Coconut oil, not just for cooking.

This pantry staple has plenty of uses outside the kitchen.

I can’t help it—I’m absolutely obsessed with coconut oil. Of course, it’s great for cooking, but there have certainly been times when I’ve emptied my jars without ever sautéing anything. Here are some of my favourite ways to use the multipurpose oil beyond the frying pan:

1. Deep Conditioner

There are plenty of haircare products that boast coconut oil as an ingredient nowadays, but my mom always skipped the fancy bottles and went straight to the source. She would massage warmed liquid coconut oil into my scalp twice a month before bedtime all throughout my childhood. Although I was annoyed to have to sleep with a towel around my head, boy did my hair grow fast. After washing the oil out with shampoo in the morning, I’d walk away with shiny, soft tresses, and no dandruff to be found.

2. Eye Makeup Remover

For anyone who’s walked around sporting the remnants of yesterday’s mascara, you know that some eye makeup can be notoriously difficult to remove. Instead of splurging on an extra product, try lightly dabbing liquid coconut oil onto your lower lid with a clean fingertip, and gently wiping the makeup residue away. It lifts away easily, and any remaining oil can be spread across your skin to act as a moisturizer. Voila—no raccoon eyes for you!

3. Sunburn Salve

Too much fun in the sun? Soothe burns by massaging a light layer of coconut oil to the affected areas. According to Dr. Joshua Zeichner, director of Cosmetic & Clinical Research in Dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital, coconut oil’s moisturizing and skin-calming properties have been shown to enhance wound healing, making it helpful for taming inflamed skin. As an added bonus; it also has antimicrobial properties, which may help prevent infections.

SOURCE: Real Simple