Oh my goodness guys, why didn't anyone tell me about coconut oil sooner? Okay, so maybe a few people did and all of the blogosphere did. Hmmm, whoops. Specifically, I apologize to my former roommate and friend Caitlin for singing it's praises like eight million times in the past year and a half, and me ignoring it.

For whatever reason, I kind of just ignored the coconut oil trend. I thought it was wildly over-hyped, semi-expensive (but maybe that's just the frugal gal in me that couldn't justify buying a whole jar of oil for $8-$12) and people acted like it could work for almost anything and everything. I was skeptical and slightly irked by the fact that you could cook with it and the use it to moisturize your skin. Surely, it couldn't be all that. Right?

Well, I was wrong. Usually, I'm pretty dead on in my belief of trends. There are some I love and am willing to try and others I find cheesy and fad-like (fishnet/sequin purses, wearing feather extensions in your hair, and gaucho pants in Jr. High/High School for example). I thought the crazed coconut oil trend would pass, but no such luck. It wasn't until I came across this blog post about oil pulling that I really heavily thought about giving coconut oil a try. It sounded magical and I guess I just got the point where I had to know if it really was everything everyone claimed it to be.

So, a few weeks ago, I swallowed my pride and the cash register at Ozark Natural Foods swallowed my $10. Then, suddenly I owned a jar of coconut oil. Cool?

Over the past few weeks I've been experimenting with coconut oil in new ways, testing it out all the crazy ways people have advised using it. My first stop on the coconut oil train, was to try oil pulling. I've done it a few times a week since buying my coconut oil and have to say that I'm seeing results. My teeth are slightly whiter and I feel like the overall health of my mouth is improved with the addition of oil pulling to my normal routine. I'm curious to see if the results will be more dramatic with time.

The next way I used coconut oil is as a lip balm. I slather it on my lips much like I would Carmex and head out the door. If you're a gal who just needs something on your lips, I'd highly recommend coconut oil. The smell is nice enough and my lips feel soft and smooth after applying. It's not as long lasting as I'd hoped, but it's great for everyday wear when I'm not in the mood for sticky lip glosses or a lot color. I'm sure some genius out there has perfected making coconut oil lip balm (which I will now have to Google).

My formal was Saturday and, naturally, I wanted super smooth legs. I saw this article and saw that you could use coconut oil as shave cream. The skepticism returned, but I gave it a go anyways. Holy h-double-hockey-sticks guys! It works. My legs were SO smooth for formal. The warm water softened the oil and made it easier to slather onto my legs. My legs felt so smooth during the shave and after. It built a semi-waxy coat on my legs, but a quick rinse and some soap set them straight. I was basically amazed.

Lastly, yesterday in the shower, I noticed that I had run out of deep-conditioner and I gave coconut oil a try in replacing my deep conditioner. The shower softened the oil, but I also let it sit in my palm until it was totally liquid, and then applied it to my hair. I let it sit for a few minutes and then washed it out as I would a normal conditioner. I followed up with a natural sulfate free shampoo, and noticed that my hair was not only softer, but much less tangled! I love the fact that coconut oil can replace a lot of my go-to shower products. This fact alone makes the $10 I spent totally worth it.

Here are some other ways (and I'm sure there is 1000 more) you can use coconut oil:

• eye make-up remover (I'm interested in giving this way a go next)
• body moisturizer (my friend Caitlin used her coconut oil this way and loved it)
• can cook with it
• preventing frizz and fly-aways
• protecting hair from chlorine (perfect for summer!)

So, if you're in search for something new to add to your beauty regime or just late to the party like me, I highly recommend you pick up a jar of coconut oil next time you're at the grocery store! So, far I've only tried this brand, but am eager to try others.

If you have a go-to brand let me know! Also, if you already use coconut oil, what is your favorite way to incorporate it into your daily routine?