Olive oil has long been the oil of choice for cooking, hair care, and skincare. Now there’s a new oil that is gaining popularity and getting a lot of shine from just about everyone. From Paleo chefs to beauty gurus, everyone is singing the praises of coconut oil and all its uses. The best form of coconut oil is the unprocessed, unrefined, organic variety and it is now being used in many different products. Because of its high concentration of saturated fats, this oil has a shelf life of up to 2 years.
One of the most popular trends in the use of coconut oil is using it as a beauty treatment. This oil can be used on your hair for intensive conditioning, fighting frizz, and as a styling product. Other beauty uses for this oil are as whitening toothpaste, makeup remover, and a massage oil. Unlike other oils, its fragrant smell can be used to replace your perfumes and body sprays without being overpowering. It can also be used as a base in facial scrubs, body scrubs, and lip balm. Organix, Palmer’s, and The Body Shop are just some of the many major brands that use coconut oil in their beauty products.
Coconut oil also has many uses in the kitchen, like most fruit based oils. You should limit the amount of coconut oil you consume since it is high in saturated fats, unlike canola oil or olive oil. Some creative ways you can sparingly use coconut oil while cooking is to put in on toast, using it to sauté or fry foods, and adding it to your coffee for extra energy. The smoking point on this oil is very high, so it’s great for cooking at high temperatures.
Around the house you can use this oil to season cast iron pans, lubricate motors, and get your pet’s coat nice and shiny. It’s gluten free and can be a substitute for those with nut allergies (instead of peanut oil). If you don’t like the smell or taste of coconut, you may be interested in RBD (refined, bleached, deodorized) although this version of the oil is less wholesome than virgin coconut oil.
Are you in on the coconut oil craze?
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I’m ALL OVER the coconut oil craze. I use it in baking and as a substitute for butter or peanut butter…just slather it on toast, it’s AMAZING!