Coconut oil is all the rage, not just in cooking but in beauty products. But is coconut oil really good for your skin? Find out the benefits of coconut oil in soap and why we use organic coconut oil in our natural bar soap.
What Is Coconut Oil Anyway? Let’s Talk About the Coconut-Oil-Making and Sourcing Process
Ever wondered how the oil is extracted from coconut? First of all, it only comes from one particular part of the coconut plant: the white flesh of the nut that you might have eaten and enjoyed yourself. There are a couple of different methods for getting this useful oil out of the nut. They involve pressing either fresh or dried coconut flesh to squeeze the oil out. Unrefined organic coconut oil is made from coconut meat that is cold-pressed and doesn’t contain any additives. No high temperatures are used during the pressing process to help the coconut oil retain its natural properties.
Why it’s a Great Alternative to Palm Oil
Palm oil is commonly used to harden soap bars because it’s a fat that is solid at room temperature and it’s cheap. But — and this is a big but — palm oil is associated with large scale deforestation, reduction in biodiversity and harm to local communities. At CleanO2, we prefer to use organic coconut oil combined with shea butter in place of palm oil in our natural bar soap. This combination helps the soap cure into a harder bar more quickly.
Organic coconut oil is more expensive but we feel it’s worth the added cost. .Plus, coconut oil soap has some wonderful benefits!
The Benefits of Organic Coconut Oil
We make sure to use only certified organic coconut oil in our natural soap so that we can be sure it is pure, meaning it doesn’t contain palm oil or other unwanted ingredients. Coconut oil benefits for skin include the fact that it is an emollient, which helps hydrate and soothe the skin by creating a protective film over it.
Coconut oil also has a higher proportion of lauric acid than other plant oils. This fatty acid has a different structure that gives it antibacterial properties. This makes coconut oil an excellent cleansing oil, and the perfect building block for natural soap.
Coconut Oil Uses
If you’re looking for coconut oil in everyday products, look no further than common foods and baked goods as well as in Coconut oil uses include cooking, being a component in beauty products, and, of course, in natural bar soap! In many countries, it is common for people to rub coconut oil into their hair due to its moisturizing properties and ability to help the hair shine. If you’re wondering how to tell whether there is coconut oil in your soap bar, it may be listed among the ingredients as sodium cocoate, which is the scientific term for soap made from coconut oil.
What Ingredients Do We Get from the Saponification of Coconut Oil?
Just like any saponification process, the saponification of coconut oil in the soapmaking process results in glycerine and…well, soap! Whether making a fragrance-free soap or one with natural scents, coconut oil soap has some great benefits. A mixture of coconut oil and shea butter gives our natural soap a nice, hard structure while also offering moisturizing properties.
Why CleanO2 Uses Coconut Oil in Soap
One of our favourite reasons for using coconut oil in soap is the incredible, rich lather it gives our natural soap. When you shower with our organic coconut oil-based bar soap you’ll experience a refreshing, bubbly lather that leaves your skin feeling supple and moisturized. Combined with the silkiness of pearl ash, the captured carbon in our soaps, you get a luxurious bathing experience.
All of CleanO2’s natural bar soaps are made with coconut oil, some of which feature the best natural scents and others that are mild soaps for sensitive skin. The Eco Aloe Body Bar, for example, is an unscented soap that combines aloe and coconut milk for an ultra-moisturizing shower experience.
So, is coconut oil good for your skin? The answer is yes, especially when it comes to the best soap for sensitive skin! It not only helps with the structure and lather of natural soap but also with cleansing and nourishing your skin. Now that you know the benefits of coconut oil in soap, give it a try and see if you notice a difference.