coconut oil

If I had to take one single type of food and name it the king of calories, the savior of mankind, the cure to all the world's problems.. it would be coconut oil. Not because it's tasty, it's non-descript at best. Not because it's particularly healthy, but on the flipside it isn't unhealthy either. But because it's so bloody versatile. This post will be a continually evolving, and updating, entry into all the things I've replaced with coconut oil. It seems like there isn't a single area of life that doesn't improve with a dab or two of coconut oil.

hygiene

Aftershave. Yes, once you're done shaving simply apply ice cold water to make your pores contract then dab coconut oil and the redness will magically go away. Likely due to its mct content. Mouthwash. Simply take a teaspoon of coconut oil and swish it around your mouth. It'll magically make any sulphur odors vanish, for extra freshness add a drop of mint essential oil. Oil pulling. I combine 1g of birch sugar, 1g of salt, a teaspoon of coconut oil and a drop of tea tree oil. Then I swish that through my teeth for a few minutes and spit. It's almost as effective as flossing (something you should keep doing, though). My dentist has noted that the "permanent" discoloration on my teeth from decades of smoking and coffee drastically reduced when I started doing this. In fact she asked me if had gotten dental bleaching. Deodorant. The most effective deodorant I ever used was one I made myself with sodium bicarbonate, corn starch and coconut oil. Once applied it completely nuked any body odor from your armpits. And unlike commercial anti-perspirants it truly did last for over 24 hours. Unfortunately I had to stop since the oil would stain my shirts and it was difficult to impossible to get rid of the oil. If you do go down this route then remember that less is more, you truly just need to coat a finger and run it over your armpit. Makup remover. Massage the oil into affected areas, let it absorb the makeup (even waterproof). Then wipe away with hot water.

health

Lube. Coconut oil is a completely natural lubricant that is slightly anti-bacterial by nature. This is outstanding when used as either vaginal or anal lube but works just as well for solo activities. It doesn't get absorbed as quickly as water based and isn't as coarse as silicone lube. Be aware that oils will completely dissolve latex, so it is not compatible with condoms. Moisturizer. At this point there isn't a single cavity in my body that doesn't get stuffed with coconut oil at some point. If my nose is dry, coconut oil. Chaffed lips? Coconut oil. Scratched your ear a bit too roughly and got a bit of a painful scab? Coconut oil. Dry pecker (because.. old.. yep, it'll happen to you too)? Coconut oil. Lip balm. For the reasons outlined above. Dry hair. Simply rub coconut oil into the hair and scalp. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes, then wash thoroughly with hot water. Massage oil. Not sure if it's psychological but it feels like it's actually effective at dampening sore and inflamed muscles. Sunburn. I'd mix it with some aloe vera but it's very effective on its on to reduce discomfort of sunburns.

food

For frying. Coconut oil is amongst the ones most resistant to heat. You can crank the heat up very high to get a nice sear without coconut oil releasing toxins. For deep frying. It's outstanding for this for the previously mentioned reasons. MCTs. Roughly 40% of coconut oil is Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). Research has shown that MCTs can enhance thermogenesis and fat oxidation, which may contribute to weight loss and appetite suppression. I just use it since MCT is naturally transformed into ketones for a nice (and quick) boost in energy. Butter substitute. I tend to mix it with nutritional yeast, cashew flour and salt when I have vegan friends over. It's quite tasty. Cast iron seasoning. By far the best oil I've ever user to season them, results in a much slicker surface than any other oil I've tried. Mug cakes. Mix 15g of coconut flour, 15g of coconut oil, 1g of salt, 2g of baking powder, some vanilla extract and 1 egg in a mug then microwave for 90 seconds. Top with peanut butter and make a ring of strawberries around it. Delicious.

utility

Furniture polish. It's outstanding for making wood shine and pick up some moisture. Leather. Just as good as bees wax for buffing and revitalizing leather. And I swore by bees wax for decades.

outro

I will keep adding to this list as I figure out more areas where it excels. But it's absolutely mind boggling how much a single jar of coconut oil can do for you.