20 Beauty Uses for Coconut Oil

I love cooking with coconut oil because of the flavour, the smell of it when cooking and the fact that it is resistant to high-heat. But coconut oil is a multi-purpose product, believe me, it has a space in your bathroom cupboard as well as your kitchen cupboard. I’ve tried several coconut oils, Vita Coco, Holland and Barratt’s own make and now this one, Dr Zak’s Extra Virgin 100% Organic Coconut Oil, has set up home in my beauty cabinet. Today I’m going to share with you 20 beauty uses for coconut oil so that you can add a jar, or a tub of the delicious oil to your cabinet too.

When shopping for a coconut oil, make sure it is 100% extra virgin coconut oil with no other ingredients. I always double check the ingredients label just in case as marketers always find a sneaky way to make a claim on the front label. Organic is always a bonus and I like to choose oils that are cold pressed. There are many more uses than what I’ve listed for you below but I’ve picked my favourite ways to use coconut oil.

1. As a Hair Mask – This is probably my favourite way to use coconut oil. I wash my hair as normal, then turn off the shower and apply coconut oil throughout my hair. I have curly, afro hair so my hair can take a lot of coconut oil. If you have straight, or fine hair then apply the oil from the mid-lengths to the ends only, avoiding your scalp as this could leave your hair greasy. Leave in for 30 minutes or longer, personally I like to let it leave it for about 2-3 hours on a Sunday as I potter around the house. Finally, wash out with shampoo. I like to run a tiny bit through the ends of my hair as it dries for an extra conditioning boost and shine.
2. As lip balm – Rub it straight on your lips as lip balm. Who needs vaseline?!
3. As a body scrub – Mix 1/4 cup of coconut oil with 1/2 cup of sugar to make your own natural, sugar body scrub. Add 1/2 cup of coffee grounds to make your own version of the popular Frank Body Scrub.
4. As a cuticle oil – Rub coconut oil into your cuticles to soften them and strengthen your nails.
5. As a body moisturiser – Swap your regular body lotion for coconut oil. Rub the oil into your skin straight after the shower before you’re completely dry. I personally prefer body oils over creams as I find they keep my skin moisturised longer and it doesn’t take as long to rub oil in.
6. As deodorant – This isn’t one I’ve tried yet, but I keep pinning recipes and meaning to make my own homemade, paraben free deodorant. The only thing I’m worried about is using it when I hit the gym. Perhaps I’ll stick to just rest days.
7. As a leave-in conditioner – When my hair is a few days old and I know I’ll be wearing it up in a bun, I’ll mix some coconut oil with a bit of conditioner and warm water in a spray bottle. I’ll spritz it all throughout my hair, concentrating on the ends then tie my hair up. That way my hair can be nourished throughout the day.
8. As a detox bath – Mix 1/4 cup of Epsom salts with 1/4 cup of coconut oil and add it to a hot bath. Light some candles, put a chill playlist on Spotify and enjoy.
9. As a shaving lotion – Swap your regular shaving gel or lotion for coconut oil. Rub it on to your legs and use it to shave. Your legs will feel beautifully soft and be moisturised it at the same time.
10. As a foot scrub – Mix coconut oil with sea salt to make your own foot scrub to remove dry skin.
11. As a teeth whitener – I haven’t tried this one yet but it’s all over Pinterest at the moment. Apparently it’s called oil pulling and you swish a teaspoon of coconut oil in your mouth for 20 minutes before breakfast. Do not swallow, once the time is up spit it out and rinse your mouth. You’re supposed to do this everyday to see results.
12. As a sun protectant for hair – In the summer months, when I know I’ll be in the sun for a long time I’ll rub coconut oil into the lengths of my hair to act as a barrier against sun damage. It’s not only your skin that needs protecting from the sun.
13. As a massage oil – Rope your boyfriend into giving you a neck, back and shoulders massage using coconut oil. Not only will you feel great, you’ll smell great at the end of it.
14. As a makeup brush cleanser – Massage coconut oil into your makeup brushes when washing them.
15. As a face mask – Mix 1tbsp of coconut oil with 1tsp of lemon juice and 2tsp of honey. The coconut oil shouldn’t be melted for this, so let it cool to below room temperature. Apply the mask to your face and leave for 20 minutes before rinsing. The lemon juice is optional but it will help to shrink and tighten your pores.
16. As a scalp moisturiser – When I wear my hair in a weave, I keep my scalp moisturised by dabbing a bit of coconut oil on the end of my finger and running it along my braids.
17. As a lip scrub – Mix coconut oil with brown sugar and honey to make your own sugar lip scrub. This is a life saver in Winter when lips can become dry and chapped.
18. As sunburn care – Rub coconut oil onto sunburned skin to help it heal and repair.
19. As a night cream – I find coconut oil too heavy for day cream as I have oily skin, but I like to use a little at night. I know it sounds odd using oil on oily skin, but your skin produces extra sebum because your skin doesn’t have enough oil.
20. As an eyelash enhancer – Dab coconut oil onto a cotton bud and rub it onto your eyelashes before bed. It will help to strengthen your eyelashes and encourage them to grow.

There you have it, my favourite beauty uses for coconut oil. There are so, so many other uses for coconut oil for around your home, in your First Aid kit, in the kitchen and more. If you haven’t tried it yet, make sure you buy some! I was sent this tub of Dr Zak’s coconut oil some months ago now and I’ve almost finished it. That shows just how much I’ve liked this oil!

Let me know your favourite uses for coconut oil in the comments below, whether for beauty or other remedies. You may know of a use that I don’t know yet and I’d love to learn more ways to use this wonder-product.