Description
Coconut oil, or copra oil, is an edible oil extracted from the kernel or meat of mature coconuts harvested from the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera). The main nutrients in coconut oil are two acids: lauric acid (this is also found in breast milk) and capric acid. It is a very stable oil, difficult to oxidize due to its saturated fat content.
History
Coconut oil has been used for thousand of years. A lot of documented accounts will prove that it is widely used as a source of food and medicine by people of diverse cultures around the globe. Natives of Papua New Guinea have been using virgin coconut oil for centuries for uses as skin moisturiser, hair treatment, sickness and injury treatment,cooking,applying to cuts and bruises. In India, coconut oil has been used as an ”alternative” medicine practice for 5,000 years, claiming to be its traditional medicine. In Indonesia, women apply coconut oil on their hair and body to keep their hair and skin healthy. It is also used for cooking purposes. In the coastal jungles of Central and South America, traditional healers use coconut oil to nourish the ill back to health.
Properties
Modern medical science has discovered that coconut oil can actually protect against heart disease, diabetes, cancers, liver and kidney diseases, osteoporosis, dental decay and skin infections. Coconut oil is used successfully in the food industry, but also in cosmetics. It is especially used to make creams, body lotions, masks and hair conditioners etc., because it is very good for sensitive, dry skin. It contains a high percentage of antioxidants that prevent ageing of the skin and which is a natural UV filter. Combined with other vegetable oils (olive oil, palm oil, soybean, castor oil) it helps to get a 100% beautiful vegetable soap: strong, moisturizing, making a rich foam even in cold water and cleansing the skin, coconut oil protects and cares at the same time. Coconut oil is part of the products specifically designed for people with dry, cracked, dehydrated, irritated and swollen hands, moisturizes and softens the skin, removes dry skin, it is a good exfoliant, soothes irritations, slows down the ageing process of the skin, tones and embellishes the skin, gives it a glow as few products do. Coconut oil is the ideal cleanser for all skin types, even for greasy ones, because it removes delicate dirt and even resistant makeup products, so you will have a clean, but also hydrated skin.