Why Should You Use Fractionated Coconut Oil?

There are many plants with healing and health-boosting properties, but you will be hard-pressed to find anything that can match the coconut for its benefits and versatility. Nearly every part of the plant, including the fruit, is used for various purposes. The fruit, with its delicious pulp and water, is liked and widely used by people all over the world. However, coconut oil, extracted from ripe coconuts, is possibly the most widely used products of the tree.

Choosing From Various Types Of Coconut Oil

You can find coconut oil in various forms in the market nowadays, such as virgin and fractionated coconut oil. This oil is rich in nutrients and is used for culinary needs and diverse health purposes.

Nuances Of Fractionated Coconut Oil

With time, fractionated coconut oil is gaining popularity and its use has spread to various countries. Crude coconut oil is healthy and contains no impurities. However, its strong aroma and thick consistency make it unsuitable for specific uses, and that is why fractionated coconut oil is manufactured.

It is manufactured by processing and refining virgin coconut oil, which removes the long-chain triglycerides to an extent. It is richer in Caprylic Acid and Capric Acid when compared to regular coconut oil. Initially, pure coconut oil is made to go through hydrolysis. Then, it is made to undergo steam distillation to become fractionated (1).

Discarding the long-chain triglycerides in coconut oil also enhances its stability and shelf life eventually. It becomes less prone to rancidity. Fractionated coconut oil is moisturizing, has antioxidant properties, and it offers you a number of benefits. Unlike pure coconut oil, it does not remain solid at room temperature. It is a bit more expensive than the regular coconut oil, but it’s totally worth the price!

Uses And Benefits Of Fractionated Coconut Oil

Below listed are the major benefits and usage of fractionated coconut oil:

1. Cooking:

You can, very well, use fractionated coconut oil for culinary purposes. It does not become rancid easily, and so you can store it for quite some time. Since this oil can withstand high heat, it can be used for cooking safely. It is also devoid of trans fat and, thus, using it for cooking is good for the cardiac health.

2. Skin Care:

Fractionated coconut oil is used widely in the skincare industry (2). It is used to make hair oil, lotions, body creams, lip butter and many other products. It is also used to make soap.

3. Aromatherapy Needs:

Millions of people resort to aromatherapy to relax and get rid of stress, muscle pain and health complications (3). For this, they use various types of plant extracts and essential oils. However, the essential oils, in their raw form, can be pretty strong and applying them on the skin can burn the skin or lead to rashes. You need a carrier oil for diluting such oils and massage the skin without harm. Fractionated coconut oil acts as a nice carrier oil. You can mix many essential oils with it for aromatherapy needs.

4. Skin Spot Reduction:

When massaged with other essential oils, fractionated coconut oil can be useful in fading skin spots. It is particularly effective in fading stretch marks. It can also be used extensively in treating acne and wound marks.

5. Skin Hydrating:

Even though it does not contain lauric acid post processing, fractionated coconut oil is a nice skin hydrating agent (4). You may massage it on the skin before going to the sea beach or sunbathing. This makes the skin soft and well-nourished and prevents it from drying and peeling to an extent. It gets absorbed by your skin easily and does not clog the skin pores much. This makes it suitable for people with varying skin types. Even people with sensitive skin can try this without much worry. If you are not fond of massaging your skin with oil but want to get rid of dry skin issues, mix this oil with a shower gel. Before bathing, pour a few drops of this oil into a shower gel and lather as usual. Rinse with water and experience a soft and shiny skin.

6. Hair Care:

You can make use of fractionated coconut oil to make nourishing hair packs at home (5). It does not make your scalp very sticky, and the light aroma is also easier to cope with, compared to the stronger flavor of virgin coconut oil. You may mix it with olive oil and jojoba oil for a hot oil massage on the scalp. It helps you deal with frizzy and dry hair and restores the hydration to the scalp. You may also mix this coconut oil with your existing hair conditioner. After shampooing your hair, mix a few drops of this oil with your regular hair conditioner. Apply this on the scalp and the hair and leave for a few minutes. Rinse with lots of water. Your hair will become silky and glossy.

7. Shaving Needs:

You can prepare the skin for shaving by massaging it with a small amount of fractionated coconut oil. It makes the skin soft and hydrated, and helps avoid the skin irritation and cuts caused by shaving. You may even mix a few drops of the oil in your shaving cream so that the foam can soften your beard better.

8. Antibacterial Action:

Fractionated coconut oil has mild antibacterial properties (4), and you can mix it with some essential oils with potent antifungal properties to help expedite the healing of skin wounds. For example, you may mix this oil with tea tree oil and make a powerful antibacterial oil solution. The application of this mix on cuts and wounds helps reduce the risk of infection or septic.

Should You Use Fractionated Coconut Oil For Edible Purposes?

There is some confusion regarding the safety and suitability of using fractionated coconut oil for consumption. While it is not unsafe for consuming with food or for cooking, keep in mind that it lacks lauric acid. Virgin coconut oil offers many benefits mostly because of this specific ingredient. Besides, very few food sources contain this ingredient. So, it makes more sense to choose virgin coconut oil over fractionated coconut oil for cooking.

With so many benefits that this oil has to offer, it might be worth a try! Bring home a bottle of fractionated coconut oil and put it to use!

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Author

Tanya ChoudharyHealth & Wellness Writer

 

Tanya is an ISSA certified Specialist in Fitness & Nutrition. She specializes in writing articles on ingredients that benefit skin, hair, and health. She believes in the right health and lifestyle practices and strives to promote the same to everyone around her.

Read full bio of Tanya Choudhary