The next time you’re at the supermarket, pick up a jar of coconut oil. You’ll be shocked at the number of different ways you can use it, and not just for random reasons like getting melted gum off your couch (yep, it can do that!). Coconut oil is insanely beneficial to your health, from your head to your toes.

Here are 9 (out of a billion) different ways you can use it.

How to Use Coconut Oil

In Your Food

1. Sauteing or Frying – Coconut oil has a high heat index, which means it maintains its structure when cooking at high temperatures. This makes it a great choice for cooking, even better than olive oil! The reason is because coconut oil is high in saturated fat, but don’t let that scare you. Many studies on the health effects of saturated fat in coconut oil have not only deemed it safe, but actually quite beneficial to your health.

1. Make Chocolate – There are many different recipes out there for homemade coconut oil chocolate, seriously take your pick! But, the point here is that dark chocolate combined with coconut oil creates an antioxidant rich, metabolism boosting treat that is will blow your mind!

1. Make Healthy Mayonnaise – Traditional mayonnaise is full of nasty vegetable oils, added sugar, and many other ingredients that you don’t need (or want) in your body. But, it’s hard to deny the power of mayo when there is a sandwich involved. That’s where coconut oil comes in handy, you can use it to make your own mayo that is much healthier and tastes just as good, if not better.

For Your Skin

1. Protection From the Sun – Rubbing coconut oil on your skin before you head out the door helps protect your skin from the sun. Studies show that is has about a 7 SPF value, which isn’t high enough for the beach, but works for everyday protection. Plus, coconut oil is a great moisturizer, use it in place of your commercial lotion made with artificial ingredients, and see the difference for yourself!

1. Relieve Eczema and Skin Irritations – Not only does coconut oil protect and moisturize the skin, it also works wonders on skin irritations. Check out this study on the dramatic effects it had on eczema patients in a short period of time.

1. Get Shiny, Healthy Hair – Coconut oil acts as a natural conditioner, dandruff treatment, and color preserver for your hair. It also protects the protein content of each strand, preventing it from splitting and causing frizz and breakage.

For Your Health

1. Increase Your Metabolism – Looking to drop some pounds? Coconut oil can help! It contains special fatty acids that are absorbed quickly by your body which can actually increase the amount of calories you burn! Free calorie burn? Hey, that’s totally worth a shot!

1. Natural Mouthwash – As if we weren't already on the coconut oil train, listen to this, swishing a mouthful of coconut oil everyday works just as well as over-the-counter antiseptic mouthwashes. The oil has a strong anti-bacterial complex which takes care of nasty germs that cause gum disease and bad breath. Add a few drops of peppermint essential oil to the mix, and you’re set to jet!

1. Reduce Belly Fat and Raise Good Cholesterol – Not all cholesterol is bad, HDL cholesterol is actually good – and guess what’s packed with it? Duh, coconut oil. This liquid gold has also been shown to help reduce unwanted belly fat, and even minimize the appearance of cellulite and stretch marks!

Are you unsure where to start? All-in-one products such as Extra Virgin Coconut Oil from Garden of Life can be used for cooking and for natural health benefits, including skin care and much more.

So, have we convinced you to give coconut oil a try? What benefit do you like best? Let us know in the comments below!

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Photo by Emily Bauman on Unsplash