Coconut oil is the top rated for the body. Natural coconut oil in facial care. What is coconut oil made of

This is a translation of a long article by Brian Shilhavy, editor of the online magazine Health Impact News, published at CoconutOil.com. Brian has been in the coconut industry for many years and therefore knows very well which coconut oil is the best and how to choose it correctly. So this article is an opportunity for you to get comprehensive and completely reliable information about this wonderful product. If you love him as much as I do, and even if not as much 🙂 - read it anyway. You will not find such an exclusive on the Russian-speaking Internet anywhere else.

If you are not just interested in this topic, but also want to purchase really high quality and healthy coconut oil, then read mine, which I found on iHerb. There you will also find a link to buy.

When my wife and I shipped the very first "virgin coconut oil" from the Philippines to the United States in 2001, there were only two other similar food products on the American market. Coconut oil was not popular 13 years ago, so the choice was limited. If you were using it as a dietary supplement back then, chances are you got information about fats and oils from Dr. Mary Enig. Dr. Enig championed saturated fat and condemned trans fats long before anyone else booed the misinformation emanating from the US edible oil industry. Many of her claims have been featured in Weston Price Foundation publications over the years, and we have published her research on CoconutOil.com as well.

Today, in early 2015, when it comes to buying coconut oil, there is already plenty to choose from. And here's what I'm going to do: I'll give you an insider's view of the current market, without mentioning any specific brands. This wonderful product is not produced in the same way, and therefore you need to choose it based on how you plan to use it.

But first, in order to decide which coconut oil is best for you, you need to find out which one it actually is, and how one differs from the other.

So let's get started!

Anti-virgin refined coconut oil

There are two main categories of coconut oil: one that is industrially produced in large quantities and just needs to be refined, and one that starts with fresh coconuts and is lightly refined. Yes, you read that correctly - it too refined.

Coconut oil is inherently refined because it doesn't grow on a tree - coconuts grow. As such, it must be extracted from whole coconuts, so technically speaking, the only real "unrefined" coconut oil is the one that's still inside the flesh of freshly picked nuts.

The term used to refer to the least refined of its kind is "". In the early 2000s, it was this terminology that was used to denote the least refined product, since it was also used in relation to other edible oils.

The definition of "virgin" was originally developed in an Internet discussion group we hosted, and various people have contributed to this definition, including industry insiders, academic leaders, and others. The definition we all agreed with at the time was that only virgin coconut oils that were not made from dried copra.

"Copra" Is an industrial term used in the Philippines to refer to a dried and shelled coconut that is inedible by itself and must therefore be further processed to produce coconut oil. Copra can be produced in several ways, including smoke drying, sun drying, or oven drying, and various derivatives of any of these methods or combinations thereof. The only thing they have in common is that the product at this point is not suitable for human consumption and therefore must be further processed. It smells of smoke, it is dirty - in general, while the product is in the form of copra, it does not look like food in any way. Copra is also a commodity, with its own market price, with its own niche separate from coconuts or coconut oil (finished product). In the coconut producing countries, there are traders and dealers who specialize in copra and sell it to coconut oil producers. Copra is also exported to different countries, including in the USA, where it is then processed for production purposes.

Consider the types of refined coconut oil that are on the market today.

Refined coconut oils

In producing countries, copra-based coconuts are commonly referred to as RBD, which means: refined, bleached, deodorized (refined, bleached, deodorized). Whitening is usually not chemical process, but by filtration to remove impurities. A special bleaching clay is used for this filtration. If the oil was originally obtained from copra, then it is deodorized with steam. Thus, the resulting product has very little taste and little or no odor.

One of the common misconceptions on the Internet is that only virgin coconut oil is healthy, while refined coconut oil is not, and that they can be harmful at all. In fact, this is not true, with a few exceptions, which I will discuss later. RBD grade coconut oils have been on the market for many years. They are essential edible oils for billions of people living in tropical climates around the world. The RBD purification process does nothing to alter the fatty acid profile in the product so that all MCFAs remain intact.

What the refining process really does is remove some of the nutrients. Virgin coconut oils in tests show more antioxidants, for example. But this fact does not make its RBD counterparts "unhelpful".

Here are the types of refined coconut oil you can find on the market today:

Expeller-pressed Coconut Oils (depressed)

This is typically RBD coconut oil, produced in tropical countries through mechanical "physical refining" from copra. Physical processing is considered "cleaner" than chemical processing, which uses extraction solvents such as "hexane".

In practice, the “expeller pressed” manufacturing method is often indicated on virgin product packaging. An expeller is, as I understand it, something like an auger in juicers, that is, the squeezing is done in a screw way. And they can squeeze both copra and fresh coconuts. - approx. Useful Shopping.

Coconut Oil

If there is no clarification and the term "coconut oil" is simply used, then it most likely belongs to the RBD category. It should be noted that copra is a product that is exported to the United States, where companies recycle it for non-food purposes - most often to make cleaning products and detergents, for example. Now, with the new rise in popularity of coconut oil in nutrition, some of these large American manufacturing companies are starting to package their product as food. It is safe to say that these cheaper oils are manufactured using extracting solvents. We don't know if any of these solvents are retained in the finished product, but if you want to be sure they aren't there, buy coconut oil that has been refined without them.

Hydrogenated Coconut Oil (hydrogenated)

This is the product to stay away from. A small proportion of unsaturated fatty acids are hydrogenated to form trans fats. It also allows the coconut oil to remain solid at higher temperatures. We have not yet encountered such a product in the US edible oil market. If it exists now, it is probably used as an ingredient in the confectionery industry in tropical countries. Standard coconut oil of the RBD category is solid up to 24-25 degrees Celsius, while in the tropics the ambient temperature is higher most of the time. Therefore, to keep it solid at higher temperatures, it is hydrogenated before being added to candy or baked goods, or made into margarine.

Liquid Coconut Oil (liquid)

A new product that appeared in grocery stores in 2013 was "liquid coconut oil" - it is positioned as "something that remains liquid even in the refrigerator." And while it looks like a novelty in the edible oils department, the product is by no means new. It is a "fractionated oil" from which lauric acid has been removed. It is also called "MCT oil". In the past, it was commonly used in skin care products, and more recently it has gained popularity as a dietary supplement as well. It is a refined product currently being marketed as edible oil. It is actually a by-product of the production of lauric acid. Lauric acid is known as a strong antimicrobial substance, and therefore it is actively used as a preservative in many types of production. Being a saturated fatty acid, and constituting about 50% of coconut oil, once it is removed, you are left with a much lower melting liquid oil. So if you come across this product online or in a store, just know that it is highly refined and it lacks the star component of coconut oil: lauric acid.

Virgin coconut oils

As I mentioned above, the common denominator by which the virgin class is determined is that the oil was obtained from fresh coconuts, and not from copra. However, nowhere in the world is there any certifying organization that defines or certifies coconut oils as "virgin" or "non-virgin", so anyone can use the term and put it on their label if they wish. The first thing to look for when choosing virgin coconut oil is whether it was squeezed out of copra or not. If copra is based on, then this is not a virgin product, but a regular RBD-refined version with a smart label.

Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

The name or term "extra virgin coconut oil" can often be found. What is the difference between "virgin" and "extra virgin"?

Nothing... There is no generally accepted definition for the "extra" virgin class, as is the case for the olive. This is just a marketing term and nothing more.

So when analyzing virgin coconut oils currently on the market (some of which are labeled as "extra virgin"), we can see two main production methods:

Derived from Dried Coconuts... With this method, fresh coconut pulp is first dried, and only then the oil is squeezed out of it. This method makes it easier to mass produce this product. Since the drying industry has become well established in coconut producing countries, many of the companies in the industry have added coconut oil to their product lines.
This is the most common type of coconut oil, marked "virgin "and"extravirgin ”, which you will find today on the Internet and in stores. It is mass-produced, but of a higher quality than the class.RBD as it starts with fresh coconuts, not copra.
Obtained by the process of "wet milling (wet-milling) "... With this method, the oil is extracted from the pulp of fresh coconuts without drying it first. First, "coconut milk" is obtained by squeezing it out of fresh, moist pulp. Then the oil is separated from the water. Methods that can be used include boiling, fermentation, refrigeration, enzyme use, and mechanical centrifuge.

Fortunately, coconut oil producing countries have done some research in the past few years. They began to realize that Western advice on dietary fats, which led to the demonization of their traditional fats and oils such as coconut, was largely political, not scientific.

In recent years, most of their research has been in the field of cholesterol and cardiovascular disease, as this area is the main site of attacks from Western countries. They realized that their traditional fats and oils were actually healthier than the newcomer soybean and corn, two crops heavily subsidized by the US government, which artificially lowers prices. We showcase most of this research on our page at CoconutOil.com. This study confirmed that not only does coconut oil NOT raise blood cholesterol levels, but that it does. lowers.

Researchers from universities in the Philippines, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and India have studied various ways to obtain coconut oil. It was difficult at first to understand what could be measured in the laboratory to determine if a virgin product was truly superior to its conventional RBD refined counterparts. They soon discovered that there was still one metric that could be measured, and by which one oil significantly outperformed another - the level antioxidants... The antioxidants were much higher in virgin coconut oil, especially the wet milled coconut oil described above.

Research on wet-milled virgin coconut oil

As discussed above, in the process of making coconut oil by "wet milling", it is extracted from a wet emulsion, or "milk," rather than pressed from dried coconuts.

So which kind of “wet milled” makes the highest quality virgin product possible? According to a number of studies, this fermentation a "wet milling" process that uses heat. This is the simple method of extracting coconut oil that people living in the tropics have used in their kitchens for hundreds of years.

The fermentation process first produces coconut milk from freshly grated coconuts. Then it is left to ferment for a while ( apparently meant to wander - approx. "Useful Shopping"), usually for one night. The heavier water gradually sinks to the bottom of the container, leaving a crystal clear layer of oil with coconut particles on the surface. After that, it is collected and placed in a pan that looks like a large wok and heated for a while until the coconut particles settle to the bottom of the pan. Then it is filtered.

The first study examining virgin coconut oil production methods was conducted in 2008 in Malaysia and published in the International Journal of Food Science Nutrition. This was the first study to report that the enzymatic wet milling method produces the highest amounts of antioxidants.

A 2011 study in Sri Lanka by Professor Kapila Seneviratne of the University of Kelaniya also showed that traditionally made "wet-milled" coconut oil has the highest levels of antioxidants.

The surprising thing about this study was that in fact it was heat increased the amount of antioxidants. Then ( and even now - approx. "Useful Shopping") it was widely believed that high temperatures had a negative effect on coconut oil, and therefore many manufacturers indicated on the packaging that it was “raw” and “cold-pressed”, and was not subjected to any heating (no heating ). Here's what The Sunday Times of Sri Lanka wrote back then:

“Even more surprises awaited the research team. There is a general consensus that oil quality deteriorates when cooking at high temperatures. But, as it became known, this does not apply to coconut, since it is thermally stable. “Fortunately, most of the phenolic antioxidants found in coconut oil are also thermally highly stable,” he said, explaining that the reason for the higher amounts of antioxidants is because more of them dissolves in the oil through prolonged high-temperature boiling. ”(Published in The Sunday Times of Sri Lanka October 16, 2011 - "Coconut Oil: Even After All, It's Still Good For You" by Kumudini Hettiarachchi and Shaveen Jeewandara).

In 2013, another study from India also showed that coconut oil obtained by wet grinding and using heat contains higher levels of antioxidants. The study compared cold extracted virgin coconut oil (CEVCO) with hot extracted virgin coconut oil (HEVCO) and standard refined option (CCO), and published the results in Food Science and Biotechnology ... Testing has shown that "Antioxidant activity in the HEVCO group was 80-87%, 65-70% in CEVCO, and 35-45% in MTR"... The researchers went further and commented why heating is necessary to obtain the highest amounts of antioxidants in virgin coconut oil:

"Increased level of polyphenols in the groupHEVCO may be associated with increased heat release of bound polyphenols. Coconut milk is an emulsion of water and oil that is stabilized by protein. To extract butter from coconut milk, the protein bond must be broken by heating in a double-walled kettle known asVCOcooker (steam vessel developed inCentralPlantationCropsResearchInstitute), while heating should be done slowly so that the protein curls up and releases the oil. "

This study clearly demonstrates to us that coconut oils made by "wet milling" and marketed as "cold" or "raw" or "cold pressed" actually have lower levels of antioxidants.

Conclusions.

So we have considered different kinds coconut oil on the market today. The last point remains: what about organic?

Obviously, any third party inspected organic compliance claim is a bonus. But is it necessary?

Apparently not.

There are no GMO varieties of coconuts, and there are very few pesticides used on coconut trees, although there are. Coconuts grow very high, so they are never sprayed with anything. Pesticides can only be added to the soil around the tree to be absorbed by the roots, or injected directly into the sap of the tree through the trunk.

Certification is an expensive process, and if you only choose certified organic coconut oils for yourself, you may be missing out on some of the most best products that do not have such a certificate. For example, bearing in mind that the traditional fermentation process described above showed the highest levels of antioxidants, if you are in the tropics, which would you prefer: certified organic virgin coconut oil, pressed from dried coconuts and available for purchase. in a store, or one you can make in your own kitchen from fresh, non-organic coconuts? Based on our research, the oil you make in the kitchen from fresh coconuts is the most delicious!

When considering the coconut oil on the market today, your choice will be largely determined by how you intend to use it and your budget. If you are looking for the highest quality extra virgin product, use the table below, which grades different varieties on a scale from 1 to 10.

Don't expect all of these details to be printed on labels. In addition, people working in retail grocery stores are unlikely to know the answers to specific questions about manufacturing methods.

Therefore, firstly, do your own research on the Internet, and also ask sellers for the information you need to make an informed buying decision. They should be able to contact their suppliers and find answers for you.

Better yet, ask all your questions directly to the manufacturer (note "Useful Shopping").

about the author

Unlike many people who write about coconut oil just by reading about it, Brian Shilhavy has lived with his family in its production area in the Philippines for several years. Marianita Jayder Shilhavy grew up on a coconut plantation in the Philippines, and simply in a culture that has a significant amount of coconut fats in the diet. She later earned a degree in nutrition and worked as a nutritionist in the Philippines. Brian Shilhavy and his wife Marianita, while living in the Philippines with their three children, saw firsthand the differences between the nutrition and health of the younger generation and those of the generation of Marianite parents who still eat traditionally. This led to several years of living among the rural farming community, during which Brian studied the characteristics of the Filipino diet. Brian is the author of the bestselling Extra Virgin Coconut Oil: How It Changed Lives and How It Can Change Yours! (“Virgin Coconut Oil: How it has changed people’s lives and how it can change yours!”).

In order to understand which coconut oil to choose for food, it is necessary at least in general terms to represent the technology of its production.

There are two main ways to obtain oil:

2. extraction.

SPIN- this is when crushed coconut copra is crushed under a press. If the copra is not preheated, this spin is called cold (in international terminology - Extra Virgin). If it heats up, the spin is called hot.

EXTRACTION- this is when the feedstock is poured with gasoline or hexane so that the oil goes into solution, and then the gasoline or hexane is evaporated. In this way, most of the refined vegetable oil is obtained, which is sold in our stores.

Oil obtained in any of these ways can be:

1.unrefined,

2. refined.

UNREFINED oil - filtered only from mechanical impurities. All additional substances (phosphatides (lecithin), waxes, free fatty acids, vitamins, water, etc.) remain. They give the oil its taste and smell. The biological value of such oil is higher than that of refined oil.

But unrefined coconut oil can only be heated up to 137-177 degrees (read the manufacturer's description in each case), that is, you can fry on it only over low and medium heat.

REFINED- passes through several stages of mechanical and physical cleaning, as a result of which the oil is neutralized to taste and clarified.

Is this oil good for you? Yes, because the MCTs, for which coconut oil is so prized, stay in place. But its biological value is lower than that of unrefined oil due to the partial loss of other useful substances during the refining process.

Refined coconut oil can be used for cooking at medium to high temperatures.

I divided the coconut oil on Ayherb into 3 groups:

1.unrefined cold pressed,

2.refined cold pressed,

3. refined, in which the spin method (cold or hot) is not specified.

I excluded the following options from the review:

Those in which the method of obtaining is not known;

Those that are not labeled "no trans fat" or "unhydrogenated";

Those that go in combination with coconut flakes, that is, they are essentially coconut paste, although they are called "butter" on the site.

In each group, I ranked the coconut oil in ascending order of price (from cheaper to more expensive). The price was indicated in dollars at the rate of 30 ml / g, excluding the discount.

Thus, if, while reading this article, there is a promotion for a brand from the list (as, for example, at the time of publication of this material - 20% on Nutiva) - it is necessary to subtract the discount from the price I give.

1. UNREFINED COLD PRESS (Extra Virgin)

Healthy Origins, Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, 54 oz (1.503 g) - 05.22 - 0.44

Now Foods, Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, 54 fl oz (1.6 L) - 28.49 - 0.53

Healthy Origins, Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, 29 oz (822 g) - 14.99 - 0.55

Jarrow Formulas, Natural Highly Refined Coconut Oil, 32 oz (946g) - 18.44 - 0.58

Now Foods, Organic, Natural Coconut Oil, 20 fl oz (591 ml) - 11.48 - 0.59

Healthy Origins, Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, 16 oz (454 g) - 8.81 - 0.59

Nutiva, Organic Coconut Oil, Virgin, 23 fl oz (680 ml) - 13.75 - 0.61

Nutiva, Natural, Purified Coconut Oil, 29 fl oz (858 ml) - 17.7 - 0.62

Jungle Products, Coconut Oil, 14 oz (397 g) - 8.73 - 0.66

Nutiva, Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, 54 fl oz (1.6 L) - 35.02 - 0.66

Spectrum Naturals, Organic Cold Pressed Coconut Oil, Unrefined, 14 fl oz (414 ml) - 8.9 (Note 137 degrees Celsius maximum heat) - 0.65

Nutiva, Nutiva, Nurture Vitality, Coconut Oil, Cold Pressed, 15 fl oz (444 ml) - 9.95 - 0.67

Nutiva, Organic Superfood, Coconut Oil, Virgin, 15 fl oz (444 ml) - 9.94 - 0.67

Earth Circle Organics, Organic Cold Pressed Coconut Oil, 16 oz (454 g) - 11.08 - 0.73

Nature's Way, Organic Coconut Oil, 16 oz (454 g) - 11.14 - 0.74

Forgive everyone who expects me to post on Shu, it happens that you just can't force yourself to talk about some topic ... But on another - a real stream of consciousness.
So, apparently, until I post everything I think about coconut oil, no uemura will come out)))))

The topic of coconut oil filled my entire mind for the simple reason that quite a lot of information has accumulated based on personal use of this wonderful product, plus I recently had an indicative negative experience with it.
Perhaps all regular readers of Cosmetists know that coconut oil is terribly useful - periodically there are materials on this topic and how to use it.
I will tell you about what I personally do with it, as well as how to distinguish good oil from bad and what is the use of bad.

Coconut oil is sold in almost all tropical countries where coconuts grow - Malaysia, Thailand, India, Bali ... It has become so popular that it can be easily found even in Russia. However, not all yoghurts are equally useful; all coconut oil is suitable for improving our unearthly beauty with you.

Here are two of my applicants, by their example I will show how good oil differs from bad.

I personally use coconut for the following purposes

1. The first and most important thing is quality hair masks... It is applied to the entire length of the hair, including the roots, massaged a little and under a towel for an hour. All this is done on dirty hair in order to protect it from damage during washing and to give nourishment to the roots. I am sure that regular use of this oil was one of the reasons why my hair stopped falling out and my hair looked better overall.
To quote Aromarty:
“American scientists have investigated the effect of mineral, sunflower and coconut oil on hair condition. Only coconut oil has been found to significantly reduce the loss of protein from hair when shampooing. The oil worked best if applied before and after washing while brushing. The effect of coconut oil is explained by the fact that of all the studied oils, it spread most evenly over the scalp, preventing the penetration of water and shampoo into it. A layer of oil on the hair protected the hair fibers from swelling and damage during toweling and brushing. "

The same Thais (I personally observed this) use coconut oil before swimming in the sea. Well, who, if not them, know the secrets of luxurious hair.

At one time, I have not tried any oils on my hair, the main problem here is that they need to be washed out. And if you wash it badly, then there will be beautiful icicles on your head in places. Burdock had to be washed 3-4 times, which in my humble opinion is more harmful to hair than good. Coconut should be washed off with shampoo easily. For people with short hair, it is enough to wash their hair once, with long hair - two. And here we touch on the first difference in the properties of good coconut oil from bad)) Bad oil won't wash out of your hair!
In one store here recently they gave me coconut oil as a gift for a purchase (in the photo this oil is on the left). In principle, it was already clear from the packaging that a gift from the series "God forbid that we do not want", but not to throw it away ...))
In general, after it, I washed my hair about 5 times, and it probably never did. Then for another three days I walked with fat icicles on my head and scratched myself like a bum, because this oil clearly did something wrong with my scalp. And such things happen due to poor oil purification.

Coconut oil is very easy to make. And of course, that in Thailand every second person does it who doesn't want to make money on tourists? However, I would not recommend buying it from vendors on beaches, in tents, in markets and at houses. The risk of buying poorly refined oil is very high. Not without pleasant exceptions, of course, but it is still better to buy it in specialized stores selling cosmetics. In pharmacies - rather no than yes, there is another extreme: oil can be with chemical and aromatic additives. You should not take oil without labels if you are not sure of the manufacturer - most likely it is again made by a handicraft method.

I buy oil myself from two places: the store for a brand that specializes in coconut oil products and a shop near my house. In the second case, they just sell oil without a label, but the quality is in no way inferior to the first (but such places are calculated only empirically).

Coconut oil can be applied to the ends of the hair while it is dry, it adds shine and prevents splitting. My always fluffy curls at the ends makes beautiful curls.
It is important not to overdo it, because oil is still not silicone and it is easy to make your head oily with it)) So all the tips need only half a drop rubbed in the palms.

2. Good coconut oil is very pleasant to use directly on the skin of the body after shower. First, it has a wonderful scent. The right coconut oil doesn't smell like bounty! but rather a freshly chopped coconut. Therefore, the smell is not strong, not harsh, but sweetish. Delicious and natural in general. Coconut oil is not as greasy as olive oil, it is well absorbed, while four to five drops are needed for the whole body. And about its healing and softening properties, everyone probably knows without me. I will only note that it is also good to use it during tanning - firstly, the skin immediately looks beautiful)) and secondly, the tan will be more even.
As far as I know, you cannot use coconut and any other oil after sunburn. The oils create a film effect on the burned skin, spreading the burn further. So it's better to have aloe vera or just a cold compress)))

For those who have problems with the heels of their feet, dryness or cracks, it is advised to make compresses from coconut oil. I have not tried it, because do not suffer.
This oil is an excellent moisturizer and soothing agent after shaving and epilation, reduces irritation, tested.

3. Based on coconut oil, you can make massage mixtures- drip a couple of drops of ethereal into it. The only drawback of coconut is that it is well absorbed into the skin, so a couple of palms of oil will be needed for one massage.

4. Coconut oil can dilute dry masks and body scrubs... In this case, they gain additional moisturizing properties without losing their own. I have already tried to mix dry salt scrubs with coconut oil and cream - the skin is really velvety.

5. All kinds of cosmetic products are made on the basis of coconut oil, but I would like to highlight soaps and lip balms. Coconut remarkably softens the skin of dry lips mixed with beeswax - you can even make such a balm yourself, it's simple)

Let's summarize the differences between good oil and bad

- it is imperative to inspect the oil before buying - a beautiful label almost always guarantees production control of the oil quality. You should not buy souvenir oils - in coconuts, in wooden bottles. Here you will pay for the packaging, and the quality may be below average.
- the color of the oil can be from completely transparent to light yellow. The dark yellow oil is clearly poorly refined. We look:

- the smell is pleasant, even gentle, not harsh! Be sure to sniff coconut oil before purchasing)
- consistency. I heard that there are people who, having bought coconut oil in a tropical country, come home, see that it has thickened and throw it away thinking that the oil has deteriorated. This, of course, is utter nonsense. The melting point of coconut oil is approx. 25 degrees, below this temperature it thickens. It then melts directly on the skin or can be melted in a water bath, if it is in a narrow vessel. When passing from one state to another, the oil does not lose its properties. And in general, coconut is stored for a very long time, up to three years.
- by experience, I found out that if coconut oil says that you can eat and drink it, then it is good)))

Here. I hope that my scribbling will help someone in choosing an oil and stop buying a low-quality one.
Thank you for the attention!

Coconut oil is a universal remedy for the care of face and body skin and hair. It can be taken inside.

It is very nutritious, hypoallergenic - suitable for both adults and children.

About how it is useful, how it can be used, where to buy coconut oil in Thailand and which one is better to choose.

I often use natural oils, but I fell in love with coconut only in Thailand. Still, Thai is different. Definitely for the better.

So, what is coconut oil useful for (in cosmetology):

well moisturizes and nourishes the skin,
helps against dryness and irritation,
restores the skin - very useful to use,
good for mature skin - adds firmness and reduces wrinkles,
strengthens and nourishes hair, gives it shine.

Application methods

For skin

Moisturize skin after shower.
For the face - like a very nourishing night cream. Or add a few drops to your cream.
As a makeup remover, it works well with waterproof cosmetics.
Use as massage oil.
For very dry skin areas such as elbows and heels.
In the cold season - to protect the skin from chapping.
As a hand and nail cream.
To relieve irritation (for example, after depilation).
Universal for baby skin care.

For hair

As a firming hair mask, apply heated oil to the roots and spread over the entire length. Ideally add a few drops essential oil- but only if you are sure of its quality. I like to add bay, rosemary and lavender oils - individually or mix it up to suit the mood. Wrap up your hair and hold the mask for at least half an hour (you can leave it overnight). Then you need to rinse with shampoo - you will have to rinse your hair 2-3 times (depending on your hair and shampoo). Quite long and dreary, but this is one of the best ways to care for your hair. Gorgeous strengthens and adds shine. Minus - the pigment will wash off the dyed hair faster.
As a remedy for the ends, rub a small amount of oil in the palms of your hands (just a little) and apply to the ends of the hair. This will protect against cutting.
Many Thai women apply coconut oil to their hair before swimming in the sea to protect it from the sun, salt and wind.
An option for the lazy is to buy ready-made masks based on coconut oil. But the effect will be weaker.

Varieties of coconut oil

Cold and hot pressed coconut oil

There are two ways to get oil from coconut: cold pressed and hot pressed.

Cold pressing involves grinding the coconut pulp and then squeezing the oils out of it.

In hot pressing, the pulp of the coconut is dried in an oven or in the sun, after which oil is squeezed out of it. Hot-pressed coconut oil is cheaper, but many nutrients are destroyed during heat treatment.

Virgin / Extra Virgin Coconut Oil is cold pressed coconut oil.
If the label simply says Coconut Oil, then it is either hot-pressed coconut oil, or a mixture of refined and unrefined oil.

Unrefined and refined coconut oil

During refining, the oil is heated, water and special additives are added to separate phospholipids, minerals, metals and other substances from the oil. Refined oil has a longer shelf life, is less capricious during transportation, has almost no smell and has no color.

But as you can imagine, it is less useful than unrefined.

Refined coconut oil can only be used topically; unrefined coconut oil can even be eaten.

If Virgin / Extra Virgin is written on the packaging with oil, it is 100% unrefined oil.
If Refined / RBD is indicated, it is refined oil.
To put it simply, Coconut Oil is either refined oil or a mixture of refined and unrefined oil.

How to choose the right coconut oil

The best oil is the one you can eat. It is definitely well refined and free of unnecessary additives.
Look for Virgin or Extra Virgin on the packaging.
Do not buy oil in obscure places (beaches, etc.) and without labels if you are not sure about the manufacturer.
Always look at the composition on the label. Even in pharmacies, you can stumble upon oil with additives, and in many cosmetic stores (such as Naka on Koh Samui) you can find mineral oil in the composition!
Coconut oil melts at +25 degrees Celsius, so if the temperature in the room is lower, it thickens and even hardens. If this does not happen, the oil is bad. What if the oil is frozen? It's simple, melt it in a water bath. Or directly on the skin. This will not affect the properties in any way, and neither will the shelf life.
The smell should be weak, not harsh, slightly sweet.
Dark coconut oil is a poorly refined oil. Good color is transparent to light yellow.

Where to Buy Coconut Oil

In Southeast Asia, including Thailand, it can be found almost everywhere. However, the quality of the product can vary greatly - I advise you to buy coconut oil from specialty beauty stores or grocery stores (cooking oil, but only labeled Extra Virgin).
Outside - can be found in oriental stores or in supermarkets, in departments with organic food.
Through online stores. For example, I recommend Tropicana oil -

from hot-pressed oil? Which coconut oil is good for food and which is topical? Answers to these and other questions in this article.

Today, more and more often, on store shelves, you can also find products made on its basis. Many consider this variety to be a common marketing ploy, and consuming coconut oil is nothing more than a fad. However, for many peoples it has long become a traditional ingredient, and has been used for several millennia. Studies proving the benefits of coconut oil have also been going on for a relatively long time. For example, lauric acid, which is part of it, has been used for more than 50 years to fight pathogenic bacteria. And in Europe and the United States, coconut oil has long been considered a favorite ingredient of bakery manufacturers, as it has a long shelf life and a melting point of 76 degrees.

However, these benefits really fade when doctors begin listing a list of medical advances in coconut oil. It helps even in extreme situations... For example, it is considered a real salvation for patients with hypothyroidism (or hypothyroidism). This is a condition of the body characterized by decreased production of thyroid hormone, which may be associated with a dysfunction of the thyroid gland. Coconut oil helps improve metabolism and raise body temperature to promote thyroid health. Limiting carbohydrates and increasing the amount of coconut oil in the diet will also help you lose weight. By applying the oil directly to your skin, you can fight a variety of skin conditions. The effect of the oil on the hair is also invaluable. Another plus: it helps in the fight against infections and viruses. today, it increasingly attracts athletes and fitness trainers, maintaining the necessary level of energy in the body without drugs or stimulants.

Cold pressed coconut oilVS hot pressed oil

However, in order to fully enjoy all useful properties coconut oil, you need to choose the right product. But how to do this if there are dozens of types of coconut oil on the market and all at different prices? Very simple - you just need to read the information on the label. And the first thing that interests us is the squeezing of coconut oil. If the label says Virgin or Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, it is cold pressed oil. If the label says simply Coconut Oil without clarification, then this is a hot-pressed product, or a mixture of refined and unrefined coconut oil. We will deal with refining a little later, but for now a few words about hot and cold pressing.

The fact is that coconut oil, like all other types of vegetable oils, by its nature is already a processed product, because it does not grow on a tree. All coconut oils must first be extracted from the coconut, so from a technical point of view, they are not 100% natural, as they require some kind of processing. The whole question is what kind of process. Mankind has essentially come up with only two ways to extract oil from coconut pulp: cold-pressed and hot-pressed. Cold pressing is more gentle, it allows you to store much more nutrients. Cold-pressed fresh coconut pulp is ground and oil is squeezed out of it using a conventional press. From a thousand ripe coconuts weighing 1,440 kg, approximately 170 kg of pulp comes out, from which only 70 liters of coconut oil of the highest quality can be cold pressed. This extra virgin oil is the most natural, retaining the most beneficial substances. The only drawback is that the oil obtained in this way will be more expensive.

Hot or "dry" processing (hot pressing) involves drying the coconut pulp in special ovens or in the sun. Then oil is extracted from it using the same pressing or chemicals. As you can imagine, this method is much less delicate, which means that it does not spare the beneficial substances contained in the oil.

Unrefined VS refined

Now we turn to the notorious refining process. If a can of coconut oil says Extra Virgin or Virgin, it is 100% unrefined oil. If the label says Refined or RBD, this is refined oil. Refined oil is most often obtained from hot-pressed oils. What is the refining process? In simple terms, with the help of heating, adding water, various acids and sodium hydroxide, all phospholipids, metals (they are also in the oil, of course, are), minerals, salts, free fatty acids, natural fragrances (the smell of coconut) and white -yellowish color. The result is an oil that is stored for a couple of years longer, has a more transparent color, less pronounced odor, easier to transport, does not clump, and more easily tolerates temperature changes. From a trade point of view, it is an ideal product. However, there are much less useful substances in refined oil - after all, amino acids, minerals and salts, which are rich in coconut oil, are removed during refining.

What is unrefined coconut oil used for?

Now about which coconut oil is used for what. interesting in that it can be used both in cooking and in cosmetology. It is ideal for children and diets. Coconut oil can be added to almost all dishes; it is suitable for desserts, soups, salads and drinks.

As if enveloping all the insides, it heals the damaged mucous membranes, therefore it is especially useful to use it internally for patients with an ulcer, and the active fight against pathogenic bacteria, which we talked about at the beginning, makes it indispensable for patients with gastritis, gastroduodenitis and duodenal diseases. Another spectrum of action is associated with the elimination of cholesterol, the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and atherosclerosis.

It is also useful for losing weight. To lose weight and prevent obesity, it is recommended to drink 1 glass before each meal warm water with the addition of 1 tablespoon of coconut oil.

If unrefined coconut oil do not use it inside, but just rinse your mouth with it, you can already achieve an excellent effect. Fifteen-minute rinsing with a tablespoon of oil will relieve bad breath, dental and oral cavity diseases. Although we advise you to take a sip of the miraculous oil. Among other things, it has an anti-stress effect, and this is really important in our time.

For cosmetic purposes, unrefined coconut oil can help treat psoriasis, dermatitis, or eczema. Experts also recommend using coconut oil as an additive in creams, tonics, and lotions. Then the products you already know will acquire a moisturizing and softening effect. Coconut oil is indispensable during the beach season. Spread before sunburn - vitamin E included in the composition will protect against excessive ultraviolet radiation, apply after sunbathing - protect against discomfort, feeling of tightness and redness. You can even use unrefined coconut oil in a tanning bed! Both for tanning and anti-scalding.

What is refined coconut oil used for

Refined coconut oil is also valuable. But exclusively for external use. It is used to get rid of cracked heels or rough skin on the elbows, for hair care. Both refined and unrefined coconut oil are recommended to be added to masks, balms and hair conditioners, you can treat split ends with it. With continued use, the hair will become more manageable, shiny and silky.