The Kitchen Pantry Item That Can Be Used For A Ton Of Travel Beauty Needs

Packing for a trip can involve a lot of toiletry items. You've got moisturizer, facial scrub, hair cream, lotion, mouthwash, lip balm, conditioner, eye cream, and so many other little items to try to fit in 3.4-ounce bottles in a quart-sized clear plastic bag. It bulks up your carry-on and complicates your packing. What if we told you about a packing hack that could eliminate a lot of extra items, is natural, and is useful in most places you travel? 

This magical (and pretty inexpensive) item is coconut oil, and a small jar of it can take on most of your self-care requirements, but that's not all. It has so many uses, including some you might not have ever thought of. Before heading into the benefits, remember that while coconut oil is solid in cooler temperatures (under 78 degrees Fahrenheit), you should treat it as a liquid when bringing it through TSA checkpoints and keep it in a clear plastic bag just in case. Now, let's take a look at the incredible amount of uses for coconut oil.

If you have beauty items at home, some of them likely contain coconut oil. It's incredibly versatile in the bathroom. You can use it as a leave-in conditioner on your hair, giving you some frizz control and moisture. Use it to remove stubborn eye makeup and as a facial moisturizer. You can use it on your body as well. Need a lip balm? Coconut oil has you covered. Having some issues with flaky skin? Grab a couple of salt, coffee, or sugar packets from the coffee station in your hotel or the fast food place you stopped on your road trip and combine them to make a DIY scrub. 

Coconut oil makes a great eye cream (use it with your ring finger and pat it on to avoid tugging on delicate skin) and an effective cuticle oil and nail conditioner. Coconut oil helps kill off harmful bacteria, according to Huffington Post, making it a good mouthwash and a tool for "oil pulling." That's using a tablespoon of coconut oil and swishing it through the mouth for 10-20 minutes, which is reported to help freshen breath and reduce gum inflammation. It can also quickly soothe mouth ulcers. 

Coconut oil is a great product for beach or pool vacations as well, since it can work as a barrier to help keep pool chemicals away from your skin. Massage it through your hair before swimming to help protect it from salt and chemicals. (If it seems overly oily at the end of the day, put shampoo on your hair before you wet it again and massage before rinsing.) 

Do you want super smooth legs? Coconut oil is fantastic as a shaving cream. The oil is, as we said, great for moisturizing, and that can keep your sunburn from peeling as badly if you do end up getting one. One really great feature is that it won't pollute the ocean as some creams and lotions can do. Coconut oil has antifungal, antimicrobial, and antibacterial benefits, making it helpful to put on cuts and scrapes until you can clean them properly. Carrying a little jar of it in your purse or backpack is a good idea on a hiking trip for just that reason. You can also use it to soothe dry skin around the toenails to help prevent hangnails. With all this new info in mind, take a look at your toiletries bag before your next trip and see how much of your other products you can swap out for this multi-use marvel.