Our baby girl is 6+ years younger than her older siblings , and I was not physically prepared for nursing again. I was literally sobbing from the pain. My nipples were cracked and bleeding, and I was miserable. I was desperate to find something to soothe them but didn’t want to have to clean them every time I needed to nurse my baby. I was researching options and found a recipe for nipple cream that included coconut oil.

Then I remembered there was an unopened jar of coconut oil in the pantry that I had bought for cooking. I was so excited because I knew it would be safe for my baby (she is not allergic to it, but some babies may be), it was available in my house at that very (painful) moment, it is anti-fungal and anti-bacterial, and affordable.

So the jar of coconut oil saved my breastfeeding experience, and it has stayed there next to my bathroom sink ever since.

Eight coconut oil uses in the bathroom

1. Nipple cream: I’m not actually using it for this purpose anymore, but I did for a long time. I used the coconut oil as often as I was in the restroom and after nursing. In conjunction with rest and hand expression, I was able to restart nursing full time within a couple of days.

2. Lip moisturizer/gloss: I dab a little on my lips several times a day. It is very shiny at first, but absorbs in quickly. I have never tasted any flavor doing this. Did you know coconut oil is a natural sunscreen? Neither did I, but I found this study which estimates the SPF value at 8. That’s pretty good for a natural oil.

3. Cuticle cream: Dab it on the fingers and toes to moisturize. I rub it into the cuticles, over and under the nail. Summer and winter are the worst times for my hands. The coconut oil helps a lot.

4. Dry/itchy patches of skin: I use coconut oil on any dry or itchy areas of skin…after I shave, cracked skin over knuckles, and psoriasis patches.

5. Sunburns: I felt horrible recently when my son was terribly sunburned after playing outside one day. His shoulders were just bright red! We started putting coconut oil on it because it was the only thing he would tolerate. He did not like the feeling of the lotions or aloe on his skin, but the oil was light enough to be comfortable for him.

6. Getting gum out of hair: Recently, I used it to get something sticky (It may or may not have been gum) out of the baby’s hair. The oil worked nicely to pull the sticky substance…whatever it was…out of the baby’s hair.

7. Eye make up remover-this is my favorite current use because I hate buying and using eye makeup remover. I don’t like the oily greasy mess from the store bought brands. Now I just use warm a little up between my fingers and wipe over my eyes. Then the makeup comes right off with a tissue. I can gently rub the coconut oil in for moisturizer under my eyes. I do this daily, and it has not burned my eyes. Just my experience.

8. Chafing: We don’t like to talk about this, but it’s summertime and not all of us are blessed with a thigh gap. Okay? It works to prevent and treat. Enough said.

Refined versus Unrefined

Some debate the benefits of unrefined vs refined coconut oil. Refined coconut oil is better for cooking. It doesn’t have a strong coconut flavor or scent. The process to bleach and refine the oil takes away some of the antioxidant benefits. However, the benefits provided by the fatty acids remain the same. Sometimes the process to extract and refine the oils creates trans-fats which I would avoid. I prefer refined coconut oil when I don’t want the taste or smell of coconut.

Unrefined coconut oil boasts the benefit of that delicious coconut smell and taste. The health benefits of the oil are maintained in unrefined oils, but they are more pricey. Personally, although I prefer to buy organic when possible, I keep and use both of the oils pictured above.

I know I am not the only one talking about great coconut oil uses. I figured there were lots of really smart people out there using coconut oil for things I haven’t even thought of yet.

More ideas for using coconut oil

Homemade toothpaste: This recipe is simple to make with very few ingredients. I love the flexibility for flavors using essential oils.

Deep Conditioner:  I’m going to have to try this as my hair definitely suffers from hair dryer and flat iron damage.

Shaving Cream: This is an obvious use that I haven’t considered yet. I think it could get really slippery, though, so be careful if you try this!

DIY Sugar Scrub: I’m gonna have to try this. I like to use a sugar scrub after shaving, but they are really pricey.

Stain Remover: who would have thought that coconut oil plus baking soda would remove stains?

Furniture Polish: Using coconut oil, vinegar, and lemon juice this spray can be used on wood furniture to create a nice clean shine.

What are your favorite coconut oil uses? I’d love to hear your suggestions.

By the way, do you like to garden? I have a free resource for getting great results.

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But that is okay because this DIY is great for very young kids, and it will only take a few minutes and a few dollars to do it. It is not an original idea. Sharpie mugs are all over Pinterest. But they are super easy, fast and adorable!

Easy Father’s Day DIY shopping list:

1. White Mug – Not a fancy mug. Just a plain ol mug. Preferably unglazed, but I couldn’t find one.

2. Sharpies – Get your favorite colors or just use ones you already have.

3. Letter Stickers – What do you want to say? #1 Dad? Super Dad? This is up to you and your kids.

You may have all you need in your house right now. You don’t even need to write the list down. I told you this is super easy.

Decorate and Bake

Step 1: Apply stickers to mug to spell out whatever it is you want to say. We went with Dada since that is the baby’s favorite word.

Step 2: Color with sharpies! Older kids should have fun being creative for this part. Allow them the freedom to write or draw whatever they want. Being only 18 months old, the baby scribbled most of the lines on the mug. Many others were drawn on her arm and the kitchen table. With her attention span, she was done with this project within two minutes. I had to fill in around the letters to make them stand out. But I left most of the scribbles just the way she drew them.

Step 3: Pull off the stickers.

Step 4: Turn upside down onto a baking sheet. Place in a cool oven. Then set the oven to bake at 300 degrees. Bake 30-40 minutes. The sharpie mug should be dishwasher proof, but I will probably hand wash just to preserve it longer.**

**update** The sharpie art does not survive the dishwasher! My son put the mug in the dishwasher one night, and it definitely ruined the artwork. We are going to have to try again with an unglazed mug and longer bake time because Dada was very sad that his special artwork disappeared.

Step 5: That’s it! Pat yourself on the back for doing a DIY for Father’s Day in time for Father’s Day.

If you are an extreme DIYer then this project will not impress you. I totally get that. If you are a busy mom who wanted to do something for Father’s Day but just ran out of time…then this project is for you. I can’t see a dad not loving an original masterpiece from his sweet babies.

Happy Father’s Day to all the great dads out there!

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