If you know anything about me, you need to know that I love love love coconut oil. Coconut oil is a staple in my beauty routine. I use straight coconut oil for everything, including hair care and skin care. Coconut oil is like one of nature's beauty gifts to women and it's popping up in some amazing products. Did you know that coconut oil is one of the few oils that actually penetrate the hair shaft to internally moisturize hair? Check out two of my favorite products featuring coconut oil and some other uses for coconut oil.

(Nars Body Glow, $59.00 Sephora.com)

1. Nars Body Glow: Apply this liquid bronzer to legs, arms, shoulders and décolletage for a sexy glow this winter when you're wearing your favorite holiday party dress. The Monoi de Tahiti oil mixed with coconut oil gives you a healthy glow, plus offers an unexpected scent that whisks you away to your own exotic vacation any day.

2. Chagrin Valley Coconut Milk Shampoo Bar: If you have yet to try out a shampoo bar, what are you waiting for? Shampoo bars are great for relaxed, natural, or color treated hair because they are usually sulfate free and more gentle than traditional shampoos. Chagrin Valley makes my favorite shampoo bars, but the Coconut Milk Shampoo bar has recently stolen my heart. It's made with coconut milk, has no scent added and adds shine, moisture, and strength to my hair. (Chagrin Vally Coconut Milk Shampoo Bar, $6.65 ChagrinValleySoap.com).

(Desert Essence Organics Coconut Shampoo & Conditioner, $8.99 DesertEssence.com)

3. Desert Essence Organics Coconut Shampoo and Conditioner: If shampoo bars don't strike your fancy, try a traditional shampoo and conditioner combo from Desert Essence Organics. What catches my attention is that this shampoo is free of parabens, sodium laurly/laureth sulfates, phthalates, artificial fragrances or colors, silicones, EDTA, glycol and petroleum based ingredients.

Have you already jumped onto the coconut oil bandwagon only to be stumped at how you are actually going to use the stuff? Continue reading to find out a few of my favorite uses for that tub of coconut oil:

1. Pre-Shampoo treatment – The night before shampooing I like to apply coconut oil throughout my hair and treat myself to a nice scalp massage before bed. I wrap my hair up with a scarf and then in the AM shampoo and my hair has some serious shine.

2. Cuticle treatment – Apply a small amount of coconut oil to your cuticles nightly and see a vast improvement in your nails and cuticles in weeks!

3. Deep Conditoning treatment – Add a bit of coconut oil to your favorite deep conditioner and watch how much more shine your hair has.

4. Body Oil – If your skin is really really dry and nothing is touching the ash, try coconut oil.