Coconut Oil - The Healthiest Oil On Earth

Before talking about the products, we should start with the main ingredients. 

Many of my botanical products use fractionated coconut oil as the base ingredient.  Before living in Hawai'i I had never used coconut oil for anything.  I've always loved the taste and smell of coconut but never realized the huge and varied benefits of coconut oil.  I have done quite a bit of research and have come to the conclusion that coconut oil is one of Mother Nature's miracles.

I won't get into the scientific composition of coconut oil and the really long names for the different types of fat in coconut oil.  If you want to learn all that stuff go to http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/.  I will tell you that whole coconut oil is solid when cool and fractionated coconut oil stays liquid.  This is done through a distillation process that results in a purer form.  Both forms have the same beneficial properties - one just stays liquid.

Because of the way coconut oil is put together it absorbs more readily into the skin than other oils.  Coconut oil doesn't leave a greasy film on your skin.  It moisturizes and conditions your skin.  I've been putting coconut oil in my baths for years now and my skin has never felt softer.

Coconut oil is also good for your hair.  It penetrates the shaft and leaves it feeling soft and silky.  I know the newest craze is that Moroccon oil.  I've used the Moroccan oil - twice.  I won't use it again.  I had just gotten a failed perm and my hair had been damaged by it.  The owner of the salon is the one who gave me the Moroccan oil.  He told me to use it on my freshly washed hair for a month to help repair the damage.  It's very thick and gooey and didn't absorb into my hair.  Instead, it left it feeling tacky and heavy.  I could barely get a pick through my hair it was so sticky.  Once my hair was dry it felt oily and like I hadn't washed it in ages.  I was reluctant to use it again, but thinking he knew best I tried it a second time a week later (it took me that long to convince myself I should listen to him).  It was just as bad as the first time.   I went back to the tried and true coconut oil.  The pick slid right through my hair and when it dried it was soft and light.  If you need further convincing - think about the price.  Just over 3 oz of the Moroccan oil sells for $30 and up (it's supposed to be a salon only product although you can find it on Amazon) while you can get a 30 oz jar of coconut oil in the food section of a grocery store for under $10.  You only need about a tablespoon of coconut oil if you have long hair.

Coconut oil doesn't go bad.  Because of the anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties of coconut oil it has an indefinite shelf life.  While other oils eventually turn rancid, change color, etc. coconut oil doesn't.  This makes it ideal for bath and body products.  Many people who make bath and body products use jojoba oil since it also doesn't go rancid.  However, jojoba oil is actually a wax so it doesn't absorb into the skin like coconut oil does.

Many other oils have specific beneficial properties.  Coconut oil has ALL those beneficial properties so rather than use a myriad of oils and mix them together I keep my recipes simple and to the point using coconut oil.

http://www.anelascreations.com/