One of the things I love in my beauty regimen is coconut oil. It is one of my favourite body oils. I use it for my hair, skin and face.It is one of the best body oils you can use for your skin. I have also come to realise that the one I make myself works best and that way am sure it's not mixed with other things as the ones I buy. The coconut oil I make is natural, not heated because I learned that the heat destroys the vital nutrients.
Coconut oil is made by extracting oil through different processes from the coconut meat of mature fresh coconuts which are harvested from the coconut palm Cocos Nucifera. Coconut oil is has about 6 different saturated fatty acids which include Lauric Acid (48%), Myristic acid (16%), Palmitic acid(9.5%), Caprylic acid (7%), one monosaturated fatty acid which is Oleic (6.5%), others (5%).
Due to its high saturated fatty acid content, health authorities including the World Health Organisation (WHO) have warned that it should not be consumed regularly because studies have revealed that it increases total blood cholesterol levels, both HDL and LDL, which in turn leads to high risk of Cardio Vascular disease.
Uses Of Coconut Oil
Despite its high saturated fat content (similar to that of animal fat), virgin coconut oil has become widely used in recent years due to its sweet nutty flavour.
1. It is used in cooking especially in frying. I personally like to use it to fry eggs. It is commonly used to make baked goods, pastries, pop corn and sautés. It adds calories and saturated fat to snacks leading to increased energy balance and weight gain.
2. In some parts of the world, such as the Philipines, it is used as diesel engine fuel, to power generators and transport engines. In the islands of the Pacific, it is used as engine lubricants and transformer oil.
3. For beauty and personal uses as mineral oil, moisturizer for mild to dry skin. Studies have proved that, it reduces loss of protein when used for hair.
4. It is a base ingredient in soap making. Soaps made with coconut oil though hard, retain moisture than those made with other oils.
Other Uses
- It was used in India before the advent of electricity for lighting or illumination.
- Used to make repellents for preventing bug bites.
- Acids derived from coconut oil are used as herbicides.
- Coconut oil and it's fatty acids are used as raw materials in the manufacture of surfectants such as Cocamide DEA and MEA.
Well these are just a few uses, as coconut oil has many uses, according to Wellness Mama, it has 101 uses and you can read them on this link
http://wellnessmama.com/5734/101-uses-for-coconut-oil/
