6 surprising non-cooking uses for ghee

Have you already hopped aboard the ghee train? Maybe you’re using the clarified butter—which advocates consider Paleo-friendly, virtually free of lactose, and high in omega 3 and 9 fatty acids—in your daily cooking. It can be the healthy fat for your stir-fries, Bulletproof coffee, or simply spread on your morning Ezekiel toast.

But that’s just skimming the surface of what this Ayurvedic staple can do. Raquel Tavares Gunsagar, the cofounder of the popular Fourth & Heart brand, has found plenty of inspiring, creative ways to unleash the healing power of ghee that go beyond cooking with it. Here are some of her favorites.

Scroll down to learn how you can make the most of ghee outside of your kitchen.

Have some with your morning vitamins

Whether you use it in your breakfast cooking or just knock back a spoonful, ghee is a carrier for fundamental fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K. (The body can absorb these vitamins only in conjunction with superior-quality saturated fat.) Ghee has a high short-chain fatty acid profile, making it one of the more quickly digested fatty acids. The body absorbs it easily and converts it speedily to energy while metabolizing other nutrients you consume.

Cure minor burns and scrapes

Detailed research in India based on Ayuvedic practices found that a combination of honey and ghee, used with a gauze dressing, effectively addressed certain types of wounds (notably, those of ulcers and hysterectomies). Ghee is free of water and, in Ayurvedic medicine, noted to have healing properties; the pH of honey is lightly acidic and osmotic. Ghee helps the honey maintain its bacteriostatic, anti-microbial, healing, and pain-relieving benefits and acts as a carrier for them.

Use it as a hair mask or body oil

Ghee’s rich fatty-acid profile allows for quick absorption into the skin and hair follicles and it keeps your skin radiant for longer than your everyday body lotion. For a hair mask, add ghee to a leave-in conditioner, let it sit for an hour, and then shampoo and condition as usual. If you want to change the fragrance, simply add a drop of essential oil to a teaspoon of ghee and rub between your hands.

Soften your cuticles

The fatty acids in ghee allow the cuticle to break down and be moisturized at the same time. Dab ghee on your cuticles and rest your hands for 10 to 20 minutes. Then soak your hands in warm water with a pinch of Himalayan salt and your cuticles will practically dissolve. Simply push them back and polish!

Use it for oil pulling

While noted oil pullers like Kourtney Kardashian have been talking up coconut oil for their mouth rinses, Ayurvedic tradition uses ghee for the same purpose. It’s famed to make your teeth whiter and gums healthier. While plaque is not water soluble, it is fat soluble. Ghee is one of the best fats you can use. Just heat a tablespoon and swish in your mouth for 20 minutes every day.

Make a natural perfume

Much like using ghee as a lotion, you can also use it as a carrier for fragrance oil. Add a drop of essential oil into a teaspoon of ghee, mix it together on your palms, and dab it behind your ears and knees for a long-lasting fragrance.

Ghee is great—and so is coconut oil. Here’s how to cook with coconut oil, plus advice on choosing the best type.