Coconut Oil (INCI: Cocos nucifera Oil)

The coconut palm has for thousands of years provided the primary source of calories (particularly calories from lipids) for inhabitants of tropical climate regions. It is highly prized in cooking because it is heat stable up to 360 °F, which is unique for a virgin, unrefined plant oil (plant oils advertised as being stable in high heat are usually refined under high heat before bottling to burn off materials that would smoke during cooking). It is, however, important to know that there is no official governing standard for "virgin" or "raw" grades (like there is with extra virgin olive oil), so it is vital that the consumer know the company's reputation that they obtain virgin coconut oil from (processed coconut oil maintains a similar fatty acid profile to the raw form but is stripped of many beneficial phytonutrients).

The fatty acid composition of raw, virgin coconut oil is roughly 47% lauric acid, 18% myristic acid, 9% palmitic acid, 8% caprylic acid, 6% oleic acid, and the rest being various other fatty acids. The fact that this fatty acid composition is 92% saturated fats makes it shelf-stable for long periods of time at room temperature (up to two years). Though it has a similar saturated fat content as clarified butter it is purported to be healthier because it contains medium-chain triglycerides that are converted into energy faster in the body (while as butter consists of mostly long-chain triglycerides).

In topical skincare preparations, coconut oil has been shown to be an excellent moisturizer and skin softener. Multiple studies have shown that extra virgin coconut oil is an effective moisturizer while also containing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties for the skin. Despite its high saturated fat content, coconut oil leaves the skin hydrated without feeling greasy. There is also emerging research showing that coconut oil may be effective at helping to even out skin tone during tanning and reducing the development of "age spot" hyperpigmentation that accumulates over time (it is thought to do this by modulating lipofuscin in the epidermis).