Crazy For Coconut Oil

Unrefined

   Refined

My husband and I went on our honeymoon to Bora Bora and that's where my obsession began. The islanders have so many uses for coconut. From its milk, to its oil, and even its husks, I was blown away by all of the benefits from this one fruit. When we returned to the states, I started to research coconut oil a bit more....fast forward 7 months and now it's my current obsession.

Refined vs. Unrefined:

Coconut oil comes in 2 forms: refined and unrefined. From my experience, they are every similar in nature. The only difference is the smell. Unrefined has that wonderful natural coconut aroma whereas the refined does not.

Uses: 

Whether it's used in cooking or for beauty, coconut oil can be used for so many things. I currently use it in several ways:

• Shaving - it's an amazing substitute for shaving cream. It leaves your legs feeling so silky smooth. 
• Hair Mask - massage the oil onto your scalp and leave on for as little as 5 minutes or as much as an hour (depending on how much time you have). Follow-up with your regular shampoo and conditioner as it can leave your hair feeling a bit oily. 
• Lotion 
• Chapped lips - Helps keep my lips moisturized on these cold, snowy, winter days in Boston.
• Teeth Stains - Put a scoop of coconut oil in your mouth for 20 minutes and it pulls stains from your teeth.....it's AMAZING! 
• Cooking oil for my favorite recipes (like this one: Coconut Bliss Balls) 

Need more ideas on how to use it? This fellow blogger offers up 101 ideas: http://wellnessmama.com/5734/101-uses-for-coconut-oil/

Its many forms: 

Many jars of coconut oil come in a solid form which is easily melted down. You can either melt it over a stove, place the jar in a hot bowl of water, or simply massage the solid oil between your fingers. You could even microwave it down; however, I am not a huge fan of the microwave. 

Where to purchase: 

You can most likely find coconut oil at your local grocery store or online. Where I've purchased from: Unrefined: Trader Joe's for $5.99 (my favorite!) Refined: Target 

I think that's it for now. I am excited that I was able to share this latest beauty obsession with you. For first time users - give it a shot and let me know what you think! For fellow users - how else are you using coconut oil? I'd love to hear!