Coconut Butter, Organic

Latin Binomial: Cocos nucifera
Plant Part: Kernel
Extraction: Cold Pressed
Growing Practice: Organic

Coconut Butter is an Ideal treatment for dry or aging skin. Helps moisturize and retain elasticity of the skin. Helps protect skin from sun and wind. Used by itself or as an additive to skin products.

Appearance: pure white solid below 24°c., colorless liquid above 24°c.
BioChemicals: Lauric acid (47.5%), Myristic acid (18.1%), Palmitic acid (8.8%), Capriylic acid (7.8%), Capric acid (6.7%), Oleic acid (6.2%), Stearic acid (2.6%), Linoleic acid (1.6%), Caproic acid (0.5%), Arachidic acid (0.1%)
Melting Point °C: 24°C.
CAS No: 8001-31-8

Coconut oil or butter is extracted from the kernel or meat of the matured coconut harvested from the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera).

The Coconut Palm is a member of the Aracaceae family. It is a large palm growing to 30 Meters tall. It has spread throughout the tropics between 26°N and 26°S except for the interior parts of Africa and South America. It does not grow well in dry climates. In the US, it only grows well without irrigation in Hawaii and Florida.

The Philippines is the world leader in coconut production followed by Indonesia with India a distant third.

Botanically a coconut is a simple dry nut. The Oil or Butter is extracted from the meat inside the shell.

Refined Coconut Oil (sometimes called RDB for refined, bleached, and deodorized) is made from the dried coconut kernel (called copra) by pressing with heat. The yield is about 60% of the dry weight. However, oil extracted this way must be refined to remove contaminents. Refined oil has no coconut taste or aroma.

Virgin coconut oils is made from fresh coconuts with minimal processing. This is the highest quality oil and is preferred for food preparation and medicinal/cosmetic use. There are two methods of making it: the Wet Process where coconut milk is made and pressed to extract the oil which is allowed to separate from the milk and is skimmed off, and the Dry process where the oil is extracted directly from the dried kernel through pressing.

Coconut Oil has long been used as both a food and a medicine all over the world. It is considered a vital part of Ayurvedic medicine in India. It also has been traditionally used in folk medicine for treatment of a wide range of ailments. It has been reported to have antimicrobial effects and when taken internally to increase levels of HDL cholesterol.

Coconut oil is an excellent base oil for soap, shampoo and detergent manufacture, producing a thick lather that is superior to other oils, and the antibacterial properties of the medium chain fatty acids give the soap disinfectant properties. However, 100% coconut oil soaps may be harsh on sensitive skin, so it should not be used without other oils.

Coconut oil is used as a skin moisturizer and softener, as a massage oil, or in cosmetics.