It smells great, is readily accessible and can be stored for up to 2 years without ruining. Here are 7 little known alternative uses for coconut oil that you might not have come across… from chewing gum removal to houseplant wizardry

Jars or tubs of coconut oil can be readily picked up from most good supermarkets and health food stores. You should be able to pick up 400ml for around £7 – the good news is just a few magical drops goes a long way…

Here are the top 7 uses for it.

1. Use it as shaving cream for sensitive skin

If you find traditional shaving foam irritates or reacts with your skin try using coconut oil as a natural alternative. After showering or washing your face with warm water apply coconut oil to your skin pre-shave as you would a branded product.

Not only should you get an excellent, clean (and 100% natural) shave, the coconut oil will also act as a deep moisturiser leaving your skin feeling soft and supple afterwards.

2. Fight frizzy hair with just 3 drops

If you have fine, flyaway hair or thick, frizzy hair that’s hard to tame try using a little coconut oil to keep your magnificent mop in check.

3 or 4 drops should do the trick (you don’t want to make your hair greasy). Rub the oil into the palm of your hands and apply to dry hair. The coconut oil will help keep your hair soft while tackling some of those split ends – it also smells great.

3. Soothe chapped lips (naturally)

If you suffer from dry or chapped lips try using coconut old as a natural lip balm. You can store it in an old, unused lip balm if you want it for when you’re on the move. It does wonders for dry, chapped lips.

Tip: If you do carry it around with you, bear in mind that it’s more runny than normal lip balm so keep it in a sealed container that won’t leak or your pocket/bag will smell of exotic biscuits (delicious but impractical).

4. Use it as a deep conditioner for dry, coloured or damaged hair

Coconut oil does wonders for dry hair that lacks moisture or hair that’s been heavily treated, bleached or coloured. Try this treatment once or twice a week to give yourself hair that looks healthy and rehydrated.

Simply apply a small, 50p piece size dollop to damp, towel dried hair and leave it to do its magic for as long as you can. The longer tthe better, so if you can wait half an hour or more before washing it out with shampoo and conditioner you’ll see even better results.

5. Help your houseplants to shine

Give your houseplants a dose of natural bling by lovingly treating them to some coconut oil (it sounds mad but it works!)

Gently rub a little coconut oil onto the leaves using your fingers or a soft cloth to give them a natural shine that visibly helps brings them back to life.

6. Soften cuticles, heels and hard skin

Here’s another one for the ladies (and of course appearance conscious chaps). Coconut oil works as a great, natural cuticles softener. Simply leave it to soak into the skin before you get to work on the cuticles.

In case you’re wondering cuticles are that translucent layer of dead skin at the base of your nails. This trick doesn’t just work on cuticles, it can also help soften hard skin, for example on your heels.

7. Zap chewing gum from hair, rugs and carpets

Unless you’ve got a particularly mischievous little brother, or you’ve been head-butting dirty pavements, hopefully you won’t need to this for your hair… 

If you’ve accidentally trodden in chewing gum and it’s gone on your carpet try applying some coconut oil to the area before you try and remove it. It can help you prise it away more cleanly.

That’s it! If you found this helpful or if you’ve got any additional tips please leave a comment below.