Coconut oil is one of the most diverse and useful staples to have in your home. It can literally be used for just about everything. I have been using it for cooking, oral hygiene, conditioner, moisturize and so much more. There are literally jars of coconut oil in almost every room of my house used for different things.

First and foremost, coconut oil should be used in your cooking. It is an MCFA (medium-chain-fatty-acid) Oil and is extremely useful for providing sustainable energy in the human body. Coconut oil has a much higher temperature tolerance than extra virgin olive oil. The fat molecules in the coconut oil stay intact making it much safer to use for cooking. Coconut oil can replace just about any oil in your recipes and it's much healthier for you. I use coconut oil in place of butter even when I fry my eggs in the morning.

One of Mother Nature's best skin moisturizers can be found in your coconut oil jar as well. I personally mix a base of coconut oil with a couple of my essential oils for my own special blend. You can do this yourself or, of course, use just the coconut oil. It melts at about 74 degrees F so when it gets solid it will melt again as soon as you put it in your hand or on your body. It works great as a hair moisturizer as well. I have long hair and in the winter the heat makes it go everywhere. I just rub a little coconut oil on my hands and lightly touch my hair and get it right under control. It can help relieve itching as well.

If you are a mom you have probably dealt with lice in your kids hair. If you haven't, consider yourself lucky. I was horrified the first time but that's part of school. Here's something that works and isn't poison. Rinse the hair with apple cider vinegar and let it dry. Massage coconut oil into the entire head and let it sit for 12-24 hours. Comb with a fine tooth comb and then shampoo.

Needless to say a little coconut oil will easily remove your makeup and if you don't like the feel of the oil you can always wash and rinse afterward. You can also combine a half cup of sea salt or sugar with the same amount of coconut oil and massage it into rough spots on your skin. For tougher spots like heels just add a little more of the salt or sugar.

So many things you can do with coconut oil and all without harm to you or the environment. And it's very affordable as well. Love to share tips that can help us all in our everyday lives. As a travel nurse or professional healthcare traveler a jar of coconut oil can replace so many items in your home away from home. Safe travels!..

Mary Crawford, HealthCare Employment Network