I'm back, baby....with Coconut Oil

So, I've taken a two month-ish hiatus from blogging.  June was super busy and July was the month from hell personally, but now I'm back in full force.  I have a LOT to catch you guys up on, but first, I want to start with my new love:  coconut oil. 

I'm a certified Amazon addict.  One day, while I was searching for God knows what, I stumbled upon this coconut oil.  First of all, it's super cheap.  Secondly, the reviews were amazing.  I figured I'd give it a try. 

It arrived at my doorstep of course, completely liquefied, because I live in hell (aka South Texas).  It took a little while to solidify in my house, but once it did, I got to town examining it.  The texture is almost like a really fine, fragile shortening.  It's a milky opaque white when solid and clear when liquid.  It melts at the touch of your hand, or in the microwave in about 20-30 seconds.  The smell, also, is AMAZING! 

Here is what I have used this magical stuff for:

1. Makeup remover:  Bye, bye harsh chemical makeup remover that burns my eyes and stings my skin.  This stuff is incredible and leaves my very dry eyes extremely moisturized.  I get a little dab on my fingers, rub my eyes with it, and wipe off with a cotton ball or dark towel. 

2. Hair mask:  I love using this stuff when I take baths.  I apply from about the nape of my neck down and put my hair in a bun.  Then, I put a shower cap on to generate some heat to open the cuticle of the hair so the oil can penetrate the hair easily.  I leave this on as long as I can, usually about 20 minutes, shampoo and condition normally, and my hair feels amazingly silky and soft afterward.

3. Cooking:  You can replace coconut oil with any cooking oil.  I've used this mostly in sweets.  My absolute favorite thing in the world right now is to add a dab of coconut oil to peanut butter and dip pretzels in it.  It is decadent!

4. Dogs:  Cooper (my longhair Dachshund) has severe skin allergies and issues.  His skin dries and flakes very easily after bathing.  I usually use shampoo and conditioner on him, but sometimes the conditioner residue irritates his skin.  One day, I added a dab of coconut oil while shampooing him.  I rinsed thoroughly, and his skin and fur have never been softer.  It was also super moisturized, smelled great, and saved me the added step of applying conditioner.  I've also given Cooper a small spoonful when I want an instant breath freshener.  He loves it, and it's supposed to be a natural anti inflammatory and good for gum health, so win-win.

5. Sun burns: My sweetie is a keeper in soccer, so he usually comes home with sun burns on the weekend, no matter how much sunscreen he applies that morning.  One day after a particularly hot soccer game, he came home with a red face.  After his shower, he slathered some coconut oil on his face felt instant relief.

There about a million other uses for coconut oil, and tons of forums which recommend uses you probably have never thought of.  It's incredible stuff, and I would absolutely recommend it!