Basic ingredients for natural soaps & cosmetic products : coconut butter / oil

"Coconut oil can be used as a skin moisturizer, helping with dry skin and reduces protein loss when used in hair. Before the advent of electrical lighting, coconut oil was the primary oil used for illumination in India and was exported as cochin oil.

 

Coconut oil is an important base ingredient for the manufacture of soap. Soap made with coconut oil tends to be hard, although it retains more water than those made with other oils and therefore increases manufacturer yields. It is more soluble in hard water and salt water than other soaps allowing it to lather more easily. A basic coconut oil soap is clear when melted and a bright white when hardened."-  wikipedia

Coconut Oil Health Benefits

• Promotes weight loss and helps maintain healthy body weight
• Reduces the risk of heart disease
• Supports thyroid function
• Increases metabolism and energy
• Prevents bacterial, viral, and fungal infections
• Helps control diabetes and chronic fatigue
• Improves digestive disorders such as Crohn’s disease and IBS
• Protects against alcohol damage to the liver
• Rejuvenates skin and prevents wrinkles

Lauric acid, known for its antiviral, antibacterial, and antiprotozoal functions, makes up about 50% of the fatty acid in coconut fat. In the body, it is converted to monolaurin, a powerful monoglyceride that destroys lipid-coated viruses (such as HIV, herpes, cytomegalovirus, and influenza) as well as pathogenic bacteria including helicobacter pylori and listeria monocytogenes.

 

 

 

Is there a difference between coconut oil and coconut butter?

Yes, there is definitely a difference between the two. Think peanut butter vs. peanut oil. One is thick and smooth, while the other is liquid (at room temperature). Coconut butter includes the meat of the coconut, while coconut oil does not.
What is Coconut Butter?
It is made from raw dried shredded coconut. When you puree the shredded coconut the coconut oil and coconut meat mix together and turn into a butter spread. You must use shredded coconut that has not been defatted.

More about the Cacao butter and the Karite butter here.

We will use coconut butter on the GLI:N Workshops for soap making and in other cosmetic products.

With love
Rita