Ingredient Library
Coconut Oil
Cocos nucifera
Coconut oil is a rich plant oil with cleansing, softening fatty acids. Deeply conditioning, it suits very dry skin, hair, and makeup-melting cleansing.
A natural history
The coconut palm is so generous that Sanskrit hails it as kalpavriksha, the tree of life, the tree that provides every necessity, and in Malay it is the tree of a thousand uses. Native to the tropical Indo-Pacific, it has nourished skin and hair across South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific for centuries, its oil pressed from the dried white flesh of the nut.
In the Indian tradition coconut oil, known as the oil of narikela, is the classic base of hair oils, warmed and massaged into the scalp and lengths, and smoothed onto the skin to cool and soften in the heat. That cooling, deeply moisturizing nature is exactly what makes it such a faithful everyday oil.
What it does for your skin
Coconut oil is a rich emollient that softens skin and helps it hold moisture. In a controlled trial in adults with dry skin, virgin coconut oil improved skin hydration as well as mineral oil did.[1] In a study in children with very dry, sensitive skin, coconut oil reduced water loss and improved hydration more than mineral oil, a sign of better-supported skin.[2] A gentle note: coconut oil is rich and can be too occlusive for acne-prone faces, so it shines most on the body, very dry skin, and hair.
References
[1] Agero AL, Verallo-Rowell VM. A randomized double-blind controlled trial comparing extra virgin coconut oil with mineral oil as a moisturizer for mild to moderate xerosis. Dermatitis. 2004;15(3):109-116. doi.org/10.2310/6620.2004.04006
[2] Evangelista MTP, Abad-Casintahan F, Lopez-Villafuerte L. The effect of topical virgin coconut oil on SCORAD index, transepidermal water loss, and skin capacitance in mild to moderate pediatric atopic dermatitis. Int J Dermatol. 2014;53(1):100-108. doi.org/10.1111/ijd.12339
Found in these formulas
Questions, answered
It is a rich, time-honored moisturizer that softens dry skin and helps it hold water, especially on the body and very dry areas.
It can be too rich for acne-prone faces, where it may clog pores, so it suits dry skin, the body, and hair best.
It is the classic Ayurvedic hair-oil base, valued for conditioning the scalp and lengths and keeping hair soft.
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