Coconut Oil for Beauty: 24 Natural & Effective Uses

What to Look For

When buying coconut oil, be sure to look for unrefined organic coconut oil as it is the most natural and healthiest option available. It can be bought in large quantities at grocery stores and online. Since there are so many ways to use coconut oil, I got the mega 54-ounce jar from Carrington Farms. Replacing many products with coconut oil can save you a ton of money while still reaping the benefits. Deborah Levy, registered dietitian and health and nutrition consultant for Carrington Farms, loves coconut oil because there is science behind it—it’s not just the latest beauty craze.

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Homemade Toothpaste

A quick fix for toothpaste can be coconut oil mixed with baking soda with essentials oils to taste. Coconut oil has antifungal and antibacterial properties for cleaning teeth. Check out a recipe here!

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Eye Cream and Nighttime Moisturizer

After removing my makeup, I gently rubbed coconut oil underneath my eye area and across my entire face as a nighttime moisturizer. Visions of Mounds bars danced in my head, and in the morning I woke up with soft skin and surprisingly no oily feeling. Using coconut oil around your eye area can prevent wrinkles and reduce puffiness and under-eye bags.

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Body Lotion

Apply this miracle worker to your entire body instead of your normal lotion, and enjoy soft skin throughout the day. Store-bought moisturizers are petroleum- or water-based, while coconut oil’s natural ingredients condition and moisturize skin cells more effectively, according to Levy.

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Cuticle Cream

Cracked cuticles and hangnails are unsightly and painful. Try applying coconut oil twice a day at the base of the nail to remedy.

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Bath Oil

Skip bubble bath and salts, and try adding coconut oil to your bath. The hot water will melt the oil into a liquid. and you can literally soak in the moisturizing benefits.

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Daily Moisturizer

To keep skin soft, replace your daily moisturizer with coconut oil. Coconut oil fights redness and irritation so it reduces acne while moisturizing skin. The fatty acid helps reinforce skin’s natural lipid barrier to lock moisture into skin.

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Shaving Cream

Instead of a drugstore shaving cream, try a more natural approach with coconut oil. Wet the area, apply coconut oil, and shave as usual. Coconut oil helps the razor glide across your legs and hydrates skin in the process.

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Massage Oil

It’s hard to not feel relaxed when you catch a whiff of coconut. You envision a sunny day on a tropical beach with a piña colada in hand. With that in mind, use coconut oil as massage oil, and let the relaxing scents carry you away.

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Heal Dry Skin

Whether it’s your elbows, feet, or anywhere in between, call in the big guns to help heal the scaly patches. To prevent nosebleeds and provide relief from a cold, rub coconut oil on the inside of your nose.

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Face Mask

Honey contains antimicrobial properties. Combine it with equal parts coconut oil for a great face mask. The mask can help to clear acne and keep skin soft and glowing. Here are three coconut-oil face masks!

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Body Scrub

Create a DIY body scrub by mixing coarse sugar or salt with coconut oil. The grains slough off dead skin while the oil moisturizes skin underneath.

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Hair Mask

Apply coconut oil to wet or dry hair from roots to ends and let sit. Rinse the oil off in the shower and moisture will be restored to your hair. This is one of the best ways to use coconut oil in your beauty routine, says Levy.

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Calm Frizz

Smoothing a small amount of coconut oil through the ends of your hair can tame frizzy strands. Coconut oil repels water, the culprit behind frizz.

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Leave-In Conditioner

I applied the coconut oil to wet hair and then went to bed. While I took a little tiger snooze, the fatty acids in coconut oil softened my hair. The coconut oil does make hair look a bit greasy, but it smells great and your hair will thank you.

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Lice Treatment

Rinse hair with apple cider vinegar; then apply coconut oil to the scalp. Wrap in a shower cap, and leave overnight or for several hours. Remove cap, and easily comb out the lice eggs without damaging the hair.

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Dandruff

Massage coconut oil into the scalp. The oil will moisturize to reduce dandruff symptoms, such as itching and flaking.

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Cheekbone Highlighter

Rub the oil across your cheekbones for a natural, dewy glow.

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Makeup Remover

Swap your makeup remover wipes for coconut oil to get rid of the pounds of mascara stuck to your lashes. The oil easily removes all traces of makeup. Just be sure to also wipe away the excess oil so it doesn’t irritate your eyes.

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Clean Makeup Brushes

Create a DIY makeup brush cleaner by combining antibacterial soap and coconut oil. The combination will deep-clean residue from brushes and condition the bristles.

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Chapstick

Since coconut oil is in a semisolid state at room temperature, it is the perfect consistency for a lip balm. Coconut oil is naturally SPF 4 and can remedy chapped lips.

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Athlete's Foot or Fungus

The next time you get athlete’s foot or a fungus, treat it with coconut oil. Levy says, “Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) are naturally occurring antifungal agents. They work to disrupt the lipid membrane in fungus.”

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Bug Shield

A balm of coconut oil and tea tree oil can keep bugs away and help prevent bites.

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Wound Care

Rub a thin layer of coconut oil on minor cuts, scrapes, and bruises. The oil calms the area and creates a barrier against dirt and bacteria.