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Coconut oil is a lifesaver; it is amazing for DIYs and serves multiple purposes. It’s a personal favorite amongst other essential oils for several people.
It has anti-inflammatory properties, is an effective anti-aging oil, has antibacterial properties, and provides the body with fatty acids when consumed.
The main difference between refined coconut oil and unrefined coconut oil is that unrefined coconut oil is made from fresh coconut meat. In contrast, refined coconut oil is made from copra (dried organic coconut meat).
Coconut Oil Explained
Coconut oil is a purpose plant-based oil; as the name gives away, it is derived from coconuts. Despite being a plant-based oil, it is known for its richness in fatty acids such as lauric acid, capric acid, and acrylic acid, as opposed to other plant-based oils.
It is a hydrating and nourishing oil used for cooking, skincare, and hair care. Coconut oil is extracted from the kernel of coconuts; it could be refined or unrefined depending on preferences and the processes it undergoes.
Refined Vs Unrefined Coconut Oil For Hair
Coconut oil is a popularly used oil that has come in handy one too many times, it has a lot of benefits to offer when used on the skin, hair, or for cooking.
However, coconut oil comes in different forms, which are refined and unrefined, some persons might not be able to differentiate them, but we are about to give you a few pointers to help with that.
1. Different Production Processes
Unrefined coconut oil is made by extracting fresh coconut meat from a coconut shell, which is then cold-pressed. Refined coconut oil, on the other hand, is made from copra, which is also known as dried organic coconut meat.
No harsh chemicals are included during the refining process; the dried organic coconut meat is simply heated to make coconut oil.
2. Different Scent
Unrefined coconut oil is not altered or made to undergo industrial processes, so it retains the original scent and flavor.
However, since refined coconut oil is made from dried organic coconut meat it tends to have a neutral scent and flavor after going through the refining processes that make it coconut oil.
Artificial scents are not added to refined coconut oil that is why the scent and flavor remain neutral.
3. Both Can Be Heated Differently
Unrefined coconut oil is a great option when you want to carry out processes that involve medium heat, it can be heated to as much as 350 degrees during whichever process it is being used, if the process involves high heat you should not use unrefined coconut oil.
Refined coconut oil should be your choice, as opposed to unrefined coconut oil it can take high heat. It can be heated to 400 degrees and is amazing for any process that requires high heat.
Refined vs Unrefined Coconut Oil: Which Is Better?
The fact that refined coconut oil and unrefined coconut oil have differences makes people wonder which is best for cooking, haircare, or skincare. It is natural to ask which type of coconut oil is better.
We understand why you would assume that one is better than the other, the fact that one is unaltered, and the other is refined is what raises those questions.
The amazing thing is that, despite the differences between refined coconut oil and unrefined coconut oil, they are both just as good as each other.
They have the same nutritional value, this is because the refining process that refined coconut oil undergoes does not include the adding of any harsh chemicals or additives that can alter the nutritional profile and make it less than that of unrefined coconut oil.
Summary
Coconut oil is known as a nourishing plant-based oil and almost everyone has tried some coconut oil, whether it was infused in a product or used to cook a meal. Coconut oil could either be used in its virgin or unrefined state, or it could be used in its refined or processed state.
Whether as virgin coconut oil or refined coconut oil it serves as cooking oil, skincare product, and hair care product because the nutritional value stays the same.
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