Are you at home? Good, this will only take a minute.
Go into the bathroom and open up the medicine cupboard. See all those jars, bottles, tubes, cans and vials? Count them.
Is the cupboard overflowing? You may even have more than one cupboard filled with personal hygiene products. This is definitely the typical picture in the average family home.
Well, today we would like to share a newsflash. The vast majority of those items crowding your storage space are simply there because of clever marketing, which convinced you to spend hundreds (maybe even thousands) of dollars on specific products for every little issue and ailment.
Do you want to hear an interesting fact? A great deal of them can be replaced with just one jar containing one single ingredient. You guessed it, coconut oil!
This amazing tropical oil has so many benefits. It is antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal. It also contains a few special fatty acids, namely caprylic acid, capric acid and lauric acid. When digested, it forms another fatty acid called monolaurin. There are currently more than 1,500 scientific studies out there supporting coconut oil’s therapeutic uses.
Using coconut oil can save you a ton of money and protect you and your family from the nasty sulfates, phthalates, perfumes, parabens, preservatives and petrochemicals that are found in most commercial toiletry products.
Let’s dive right in and explore all of the products that you could confidently throw out today by replacing them with a big-old tub of organic extra virgin coconut oil. It’s a health-conscious minimalist’s dream!
Baby lotion
Since coconut oil is great at killing bacteria and yeast, there’s no better choice for diaper cream. For those who use cloth diapers, coconut oil is “cloth diaper safe”!
Deodorant
Coconut oil can be used on its own as a natural deodorant. Optionally, combine it with a little baking soda, arrowroot powder, tea tree oil and lavender essential oil for a more advanced recipe.
Toothpaste
Thanks to its antibacterial properties, coconut oil makes a great toothpaste. Use the oil on its own or with a little baking soda and peppermint essential oil.
Tooth whitening products
No need for toxic bleach — coconut oil is a natural teeth whitener! Using it as a toothpaste is a great way to get these benefits.
Moisturizer
The best way to use nourishing coconut oil as a moisturizer is to apply it in the shower or immediately after taking a shower. This locks all of the moisture into the skin, leaving it silky smooth.
Shaving cream
Coconut oil makes a great shaving cream — simply wet the face with hot water, apply oil, and shave away. It may negate the need for aftershave, too, since it prevents skin from getting dry or irritated.
Makeup remover
Since most makeup is oil-soluble, coconut oil makes the perfect makeup remover. It is gentle and does not sting or leave a toxic residue. Apply directly with the fingers or using a cotton pad to gently remove makeup.
Face wash
Have you heard of oil cleansing? This is the best way to wash your face. Coconut oil is essentially an all-in-one makeup remover, face wash and moisturizer. Simply massage some coconut oil into the face, and cover with a hot (not scalding) washcloth until the cloth cools. Wipe clean, and you’re done!
Anti-aging cream or night cream
Coconut oil has great anti-aging benefits, so feel free to apply any time of day to reduce wrinkles and help create a glowing, youthful complexion. Coconut oil even helps to reduce age spots and stretch marks.
Conditioner
While in the shower, rub a tiny amount of coconut oil through the ends of your hair to keep it moisturized. Another option is to treat hair with coconut oil before a shower, then wash it out.
Sunscreen
Coconut oil has a natural sun protection factor (SPF) of 4. Therefore it makes a great sunscreen for most people, except those with fair skin.
Lip balm
Simply swipe a little coconut oil on the lips to keep them soft and to prevent chapping.
Foot creams
If you suffer from foot ailments like cracked heels, athlete’s foot or nail fungus, coconut oil will come to the rescue. That’s three toxic products you can remove from your bathroom cupboard!
Prescription skin remedies
If you suffer from eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, or similar conditions, there are likely several tubes of steroid creams in your medicine cabinet. The therapeutic properties of coconut oil make it a great replacement for these prescription products. A 2013 study in the Journal of International Dermatology found that virgin coconut oil improved skin barrier function in patients with chronic skin conditions.
A great way to provide a protective barrier for sensitive, irritated skin is to smooth on a thin layer of coconut oil immediately after toweling off when you get out of the shower. You can take this one step further by making this easy DIY treatment that combines coconut oil with the soothing power of oats.
Simply mix one-third of a cup of oats with the same amount of coconut oil in a small bowl and heat it slightly in the microwave until you get a thick paste. Place this mixture in a muslin bag and use it to massage and rub down the body. It’s a gentle exfoliating treatment and an incredible moisturizer, which helps to balance the skin’s pH and soothe irritation and itchiness.
Yeast infection treatment
Since coconut oil is antifungal, it makes a great yeast infection treatment. Try soaking a tampon in the oil for 30 minutes, then inserting it for a few hours. Use regularly as a personal moisturizer to prevent overgrowth of yeast.
Hair gel or anti-frizz treatment
Smoothing a little coconut oil through the hair eliminates frizz and adds shape and style-ability.
Body scrub
Mix a little sugar or salt into coconut oil and keep in a separate jar to use as a body scrub in the shower.
Allergy medication
Some say that a little coconut oil rubbed inside the nose can help soothe irritating allergy symptoms.
Nipple cream
Coconut oil makes a great replacement for petroleum or lanolin-based nipple creams for nursing mothers. The fats in the coconut oil are also healthy for your baby.
Mouthwash
Instead of using mouthwash, which contains harmful antibacterial ingredients, artificial colors and alcohol, try “oil pulling” with coconut oil. Simply swish two tablespoons of coconut oil around your mouth (without swallowing) for 15 minutes, then spit into the garbage can. This treatment is whitening and antibacterial.
Personal lubricant
Many commercial lubricants come with the risk of disturbing the fragile bacterial environment that is necessary for healthy genitals. Coconut oil is a safer choice!
Acne treatment
Along with oil-cleansing (described above), using coconut oil as a spot-treatment for acne is a great way to take advantage of its antimicrobial properties and nourishing fatty acids.
Bug bite treatment
Coconut oil makes a great anti-itch and anti-irritation treatment for bug bites and other afflictions like poison ivy. That’s another little container you can remove from your cupboard!
Click Here to Discover 9 Reasons to EAT Coconut Oil Every Day (#3 is a shocker)
—Liivi Hess
Liivi is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and is training to become a doula. She inspires women to find peace and personal power by taking control of health and fertility naturally. Liivi‘s passion is ancestral nutrition and primal lifestyle design. She and her partner Will live between Toronto, Canada and Queenstown, New Zealand.
Sources:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0009912004001201
http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/15724344
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11745-009-3306-6
http://www.indianpediatrics.net/sep2005/sep-877-884.htm
http://www.coconutoil.co.nz/PDF/A_New_Look_At_Coconut_Oil.pdf
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11746-009-1435-y
– http://richarddagan.com/satfat/English-Article-MaryEnig-1.pdf
http://imsear.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/48566
