Coconut oil is an edible fat, usually appearing as a white creamy solid, derived from the fruit of the coconut tree (Cocos nucifera).

Coconut is a tree in the palm (Arecaceae) family, found in moist, tropical climates. Trees grow up to 30 meters tall, with large feather-like leaves and smooth trunks. Coconuts are commonly grown in tropical countries, and are particularly suited to small-scale production where they can be combined with other crops such as cassava, yams, sweet potatoes, bananas and pineapples. The fruit or ‘drupe’ of the tree is notable for its heavy protection (a thick, fibrous husk followed by a hard shell), high water content and oil-rich flesh. The husk, shell, flesh, oil and milk of the coconut all have useful applications and a rich history of use for cooking, soap-making, cosmetics, religious rituals and furniture making in many different cultures.

Coconut oil can be produced by first drying the flesh using sunlight or kilns. The dried flesh or ‘copra’ then undergoes cold-pressing or solvent extraction to draw out the oil. Coconut oil is rich in saturated fats, including lauric, myristic and palmitic fatty acids, which makes it stable and resistant to oxidation for a long shelf-life.

Coconut oil can be used in skin care products as a gentle, non-greasy emollient. It contains medium-chain triglycerides that help restore the skin's protective barrier while replenishing moisture, leaving skin soft and smooth.

Coconut oil can be used in hair care products to nourish hair and help prevent protein loss. It has a high attraction to hair proteins, and is able to penetrate inside the hair shaft because of its low molecular weight and straight linear chain triglycerides.¹

Botanical name: Cocos nucifera

Other names: Coconut Absolute, Copra Oil

Main constituents (fatty acids): Lauric Acid, Myristic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Caprylic Acid, Capric Acid, Oleic Acid

References
1. Effect of mineral oil, sunflower oil, and coconut oil on prevention of hair damage
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12715094/