Lately, essential oils have been making some noise in the health industry, so I decided to take a look and see for myself what it is, its uses, and benefits.
I recently complained to my mother how I feel like my feet are getting dry and flaky. She suggested that I put some coconut essential oil on them to moisturize it thoroughly. She then went on and on about how coconut essential oil has helped her with a lot of her skin and even home-cleaning concerns. My curiosity was piqued because, really, coconut essential oils?
Well, I didn’t know any better so I decided to read on essential oils in general and slowly delved into their different kinds.
What are Essential Oils?
Essential oils, according to www.essentialoilhaven.com, are the highly concentrated version of the natural oils in plants. Essential oils are extracted through a process called distillation through steaming. Many parts of the plants are used including the plant roots, leaves, stems, flowers, and even the bark. After distillation, the product is a highly concentrated portion of essential oil, which will possess the fragrance and plant properties from which it was extracted, and contain the true essence of the plant it came from. The best thing about this is it will also have the plant’s healing properties.
There are different ways we can use essential oils. We can simply apply it to the skin, inhale, through steam inhalation, through an essential oil diffuser, in baths, or even aromatherapy massage.
Since my mother made me use the coconut essential oil and raved about it so passionately, the researcher in me was intrigued to know more about this particular oil.
Upon doing research, I found out that coconut essential oil is a fractionated version of coconut and is one of the most popular carrier oil that acts as a base. A base oil is used to dilute other essential oils.
Coconut Essential Oil vs. Coconut Oil
I also discovered that there is a lot of confusion in differentiating coconut essential oil and the coconut oil. These oils are derived from the same plant, so a lot of people think they offer the same benefits. Some even interchange them believing the benefits are the same, but this is not always the case. Coconut essential oil is formulated to remain as a liquid at a room temperature. As mentioned earlier, it is an effective carrier or base oil that blends well with other essential oils that can be used for massage or topical use, whereas coconut oil is semi-solid usually used for cooking. I also conclude that coconut essential oil benefits us more externally, while coconut oil helps us more internally.
What Are the Uses of Coconut Essential Oil?
1. For Skin Care
As I’ve shared earlier, my mother made me use coconut essential oil to address my dry and flaky feet. I applied it before going to bed. I woke up to soft and supple feet. Coconut essential oils can also be used in body lotions, oils, bath soaps, bath oils, shaving creams, and sugar scrubs. Some people say it is best paired with cocoa butter. Personally, nothing beats coconut oil as a moisturizer.
2. For Hair Care
If you are tired of the usual scent of your shampoo and want that tropical scent that will always remind you of summer, a few drops of coconut essential oil will do the trick. Not only will it give you that head-turning scent, but also give your hair that extra layer of protection and conditioner.
3. For Home Cleaning
My mother is averse to strong-smelling cleaning products. She dislikes even the disinfectant sprays and would only go for the mild scents. But everything changed when she discovered humidifiers and essential oils. Stepping inside our house is always such a treat because you do not know what kind of scent to expect. She almost always uses the coconut essential oil, though, because it is her favorite. Just a few drops to your cool mist humidifier and you can expect that energizing and relaxing scent wafting all throughout your house.
Where to Buy Coconut Essential Oil?
Here are the best brands of coconut oils, in no particular order:
- Young Living Essential Oils
- doTerra Essential Oils
- Edens Garden Essential Oils
- Mountain Rose Herbs Essential Oils
- Plant Therapy Essential Oils
- Now Essential Oils
- Rocky Mountain Essential Oils
- Ovvio Oils
- NOW Foods Essential Oils
- Lisse Essentials
What Do I Buy: Coconut Essential Oil or Coconut Oil?
Coconut essential oil is truly useful and beneficial. Want something taken care of with your skin or hair? Coconut essential oil is the answer. You have to remember, though, that this is not 100% pure, so you should never ingest it - which means, you do not obtain the internal health benefits of coconut oil.
If you are looking for more than that and want to maximize the health benefits of coconut oil, do not only use coconut essential oil, but also the coconut oil. Now, I am not asking you to drink coconut oil as it is. If you’re like me who does not have time to cook and generally does not like oily food, I have something better in mind: do check out the best brand of coconut oil supplements, Nutra Botanics’ Coconut Oil Softgels to make sure that you are not only looking after your external health and comfort, but also what’s within.