How can you use coconut oil for your health at home?

Today, coconut oil is becoming a more and more popular product on the market, especially in the countries which do not have auspicious climate conditions for growing their own coconuts.

Unrefined coconut oil has a unique taste of nuts that is so loved by many people, however, the use of coconut oil for food preparation is still a rather controversial issue. On the one hand, coconut oil has a large amount of saturated fats that have been considered the major culprits for an increased level of “bad” cholesterol. On the other hand, many modern researchers claim that saturated fats do not cause problems with cholesterol levels, whereas trans-fats are actually dangerous. Furthermore, the exact types of fatty acids contained in coconut oil are considered to be extremely beneficial for the health of your brain and the product can be used as a preventative measure against such diseases as Alzheimer or Parkinson.

Whether these claims are true or not, there are still many ways in which you can use coconut oil and we would like to share some of them with you.

The difference between coconut oil and coconut butter

First of all, let’s make it clear – coconut oil and coconut butter are two different products. Moreover, the difference between them is actually not their consistency as many people believe since both coconut oil and coconut butter are solid products in the room temperature.

Coconut oil is pure extracted oil from coconuts, meanwhile coconut butter includes particles of the nut itself. That’s because for the production of coconut butter, the coconut flesh is also used.

As it has been mentioned, coconut oil is extracted, however, coconut butter is grounded coconut flesh that resembles more of a spreadable paste.

The use of coconut oil for your health

You might not be aware of that but coconut oil is not only a great beauty product, but it has many features that make it a great natural remedy for various skin conditions as well as other health issues. Let’s look at some of the most interesting cases for using coconut oil.

Natural sunscreen

No matter how beneficial for your health many plant oils are, the majority of them are not able to block ultraviolet radiation and therefore are not suitable for being used as a sole alternative to ready-to-use creams during the day.

When it comes to the ability of sun blocking, coconut oil is one of the greatest products since it can protect your skin from nearly 20% of sun radiation. This percentage is an equivalent to sunscreen creams with SPF7.

Of course, for some people, it is not enough, but if you want to sunbathe in a gentle way, coconut cream will be a great product for this purpose.

Health of teeth and gums

Coconut oil has strong antibacterial features which make this product highly useful for tooth care. According to some studies, the use of coconut oil can decrease the number of pathogenic bacteria causing dental plaque, erosion of tooth enamel as well as unpleasant smell in the mouth cavity with the same efficiency characterising special antibacterial products.

If you want to use coconut oil as a natural mouthwash, you just have rinse the oral cavity with the oil in its liquid form during ten minutes.

Increasing skin recovery

According to many studies, coconut oil can help your skin to recover from various unpleasant conditions. This oil increases the regeneration of skin layers which makes it an excellent product for treating cuts and other bruises as well as various rushes and external inflammations.

The greatest thing about using coconut oil for treating your skin is that this product decreases the probability of developing scars.

Natural insect repellent

If you are interested in the topic of natural product, you might be aware of the fact that some essential oils such as mint oil, lavender oil or tea tree oil are effective natural insect repellents. Unfortunately, these products are rather concentrated and thus, can cause allergic reactions in many people. For that reason it is recommended to use essential oils only with a so-called base oil and coconut oil is perfect for this purpose.

Combining coconut oil with appropriate essential oils can increase your anti-insect protection up to 99%.

Don’t forget to use coconut oil for treating insect bites as well. As you have just learnt, this will help you to get rid of inflammation and to heal the skin.

Coconut oil for healthy hair and scalp

Nowadays, more and more beauty experts are praising coconut oil for its unique features when it is used for hair. Actually, it is claimed that the combination of fatty acids in coconut oil makes it especially good for getting inside the deepest layers of a hair moisturising its structure especially efficiently. No wonder why many people choose this product as a natural substitute of a mask or conditioner.

Still, you should also know that coconut oil can be used for treating dandruff. Exactly due to its antibacterial properties which we discussed before, this product can help you to maintain healthy skin on your head. One of the ways to use it is by warming the oil up and applying three tablespoons of the product on your scalp. Leave the oil for 30 minutes and wash your hair with a shampoo.