Thought coconut oil was only for the kitchen? At first, so did I! About a year ago, my friend introduced me to a cheap and easy hair mask which contained one ingredient - coconut oil. After letting it soak into my locks overnight, I woke up with shockingly shiny and soft hair after washing it out. I was instantly hooked and it has become a staple in my beauty/skincare portfolio. Since then, I've discovered many other uses for this multitasking oil from mother nature:

1. Hair treatment

Grab a golf ball sized lump and rub hands together to melt it. Slather the oil into your hair, focusing on the ends. Twist hair into high bun and leave in overnight. In the morning, wash hair normally with shampoo and conditioner to remove some of the excess oil. After drying, hair will be lustrous and silky.

2. Lip balm & cuticle softener

Fill an empty circular lip balm jar with coconut oil and rub onto on lips and cuticles to provide moisture when needed. The fatty acids in the oil soften dry skin.

3. Body scrub

Mix a half cup of coconut oil with a handful of brown sugar to create tropical smelling scrub that smooths rough patches and evens skin tone.

4. Shaving oil

Replace a traditional foaming shaving cream with coconut oil to get closer to your skin and moisturize your body at the same time. It's also easier to clean a razor without the mound of foam.

5. Body lotion

Smear coconut oil on your body immediately after showering for a natural glow. The coconut oil helps strengthen underlying tissues and penetrates deep to provide lasting moisture. Tip: keep oil in fridge during the summer to prevent it from melting. The chilled oil cools your body and is particularly soothing for sunburned skin.

6. Makeup remover

Warm a small amount between your fingers and gently rub onto your eyelids. Remove oil with a cotton pad. Even your most stubborn makeup will be wiped away. The oil also conditions your lashes, which might help them grow, so it's even more of a reason to make the switch to coconut oil!

Do you know of any other uses for coconut oil?

xx Kathryn