Au Naturel Essence

All natural treats for body and soul

The Benefits of Coconut Oil

27 Comments

Coconut Oil has become a staple in my daily routine, both for cooking and for my homemade skin care products.

Benefits of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil has a high percentage of lauric acid.  According to Organic Facts.net,

The human body converts lauric acid into monolaurin which is claimed to help in dealing with viruses and bacteria causing diseases such as herpes, influenza, cytomegalovirus, and even HIV. It helps in fighting harmful bacteria such as listeria monocytogenes and heliobacter pylori, and harmful protozoa such as giardia lamblia.

Coconut Oil has been touted as being helpful when dealing with diabetes, weight loss, bone and dental health, high blood pressure, and heart diseases.

Is it really a saturated fat?

Yes, coconut oil is a saturated fat!  And, contrary to what we’ve been told for years, it can be good for you.  The saturated fat in coconut oil is natural and is responsible, in part, for many of the health benefits listed above.

There are lots of blog posts on the benefits of coconut oil.  Here a few that I’ve managed to see in recent weeks.

BiosilBaums Natural FoodsPounds and Prints

Uses for Coconut Oil

I use coconut oil primarily when I’m cooking.  It’s great for pan-frying and roasting as it can take high heat levels, without turning rancid.  I also love the aroma of coconut in my kitchen as soon as I start heating the oil.  Depending on what I’m cooking, I can detect a sweet coconut flavour in my food when I cook with coconut oil.

I also use coconut oil in many of my homemade skin care products, including my liquid soap, soaps, and lotion.  This oil is nourishing and adds a lot of moisture to each of these products.  It’s also great to add to a moisturizing face mask.

Most recently, I started using coconut oil as a hair mask.  When I’m in a rush and don’t have time to prepare something more elaborate, coconut oil is a great stand-by product.  Even with my thick hair, I don’t have to use a lot of coconut oil to give my scalp some deep moisturization.

If nothing else, coconut oil makes a great moisturizer for your skin.  It can be used on its own to help hydrate your skin.    Coconut oil is safe enough to use on baby’s skin too.   If you do this, use it sparingly.  A little goes a long way!

 

Are you using coconut oil in your daily routine?  If yes, how do you use it?

27 thoughts on “The Benefits of Coconut Oil

  1. Head massages! Take a couple of fenugreek seeds and add it to smoking coconut oil and let it cool. This is known to be an excellent remedy for the reduction of dandruff!

  2. I looove coconut oil for the hair!

  3. Hey hun I’ve been using pure Coconut Oil in my hair for over 2 years, for oil treatments and deep conditioning. The results have been fantastic, my hair became less tangled during washing, and it’s hard to explain but my hair really does feel so healthy since I’ve incorporated Coconut Oil into my hair regimen. I couldn’t go without it. x

    • That’s such a great testament to Coconut Oil! I have no doubt that the coconut oil has fortified your hair over the years and helped it stay healthy. Thanks for sharing!

  4. The coconut is a wonderful invention!

  5. You’ve touched upon my favorite food, the coconut. Seems as if there is no end to the uses of this wonderful fruit. I love to drink the water of young coconuts and eat the jelly, enjoyed that every day on my last visit to Mexico. I recently succeeded in making a coconut/almond yogurt which is super, did not want to go the dairy way. There is a video on youtube where you can see the process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_wYfPy1zFY
    Very simple.

    • You’re not alone in your love for this fruit. It is a great fruit to eat, to cook with and to use on your skin and hair. Now, I see that you can even make yogurt with it!

  6. HI there

    Great posts. Im curious to know more about he coconut oil for the hair. Do you use it as a leave-in hair mask or do you rinse it out? Also doesn’t it make your hair oily?

    • I massage the coconut oil into my hair and then leave it on for a while. I follow that by washing it out with shampoo. I don’t condition again after that (no need!).

      You definitely have to use coconut oil sparingly. Otherwise, it can leave your hair oily.

      Check out my post on hair masks for a bit more detail!

      🙂

      • Wow! I love the home remedies! I’m always on the lookout for natural (homemade) products for my body as my skin and hair are very sensitive. I also prefer using it because of the low-risk factor that comes with using natural as opposed to chemically-enhanced, commercial products. I will try using the the avo / egg mixture / honey sometime. 🙂

      • That’s awesome! The avocado mask is another great option…my hair always feels so soft after it. Of course, you can’t go wrong with either the honey or egg, or any combo of those. There are so many options available, right in your kitchen! Have fun experimenting!

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  8. I have also started using coconut oil for cooking, mostly as a replacement for vegetable oil or any other oil, but sometimes I use it in place of butter in recipes.

  9. Reblogged this on BIO-SIL SOUTH AFRICA Blog and commented:
    Always try and purchase organic product! 🙂

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  12. Coconut oil is fantastic! I have been mixing a bit into my moisturiser and it has made a real difference to my skin. It’s a miracle oil 🙂

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