If you’ve ever used coconut oil as part of your cooking or as a treatment for your hair, then you certainly know a thing or two about this amazing oil. However, the benefits of coconut oil are much more than you actually know.
From using it as a hair conditioner to applying it to treat dry skin conditions, there are countless benefits to coconut oil. Unfortunately, many people who want to use coconut oil find it hard to choose the right brand.
Best Coconut Oil Brands for Skin
If you’re one of these people, then you’ve come to the right place. In fact, this page is detailed with the right information that will help you make an informed choice when buying your coconut oil brand.
What exactly is coconut oil?
Coconut oil is specially made from the chopra, or dried meat of the coconut. The churna is pressed mechanically to extract the coconut oil.
Coconut oil comprises mainly saturated fats, which are basically medium-chain fatty acids. The interesting thing about this saturated fat is that it is easily digested and the liver can easily process it into energy for immediate use. It is also loaded with vitamin E and other beneficial antioxidants.
What are the benefits of good quality coconut oil?
Coconut oil has been extensively researched over the years. Currently, there are over 1700 publications on this oil. Coconut oil is packed with vitamin E and it is useful in treating different skin and hair conditions. Apart from these uses, there are many more benefits to this natural wonder.
Alzheimer’s disease
Coconut oil contains medium-chain fatty acids, which can be converted into ketones. The brain utilizes ketones as an energy source. This is useful in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in boosting memory. In fact, research has shown that coconut oil has a positive influence on cognitive functioning in AD patients.
Weight loss
Generally, consuming coconut oil gives a feeling of fullness and increases satiety. This leads to the consumption of fewer calories, which is important if you’re trying to lose weight.
Also, coconut oil increases your body’s metabolism, which can help you burn more fat. Many studies have linked consumption of medium-chain fatty acids with fat loss and reduced body weight.
Additionally, there are studies that have associated consumption of coconut oil with a decrease in the waist circumference. This means coconut oil can prevent abdominal obesity.
Hair loss
Coconut oil has a strong affinity for the proteins in your hair. This helps to prevent the loss of hair proteins, which can cause hair loss. In this way, it also serves as a hair protectant. Additionally, when compared to other oils, it tends to penetrate the hair and scalp much better…
Conversational Tone: HairsolutionBlogDotCom
How to choose the right coconut oil brand
It might be overwhelming when picking the right coconut oil brands. Also, it can seem more confusing when you keep seeing different brands with similar labels like pure, extra virgin, organic, etc. However, there are certain things you need to know to make the correct choice.
Price
Most of the time, a coconut oil brand with a very low price is an indication of low quality. Because a lot goes into producing good quality coconut oil, extremely low price tags can be quite ridiculous.
Extraction process
It’s not so difficult to extract coconut oil. However, extracting the oil and maintaining the nutrients at optimal quality can be difficult if the wrong technique is employed. The most common methods of extracting coconut oil are cold pressing and expeller pressing. The cold press is done in a temperature-controlled environment and tends to produce high quality oil.
Type
Basically, the types are either refined or unrefined. However, all coconut oil has been refined in one way or the other. But in this case, unrefined refers to the purer forms of coconut oil. Generally, the unrefined oil usually has the distinct aroma of coconut, so if you don’t like the smell of coconut, you can use the refined brands.
Many users have reviewed this brand positively due to its many benefits. These include hair conditioning, face wash, massage, shaving cream, aromatherapy, skin care, and many more.
Some users state that they heal faster when they apply this coconut oil to wounds. Also, several users reiterate that this brand tends to fit perfectly into their aromatherapy and massage oil recipes.
According to many, it is also useful for lubricating the vagina as a way of managing vaginal dryness.
How to use coconut oil
Coconut oil can be added in small quantities to your food and smoothies as a source of energy. It can also be used as cooking oil due to its high smoking point. You can use it to bake or deep fry your meat or fish.
The most popular use of coconut oil is in skin and hair care. You can rub it directly into your scalp daily to stimulate hair growth. In skin care, it can be used as a moisturizer. Apply just a small amount to your face after washing and drying with a towel. The oil will permeate your skin after 5 to 10 minutes; then you can wipe away any excess oil with a soft cotton pad.
You can also use it as a makeup remover. Apply it to the face for 5 minutes. The oil will dissolve the mascara and eyeliner so that you can gently wipe them off. Then wash your face using mild soap and warm water.
Other things to know about coconut oil
Most coconut oil brands become solid at temperatures below 24 degrees Celsius. You may be tempted to liquefy it by using the microwave. However, coconut oil should never be microwaved because this can cause deterioration and discolouration of the oil Some people react to coconut oil. Hence, before you use it, you should rub it on the inside of your elbow and wait for 24 to 48 hours to ascertain any allergic reactions If your skin or hair is oily, coconut oil may not be ideal for you. Finally, you should speak to your doctor if you are pregnant before using coconut oil.
