In recent years, the popularity of coconut oil has soared. It is used in food and cooking, in skincare products, in cosmetic manufacturing and more. Did you know that coconut oil is 100% fat, with 85-90% of this fat being saturated fat? This composition of highly saturated fat is what gives coconut oil a firm texture at cold and room temperatures. Fat is composed of smaller molecules called fatty acids and there are several of these in coconut oil. The most predominant of the fatty acids in coconut oil is lauric acid, which makes up almost 50% of coconut oil.
Coconut oil is solid white and is stable when exposed to air. With a melting point of 76 degrees Fahrenheit, coconut oil is sometimes referred to commercially as “Coconut 76”.
At Be Green Bath & Body, we use refined organic coconut oil in many of our products. Refining (by filtering with clays and heating) removes the typical coconut taste and smell leaving a clean product that contains all of the beneficial lauric and caprylic acids.
Benefits of using coconut oil in skincare products include the following:
- Coconut oil is used as an emollient, having the quality of softening or smoothing the skin.
- The high concentration of lauric acid gives coconut oil moisturizing and antimicrobial properties.
- Coconut oil may help with inflammation and other symptoms of skin disorders by soothing the skin.
- Coconut oil melts on contact with the skin, making it a good massage oil.
Check out some of our many products below that contain coconut oil!
