What's your favorite use for Coconut Oil?

[TamiR]

I've been reading a lot about coconut oil here, and I would like to try it, but I'm kind of overwhelmed with all the ways I could use it. I've been trying to incorporate one small change at a time so I can evaluate if it's something I can both afford and make part of our lifestyle - not just a flavor of the month health trend. We've done things like switch to raw milk, using mag gel to help with sleep and muscle soreness, etc. - all additions that are now habits and firmly part of our lifestyle.

So before making the investment in coconut oil, I was wondering what are you favorite ways to use it - is there one thing you use it for that you just couldn't do without?

Thanks so much - I'm excited to hear your ideas!

[Callicrowe]

I use it to saute vegetables and I add a big spoonful to my smoothies. It helps make the smoothie more balanced nutritionally and it "stays with me" longer. Those are the two main ways I use it now, but have used it for other things in the past.

[TamiR]

Thank you, Peggy. I know the question might seem silly - after all, once I spend the money for the coconut oil, I can use it for whatever I want. But if I don't have a methodical plan that builds the coconut oil into my everyday routine, I'll try a little of everything and the effect will be a smattering here and there, where nothing really "sticks." Using it in smoothies is what got me thinking about it, since I have those most days of the week now. I know I will use it a lot once it's a staple around here, just trying to be a good steward!

[mamalove]

We honestly use it for EVERYTHING. From cooking eggs to baking. The only thing we DON'T use it for is, frying food (we shouldn't be eating fried foods anyways lol). I also put some in our smoothies...helps keep us full longer. Also, when we have accidentaly gotten fat free yoghurt, I'll put some in the yoghurt to "fatten" it up!! LOL

HTH!!

[mamalove]

We honestly use it for EVERYTHING. From cooking eggs to baking. The only thing we DON'T use it for is, frying food (we shouldn't be eating fried foods anyways lol). I also put some in our smoothies...helps keep us full longer. Also, when we have accidentaly gotten fat free yoghurt, I'll put some in the yoghurt to "fatten" it up!! LOL

HTH!!

[BlessedMama]

Smoothies and cooking like Peggy and eating it off the spoon! Especially Nutiva! :licklips:

We put some in our "banana fluff" (frozen bananas whipped up in our chopper with a few frozen strawberries added, tiny bit of milk and coconut oil--another yum!)

We go through about a gallon per month and that's only because I have to limit it due to cost! Rose over on MommyFitness let me in on the subscribe and save deal on Amazon--I pay $39.95 for 2-54 oz. containers per month. Since we like Nutiva's taste the best, anyway, that works out great and cheaper than even Tropical Traditions on sale!

And you can use it as a moisturizer, in your homemade toothpaste and deodorant, too!

HTH!

[pamelaw]

Wow, I love it for everything! Every morning I oil pull with it (awesome stuff); I swallow a teaspoon a day for health reasons. Sauteeing yams in it is amazing (I forget which tapper mentioned this but YUM), swabbing out ears at first sign of cold and doing the nose as well.

It makes a safe and wonderful hand sanitizer. It's good for the skin as a moisturizer and to heal skin irritations. It's just awesome stuff. God is a genius!

[gillmings]

Just experiment with using it to replace other oils in as many applications as you can. Most things, it tastes great and/or you can't tell a difference in taste. There are a few things it doesn't work as well in. But it's so healthy, compared to many other oils, that it's worth just switching what you can. Once it's in your house, you can experiment with using as a body lotion and lip balm and stuff like that, too. It's really just handy for lots of things.

[TamiR]

Thank you all SO much! This is so helpful!

[hjajck]

swabbing out ears at first sign of cold and doing the nose as well.

It makes a safe and wonderful hand sanitizer. It's good for the skin as a moisturizer and to heal skin irritations.

Great idea for swabbing in the nose and ears, :) although I have never heard to swab the ears. As far as hand sanitizer goes, I usually carry mine with me. Do you? How would you make this portable?

[pamelaw]

You know the little sample bottles that hospitals have in street fairs? I used an empty one I cleaned out and poured it in when it was liquid. In the summer it stays liquid and in winter, it does need to be against your body or under the heater in the car to use or you can squeeze a little out semi-liquid and just rub it in. It's so much safer than hand sanitizer, but most especially for children.

[BlessedMama]

That is a GREAT idea, Pamela! *smacks head!

Don't know why I didn't think of that! I hate hand sanitizers that you usually buy, but hadn't found a good alternative. The alcohol even in natural ones at the HFS dry my hands out something awful!

[pamelaw]

Yeah! I had a good idea!! :D

Now have one of your sweet kids kiss your owie on your head, Trisch.

Hugs and thank you for helping me feel smart when I've been so out of it lately (hormones, etc...).

[BlessedMama]

Awww! HUGS to you! :D

[casuallysweet]

Eggs cooked in Nutive CO are wonderful. But anything we would use butter or oil or "pan spray" to cook in before, we now use CO.
I use CO under my arms instead of deodorant, I must say though, if I haven't been eating well I do start to smell some by the end of my 12 hour work day.
I use CO/sea salt mixture as a face scrub.
Some also use it on their tootbrush.
Congrats on discovering CO!!

[TamiR]

Thank you jaci! I love the idea of a face scrub. Pamela, I'm also loving the idea of a hand sanitizer! Sounds like I've found a new staple!

[bambipei]

I tried Nutiva and much prefer the taste of Tropical Traditions, so you might have to experiment to see which you prefer... I know Trisch prefers Nutiva! But, I wouldn't have kept using it if I had not tried TT! I use it in smoothies or whey protein shakes. Also for cooking and baking, but I also make a really YUMMY treat with it! You might not like it if you do sugar, but I don't, so it is really a treat to me! I make these in "bulk" now, so I'll post that way, but you can do a small amount for one treat instead. When I do one treat, I do it in a flat sided ramekin type bowl, and flatten the mixture out on the bottom before freezing.

1/2 cup coconut oil, softened, but not melted
1 1/2 TBSP flaxmeal
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp stevia
dash cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped nuts (I prefer walnuts)
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
dash sea salt

Mix, drop by teaspoonfulls on something you can put in the freezer (I use a Corelle plate). Freeze until firm (at least 10 minutes). I will do a plate or two at a time and then keep them covered in the freezer for a dessert whenever I want one. :) My kids love them too!

Sometimes for an extra treat, I melt a bit of organic 85% cacao chocolate and drizzle it over the top.

[TamiR]

Thank you, Sandi. That looks delicious - I love anything with almond extract. And I bet the addition of the cacao is divine. Thanks again!

[BlessedMama]

Oohhh! Sandi! That looks YUMMY! :licklips:

And yes, that's true--I have a df who loves TT. It's okay, but I prefer Garden of Life or Nutiva, so yes, you may need to experiment to find which one suits you, Tami! ;) Good point, Sandi!

[ayj67]

I think someone recommended castor oil and coconut oil as a good skin oil. I have been using my own blend for 3 weeks now, and I have to say it does more than Dr. Perricone's stuff.

What I did add is a little bit of Rosehip seed oil, a little lavendar and a little bit of Oil or Oreganol (of course, just in case I have pimple and cuts). I am currently using the blend to help my chin patch recover from the over use of ACV on cold sore. I had nothing to do last night and continue to use the oil to rub on the spot, the improvement was drastic, the healing is so great.

I heard carrot seed oil is great too, I will get some to add on and see if that will even be better, will report when I tried on myself.

By the way, once mix in with enough castor oil and other essential oil, the coconut oil will not state on solid form.

Yes, it probably was me that talks about coconut oil in mashed sweet potatoes. I had a bake potatoe at Sweet Tomatoe yesterday, there is no coconut oil, I put whipped butter, it is just not the same. It is great to heat with with frozen green peas. Good to add in pancake, and I mix it double the amount calls for butter to make the food more fatty.

[TaraC]

You know the little sample bottles that hospitals have in street fairs? I used an empty one I cleaned out and poured it in when it was liquid. In the summer it stays liquid and in winter, it does need to be against your body or under the heater in the car to use or you can squeeze a little out semi-liquid and just rub it in. It's so much safer than hand sanitizer, but most especially for children.

What a great idea Pamela!


I use CO/sea salt mixture as a face scrub.
Some also use it on their tootbrush.
Congrats on discovering CO!!

I've got to have a go at the face scrub, bet it feels amazing!

I personally use it mainly as a moisturiser. I use it daily on my face and body, feels good! :D

[hjajck]

You know the little sample bottles that hospitals have in street fairs? I used an empty one I cleaned out and poured it in when it was liquid. In the summer it stays liquid and in winter, it does need to be against your body or under the heater in the car to use or you can squeeze a little out semi-liquid and just rub it in. It's so much safer than hand sanitizer, but most especially for children.

Unfortunately, I am not familiar with the bottles you are talking about. Sorry! I wonder if a travel size plastic bottle for shampoo/conditioner would work just as well?

I was also thinking of getting a small jar and just keeping it at work instead of lotion, especially with the winter months coming up. Thank you SO much for this tip, Pamela. I never would have known this. I read about it's antibacterial effects, but somehow only thought it was internal. DUH. :laughing:

[pamelaw]

Any little container should work really well. It will get cold and solid, so it just needs to warm up a little to be easier to use. Don't feel bad, Holly. A lot of us have known about Coconut Oil's many anti bacterial, microbial and viral properties, including me, and I didn't figure it out for this until a while after using it either. I love this stuff!

The benefit of a squirt bottle is that it keeps the product clean, whereas a jar you will dip fingers into and it will introduce bacteria, etc, that will break down the quality of the oil.

HTH

[Titus2Mommy]

Does anybody know anything about Butcher Boy (76 degrees)? We ordered 50# through Country Life Natural Foods and thought it was the same brand as their other coconut oils and it isn't and now I am wondering what the quality is.

Thanks,
Angie

[Titus2Mommy]

It looks like the coconut oil we bought is sold to theaters for popcorn and used for beauty needs. Sigh. Not sure that we should use it or not. Any opinions? It is $70.00 worth, so I would like to use it if possible.

Thanks,
Angie

[gillmings]

I suppose that means it's processed? What, exactly, does it say on the label/ingredients? That is a REALLY cheap price. It may even be hydrogenated.

[Titus2Mommy]

Yeah, I should have paid more attention and known it was too good to be true. The label just says Butcher Boy 76 degrees pure coconut oil. Sigh. Dh just said, "So we just bought a life supply of make-up remover?" I think that meant I can buy some good coconut oil. I guess everybody will be getting coconut lotion, coconut soap, coconut face wash..........etc. for Christmas!! Bummer!

Angie

[eshlemania]

Would it still be good for hand sanitizer??

[gillmings]

Not if it's been "cooked" (and I can't imagine it hasn't). It would destroy the enzymes and good stuff. I would imagine it would still be a good moisturizer.

Is there no way to return it? Sell it to your local theatre? Donate to a soup kitchen/shelter (at least you'd get the tax write-off)?

That's what Dave Ramsey calls "stupid tax" and we've all paid it from time to time. Sorry it was your turn this time! LOL

[pamelaw]

I agree with Moyne, and would not use it and give it to someone who would want to use it as she suggested. I think it's important to keep in mind that anything you put on your skin bypasses your digestive tract and your body still absorbs it. I'm not convinced that hydrogenated oils are good even on the skin. It's just my 3 cents (inflation - up from 2 cents). I'm sorry about how disappointing this is for you.

[Titus2Mommy]

Yeah, I learned my lesson the hard way. We might be able to return it. Hoping and praying!

Angie

[JoanS MH]

Lubricant!