I was shocked at the feedback I received from the 10 handy uses for baking soda, handy uses for vinegar and alternative uses for orange peels. I guess when you use something all the time you might forget that other people don't. I had friends tell me I had been hiding the “baking soda secret” from them. I thought it would be fun to share some more “outside the box” uses for regular items in our cupboards. This week is 10 alternative uses for [easyazon_link asin=”B003B3OOPA” locale=”US” new_window=”yes” nofollow=”yes” tag=”reamom0b-20″]coconut oil[/easyazon_link]!
#1 – Shaving Cream: Coconut oil can serve as a pretty fine substitute for shaving cream when you’re getting ready to go to work in the morning, and it doubles as a moisturizer. Also, if you rubbed the electric razor a little too hard on your skin, coconut oil can also serve as an after shave lotion.
#2 – Leather Cleaner and Protector: Coconut oil makes as a fine leather treating substance. Use it in vehicles, on couches, leather jackets you name it, and you can use it!
#3 – Oil For Wood Bowls and Boards: Coconut oil can serve as a great way to get tough stains and smells out of your favorite wood bowl and off your usual cutting board. Just use it as you would any other wood treating oil; a light, thorough rub into the wood and your wares is fresh once again.
#4 – Homemade toothpaste: mix coconut oil with some baking soda and peppermint extract until it forms a paste. You'll have yourself a natural whitening toothpaste!
#5 – Impromptu Neosporin: Accidents happen a lot around the house in this day and age. Thankfully, coconut oil can keep those minor scrapes from developing into worse things, like infections. Just dab a little of it over any cut, scrape, or scratch and put a [easyazon_link asin=”B001AJS1AQ” locale=”US” new_window=”yes” nofollow=”yes” tag=”reamom0b-20″]Band-Aid[/easyazon_link] on top of that injury. A bonus is that it smells a lot better than anything you could pick up at the drugstore on the corner.
#6 – Mouthwash: What if you had something that didn't taste terrible, what if you had something that might taste pretty GOOD while your swishing it around in your mouth, getting all the gunk and goo cleaned out? Coconut oil my friend; just toss it around in your mouth for a good 10-15 minutes in the morning to clean your mouth up a bit. When all is said and done, just rinse the leftovers out with water and spit. (I've heard this is the cure for a hangover as well but haven't tried it yet)
#7 – Deodorant: (DISCLAIMER: I'm seriously starting to expect that anything in this world can be used as a deodorant; I could honestly write an entire list of all the stuff I've seen that can be used as a deodorant.) Now, here's something unique you'd never expect out of coconut oil; it can also be used as deodorant! Who would've thought, huh?! In all seriousness, though, coconut oil is a useful tool that can keep your pits sweet-smelling, and if used in conjunction with baking soda, it can be even more effective. Just massage it in!
#8 – Coffee Creamer: You guessed it sub our your regular fatty coffee creamer with a little coconut oil and a sprinkle of cinnamon! You'll never go back to store-bought creamers again.
#9 – Energy Supplement: Energy drinks lift us up, but they eventually bring us down even lower than when we started. Sometimes a real pick me up is needed to get us through our busy lives. This is where our little palm-tree-borne friend comes into play. Coconut oil has been proven to give men and women nice bursts of energy when things are getting pretty darn droopy-eyed. So, when that energy drink starts eyeing you from across the desk, remember to try and slip yourself a small bit of coconut oil and see how that works out (Hey, at least it probably won't send you to the ER).
#10 – Athlete's Foot Combatant: You know, with the amount of products that claim to keep Athlete's Foot at bay, you'd wonder how all of those excellent foot cream companies aren't out of business these days. Coconut oil also works well at keeping Athlete's Foot away. A quick massage of the stuff on your foot and you'll be good for a while.
What other uses do you have for [easyazon_link asin=”B003B3OOPA” locale=”US” new_window=”yes” nofollow=”yes” tag=”reamom0b-20″]coconut oil[/easyazon_link]?