The other day, I received a package of coconut oil in the mail from Carrington Farms. Since I had already cooked dinner for the night, I put it aside in my kitchen for later use (Truffle Pie with Sea Salt, anyone?). Turns out, I needed it sooner than I thought: That night, when I discovered I had run out of chap stick, I started googling around for alternatives and found that I could swap some coconut oil for my regular tube of Aquaphor. Hydrated lips restored, I did a bit more sleuthing and found out that this nifty cooking oil ( a cholesterol-free alternative to butter that’s rich in fatty acids), has some other healthy-living benefits I didn’t know about:

1. It moisturizes dry skin.
2. It restores split ends and nourishes dry hair. Coconut oil can also helps moisturize dry scalps.
3. Out of deodorant? Put a tiny dab of it under your arms.
4.  Massage it into nails to keep them healthy and strong. (And banish nail fungus)
5. You can dab it on blemishes and leave it on overnight to help fight acne.

I might just move that coconut oil out of my kitchen and into my bathroom cabinet!