There’s been a lot of research done recently confirming something that Complementary Health Practitioners have been saying for years! The chemicals that we’re being exposed to in a lot of our every day household products like beauty and cleaning products, perfumes, plastic food containers and drink bottles, candles, air fresheners etc. are wreaking havoc on our health, in particular our hormonal health. (If you want to read more about and some easy ways to reduce your exposure then just head over to this article and have a read).

So when there’s a simple, cheap way to replace a whole heap of chemical products with just one thing you can buy at any supermarket, I’m all for it!!

Here are 20 ways that you can use coconut oil really effectively around the home, and basically remove the need for a whole range of products that are usually filled with hormone disrupting chemicals.

1. Grease and squeaky hinge or wheel around the house. I used it on a squeaky metal hook on my handbag only this week. No need to buy any WD40 or other petroleum products.

2. Use a small amount on a cloth make leather products look good as new again.

3. Polishing a small amount into wooden products brings them back to life. Chopping boards, salad bowls, even some furniture.

4. Use as an all over body moisturiser.

5. Use coffee grounds, raw sugar and coconut oil make the most amazing body scrub. I’d never bother buying body scrub again after using this. You can also add some pure essential oils to make it even more luxurious. I do this once a week and it makes your skin feel amazing.

6. Rub into your cuticles and leave for a couple of minutes before pushing them back as a replacement for chemical cuticle products.

7. Works perfectly as an eye makeup remover. Massage a small amount over the eye area and remove gently with a cloth.

8. It works perfectly as a replacement for shaving cream. My husband has been doing this for years and I use it to shave my legs if I’m not doing it in the shower (in which case I just use soap).

9. Oil pulling. Put ½ a tsp in your mouth once daily for up to 5 minutes to get in and around all of your teeth to flush away bacteria. It can even start to heal up many gum infections and whiten your teeth over time, without destroying the oral microbiome like chemical products can do. Spit the coconut oil out after this process, DO NOT SWALLOW IT, you don’t want to then swallow all of that bacteria. (reference. my own dentist Dr David Cowhig, Dental Wellness Brisbane)

10. Use a VERY SMALL AMOUNT on a cloth to wipe down the leaves of indoor plants to remove dust and make them look beautiful and shiny again.

11. Use a small amount on your finger to help remove a tight ring.

12. Clean and polish stainless steel kitchen products.

13. Scrape out the last bits of any lipstick, mix well with a small amount of coconut oil and store in a small tin or container to use as a tinted lip gloss.

14. Add a 1-2TB to a warm bath to moisturise the skin. Be careful when getting in and out in case the bath becomes slippery.

15. Apply to any small cuts or scrapes for the antibacterial properties and you can even mix with a drop or 2 of Tea Tree oil for better results. (Tea tree oil is one of my other favourites that I use all the time for lots of different things around the house)

16. Season cast iron cookware.

17. Mix with some bicarb soda to make a paste to remove marks from walls, tiles etc. like crayon, texta and pencil.

18. This same coconut oil and bicarb mix will remove sticky residue and glue from almost any surface.

19. You can use it as a hair mask by brushing through your hair and leave for 5-10 minutes before washing out, or even just on the ends for people with oiler hair which is what I do.

20. Also instead of using hairspray or another hair product for little fly away hairs, I rub a very small amount in the palm of my hands and pat gently onto my hair to keep it neater and in place.

And of course, it’s also great for cooking and baking!

I haven’t just thrown this list together after a google search, these are all genuinely things that I do all the time.

Pure unrefined coconut oil is always the best option and these days you can get it from any supermarket, health food store or market. Sometimes it can seem daunting and expensive thinking about making the change to healthier products, but it really doesn’t need to be. Even if you just start with a few of these things that I’ve listed, you'll be dramatically reducing the toxic load for yourself and your family.

Belinda x