy raw and organic coconut oil in a glass container. I have one in the bathroom and one in the kitchen.

My favourite is Lucy Bee Extra Virgin Organic Coconut Oil which is £9.95 for 500ml or £18.99 for a 1 litre jar. Lucy Bee Coconut Oil is widely available at health food shops and Sainbury’s.