Coconut Oil To Shave?

YES! Coconut oil is amazing to use as your "lubricant" for shaving. I wish I had learned about this earlier.  Heck, I wish I had known I could use coconut oil when I first started shaving.  It would have saved me a world of trouble, dealing with razor burn and itchiness. 

Really, any coconut oil would work.  Currently, I am using the Whole Foods generic store brand: 365 Everyday Value. This particular jar is the organic, refined coconut oil that has been expeller pressed.  I accidentally picked this one up when I meant to get the unrefined.  The unrefined would have been more pure and also would have had more coconut smell and taste to it.  Mine has zero of either. Bummer.

As you can see from the photo looking into the jar, mine looks like a disgusting mess.  I promise you it isn't.  I don't ever stick my fingers into the jar.  I only scoop out what I need with a spoon and then store the jar away again.  I had bought it with the intentions to use it to cook with and to remove my makeup.  I rarely cook with it.  I think I have cooked with it twice.  I just prefer to use extra virgin olive oil. However, I do use it to remove my makeup.  It is the best makeup remover I have ever used.   It is also the best shave gel? cream?......OIL.... I have ever used!

The melting point is right around 76 degrees F, so when I take my little bowl to the shower it is still mostly solid.  It is more of a mush, but you get the idea.  If the heat from your shower doesn't turn it into a liquid by the time you are ready to use it, all you have to do is scoop it up into your hand and let it set for a few seconds and it will melt down. I slather it onto one leg at a time. Shave. Repeat on other leg. 

I haven't noticed it damaging or gunking up the razor in any way.  I had some concerns about that when I initially decided to try this method out.  As the oil settles onto the skin it doesn't have the same kind of slip as soap or traditional shave gel, but the end result is more ideal for me.  I have very sensitive skin and no matter what product I use, I would end up with tight, itchy, sometimes burning skin that made me run for my bottle of lotion.  Even after bathing in a bottle of lotion, I'd still often end up with ugly little red bumps.  It was horrible!  The closest I have come to not experiencing those horrors was when I started using the Gillette Venus & Olay razor for women. The Olay strip on that razor seems to be the trick, but the downside is that it doesn't last nearly as long as I would hope, and is gone long before the life of the blade is through.  And before someone suggests "why not try using Olay soap instead, then?" ....That was one of my very first thoughts.  I did that.  It just wasn't the same. 

The coconut oil moisturizes and protects the skin at the same time so I never get the irritation that I usually get from other shave products.  I can get out of the shower and still feel like my skin is being "coated" by the oil.  It doesn't bother me because it will sink in and it doesn't have the gross slip that some other oils have.  In fact, I like to have a tiny bit of extra coconut oil in my bowl for after I have finished shaving.  I will rub it on just before I step out of the shower.  This eliminates the step of applying lotion.

All in all, coconut oil is a miracle product for so many reasons.  There are a zillion and three uses for it and I have yet to be let down.  I will most assuredly be sharing some of the discoveries I have made in the future.  I just keep stumbling upon new uses for it!  I highly, HIGHLY suggest running to your nearest natural food market (or the natural food aisles in your regular grocery store) and grabbing a jar of pure coconut oil to try out for yourself. 

If you are already using coconut oil to replace a particular product, please share!  I'd love to know how you are using it and may want to try it out for myself!  Also, if you have a favorite brand of coconut oil, let me know what it is and why.

*this post may contain an affiliate ad/link for the brand of coconut oil that my Mother in Law uses. If you want a coconut oil that has a fantastic, strong coconut scent, try this one.  But be careful, you will want to eat it by the spoonful! :-)