Earlier this week, we talked a little about using coconut oil for conditioner, and it got me thinking about the varied uses for oils and the biochemistry behind these oils. I’m one of those people who uses oils for everything: facial cleanser, moisturizer, conditioner, supplement, oil pulling, etc. My family used a lot of “alternative” medicines and beauty products growing up, many of which involved either ingesting or topically applying natural oils. So, in light of our class discussion, I thought I would look into the chemical makeup of coconut oil.
From Wikipedia, coconut oil is extracted from the kernel or meat of matured coconuts. It is a high saturated fat and is slow to oxidize, making it resistant to spoiling or becoming rancid. There are two pathways for extracting the oil: dry or wet processing. Dry processing involves drying out the coconut meat and then pressing or dissolving the dried meat with solvent, which is often hexane. Wet processing involves treating the raw coconut using a variety of techniques, including heat, cold, salts, enzymes, centrifuging, and electrolysis. Coconut oil has both linoleic and oleic acid, which are omega-6 and omega-9 unsaturated fatty acids, among other fatty acids.
Scrolling down to the “Personal uses” section, the entry also notes that coconut oil can reduce protein loss in hair, although the exact mechanism is unknown. This makes sense to me, as from personal use I can say that coconut oil can make your hair a little “crispy”. I prefer to mix a little coconut oil with argan oil for conditioner. Overall, I think this sort of everyday science is super interesting! I love cosmetic chemistry, and I’m finding this lipid unit full of interesting bits and pieces
I love learning things like this! One of my favorite uses of oils for skin care is to mix olive oil and brown sugar as a lip scrub, which I need a lot in these cold, dry winters (and springs now, apparently).
I definitely wish I knew more cosmetic chemistry , haha! Even though I usually like to make rational decisions based on trial-and-error, when it comes to putting products on my face and skin, it’s such a very different story! i.e., I get very hesitant about trying any new product. If I had some sort of biochemical basis explaining why I use the products I use, or why I should use another type of product, I’d be so much happier, I think.