How is coconut oil produced?

Thecoconut treeis botanically known asCocos nucifera. It is a palm tree belonging to the Arecaceae family, and its origin remains somewhat uncertain, although it is believed to be Malaysia. Today, the coconut treeis one of the most cultivated plants in thesubtropical and tropical regions of the world; it thus grows in over 90 countries includingIndonesia, the Philippines, and India. The fruits of the coconut tree are oval and hard and can weigh up to 1.5 kg. The oil extracted from it is rich in saturated fatty acids, and contains predominantly lauric acid. Coconut oil, also known as coconut butter, is renowned for both skin and hair care as well as in cooking. It is a concrete oil at a temperature of 20°C or lower.

Coconuts contain an edible pulp from which vegetable oil is extracted by first cold pressing. This process is none other than the oldest method used to produce vegetable oils.

1. The first step involves harvesting the fruits. To obtain high-quality coconut oil, it is necessary to select coconuts that come from organic farming and have reached maturity (young coconuts contain more coconut water and less flesh). For a coconut to reach this stage, it takes about a year.

2. Next comes theextraction of the pulp in question, which is then finely grated.

3. Without the use of chemical intervention or bleaching ingredients, the coconut meat (the pulp) is soaked in pure water. It is only after this that it is pressed in a hydraulic press, until a milk is fully expelled. It is in this extracted coconut milk that coconut oil is found.This step is carried out at room temperature and does not involve any chemical reactions.

4. The collected milk is then left to decant, in order to separate the aqueous phase from the organic phase.

5. The recovered oil is finally filtered to remove all impurities and aggregates. The oil obtained by this method is considered virgin coconut oil. It retains all its natural properties and is thus recommended in the design of various beauty treatments.

In this method, coconut oil is also extracted from the flesh of the fruit. The difference is that the coconut flesh is first dried, then smoked in an oven or under the sun. Only after this process is it hot-pressed. The resulting oil is of a brown color.

This oil is ultimately bleached and deodorized before being marketed. In this process, the oil is typically filtered with white clay. This coconut oil is also referred to as copra oil. It is not recommended for use as a beauty treatment. The drying and heating of the coconut flesh result in a degradation of the properties of the obtained coconut oil.

The coconut oil used in our products is cold-pressed from the flesh of coconuts grown and harvested in the Philippines. The following formulas are enriched with coconut oil.

• Thehand balmwith 10 ingredients also contains hyaluronic acid to provide a hydration boost.

• Thebody moisturizing creamwith 10 ingredients and theface moisturizing creamwith 9 ingredientsare designed to hydrate all skin types, even the most sensitive ones. These are minimalist formulas with a light, non-greasy texture,suitable for dry, normal, and combination skin, even sensitive ones. Due to the presence of organic coconut oil, we do not recommend these creams for oily skin.

• Themoisturizing cleansing milkwith Hyaluronic Acid 0.5% + Chamomile Extract removes impurities without drying out the skin. It emulsifies upon contact with water into a fine foam, simply massage it onto the face and then rinse.

• All our solid soaps for face and body contain coconut oil. Depending on the active ingredients present, they target various skin issues.

• Gopala Krishna Krishna A.G. & al., Coconut Oil: Chemistry, Production and Its Applications - A Review, Indian Coconut Journal, (2010).

• LIYANAGE R. & al. Chemical composition and health benefits of coconut oil: an overview. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture (2021).