Unveiling the Power of Fractionated Coconut Oil: A Carrier Oil Essential

Welcome back to Harvesters’ Corner! The end of the year is fast approaching, and the new year will be upon us before we know it! There are times that I am amazed at how quickly time passes. Sometimes I think the only the only thing quicker is how quickly my favorite oils get used up. Today we are going to look at a unique type of oil, classified as a carrier oil. I was introduced to the concept of carrier oils several years ago but have only come to embrace the utility of carrier oils over the past few years. I hope that through today’s blog you will be able to understand how carrier oils, especially fractionated coconut oil, our topic for today, can help you leverage the healthy benefits of the oils as well as increasing your purchase power where the oils are concerned.  

coconut palm

The ubiquitous coconut tree, Cocos Nucifera, is grown in more than 93 countries worldwide, producing more that 57,000 coconuts annually with Indonesia, the Philippines, and India being the top three producers. The trees can grow to a height between 65 to 100 feet (20 to 30 meters) tall. Mature coconuts weigh between two to four pounds (one to two kg). (1) The name of the tree and nut comes from the 16th-century Portuguese word coco, meaning “grinning or grimacing face” in reference to the three spots on the nut husk. (2) There is a myriad of uses for the various coconut tree parts, ranging from the leaves, trunk, and roots to the shell and meat. One major use of the coconut is extracting oil for human use. Modern science has developed several means of extracting the oil, with each process having unique strengths and weaknesses. Some of the more popular extraction processes are cold extraction, hot extraction, low-pressure extraction, fermentation, and supercritical fluid carbon dioxide extraction. (3) 

Why is coconut oil important? It can be used in place of other cooking oils or butter, it helps moisturize and sooth skin, and help aid with healing minor trauma to the skin. Coconut oil can be found in a variety of cosmetic applications such as smoothing dry, frizzy hair, removing make-up, and cleaning make-up application brushes. It can also be used as a non-toxic insect repellant, and in body and lip scrubs. (4)

The primary component of coconut oil that enables much of this wonderful goodness is lauric acid, a fatty-acid chain of moderate-to-long length which makes up about fifty-two percent of the total constituents. This component oxidizes over time, which will cause the coconut oil to turn rancid and spoil after a few years. This is important to remember when using coconut oil in DIY projects like scrubs and shampoos. There is good news, however, in that coconut oil has a much longer shelf life when compared to other plant oils available for cosmetic applications.

distilling coconut oil

Cold extraction of coconut oil is one of the easiest methods of extraction in use today and is environmentally friendly as it does not require solvents or other chemicals and requires less energy consumption from start to end when compared with other extraction methods.  This process begins with the meat from the coconut being shredded and mixed in water to extract the coconut milk. The milk is then covered and allowed to separate into three distinct components: a top layer of light coconut cream, a middle layer of coconut cream, and a lower layer of water. The middle layer is then separated from the top layer, gets filtered, and left to sit for a seventy-two-hour period to allow the remaining water to evaporate. The end result of this process is a clear oil. (5)

Coconut oil solidifies at a temperature of 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 C), and liquifies at 86 F (30 C). (6) This can be both a blessing and a curse, depending on how you want to use the oil. For scrubs and other cosmetic applications, the solid temperature makes storage easy but can make extraction difficult. Thankfully, there is an alternative. This is a product called Fractionated Coconut Oil.

coconut still on the tree

Now don’t panic. We are talking about Fractionated, not Fractional, so we won’t be getting into any crazy math here. The process of converting coconut oil into fractionated coconut oil utilizes the different melting points of the various components of coconut oil. Lauric acid requires a higher heat when compared to the components of caprylic acid and capric acid. The oil is heated and then allowed to cool. As it starts to cool the lauric acid solidifies first and gets scooped off as it solidifies. This process gets repeated until no solid particles remain as the oil cools below the normal temperature where the oil typically solidifies. The remaining components compromise roughly twenty-five percent of the oil, and the result of the fractionating process is a clear, colorless oil that combines well with essential oils to enhance their absorption. Another benefit of fractionated coconut oil is it has a long, almost indefinite, shelf life as compared to the two-year shelf life of non-fractionated coconut oil.

To better understand how fractionated coconut oil enhances other oils requires us to take a step back and discuss the concept of volatility. When I started talking to my husband about volatility, he looked at me with a straight face and asked if the oils were flammable. After much discussion we started to come to a better comprehension of what his understanding of volatility was compared to mine, and how that related to the oils. So what, exactly, is volatility? In a nutshell, it is how easily a substance, typically a liquid, will evaporate at a specific temperature, with some variability such as volume and surface area. Liquids with a high volatility demonstrate a tendency to evaporate easily. This is a concept that you have likely experienced. Consider water for a moment. Water is volatile and will change to a gas at 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 C). But if you take a drop of water and spread it across the back of your hand, it will evaporate at a lower temperature. Another example is gasoline. Due to a wide range of variables, gasoline will change from a liquid to gas anywhere from 100 Fahrenheit (37.7 C) to 400 Fahrenheit (204.4 C). Like water, the quantity of gasoline is one of the variables determining volatility. A small amount of gasoline can evaporate into a flammable vapor, while a large amount is less likely to burn (depending on the flame source). Gasoline volatility is what my husband was familiar with, as he equated volatility with flammability.

coconuts

Where essential oils are concerned, volatility indicates the temperature where the oil will evaporate. Like the examples of water and gasoline, the volume and surface area affect the volatility of the oil. A drop of oil on the back of the hand will take a longer time to evaporate when compared to a drop spread out, whereas a bottle left uncapped will eventually evaporate, but it may take several days to a couple of weeks for that process to occur. Volatility is a concept that aromatherapy specialists and perfumers are well acquainted with. Perfumers commonly address oils as being a high note, a middle note, or a low note, drawing an example for music. The higher note oils usually have smaller molecules in their composition and are very volatile. They evaporate easily due to the body’s temperature when applied, enabling their scent to be released. The middle and low notes require more time to evaporate as there are larger molecules in their chemical composition. Just as the larger lauric acid molecule caused the coconut oil to solidify, larger molecules in the essential oils take a longer time to reach their volatility point. Citrus oils and flowery oils tend to have a high note. They smell wonderful in perfumes, but don’t help the body much due to their high volatility. If only there was a way to decrease their volatility…

Thankfully there is. The fractionated coconut oil we were talking about earlier acts as a carrier oil. When oils such as Rose, Neroli, Bergamot, and Peppermint are combined with a carrier oil, the mixture gets spread over the skin. The more volatile oil is encompassed by the carrier oil, preventing it from evaporating quickly and allowing the oil to be absorbed by the body. Stronger oils, like Cinnamon and Oregano, can also be mixed with a carrier oil, reducing the sensitivity to the skin, and making it easier for these oils to be used topically. Fractionated coconut oil can help extend a custom blend by increasing absorption without having to increase the drops of oil being used in the blend. You can also stretch your oils by diluting them with fractionated coconut oil without any worry over loss of efficacy.  

Kid's Kit

There are several oils in the dōTERRA line which are already mixed with fractionated coconut oil. These are referred to as the “Touch” oils, ready to be used. There are over twenty oils and blends available in the Touch format, including Lavender, Oregano, Magnolia, Rose, Jasmine, Neroli, and Helichrysum. (7) Another product with fractionated coconut oil are the oils available in the Kids Collection. These blends are formulated to support the body in multiple means, which are identified by the blend names: Thinker, Calmer, Rescuer, Stronger, Brave, Steady, and Tamer. (8) These blends enable people (both big and small) with sensitive skin to be able to enjoy the oils. Now to be perfectly clear, there are many possible carrier oils out there which one can choose from. Given the benefits coconut oil has shown where moisturizing, soothing, and softening the skin are concerned, it is easy to see why dōTERRA has chosen fractionated coconut oil as the carrier for their Touch line and the Kids Collection.

As mentioned earlier, the Philippines are one of the big three suppliers of coconut oil. Co-Impact Sourcing works with nearly 34,000 people in a broad variety of sourcing jobs. Additionally, there are over 142,000 lives supported through these jobs. (9) The influence of Co-Impact Sourcing is critical to ensure a fair wage for these growers. According to a study undertaken in 2019 by the Philippine Statistics Authority, the average daily wage for coconut growers at that time was 338.72 Philippine pesos (PhP). (10) That works out to an average yearly salary of 88,140 pesos, which correlates to an annual yearly salary of $1,503 US dollars. (11) In contrast, the average monthly salary in the Philippines in 2022 was 18,423 pesos, for a yearly average of 221,076 pesos, more than double what the typical coconut grower earns! (12) This sum translates to a yearly salary of $3,770.00 US. Ensuring that these growers are paid in a reliable, timely manner is very important, as is having an organization like the Healing Hands Foundation to step in and assist during a time of crisis.

Another application for fractionated coconut oil is making foaming hand wash at home. I love this recipe for its simplicity and the way my hands feel after I wash them. To make this hand wash you will need some liquid Castille Soap, fractionated coconut oil, Tea Tree Oil and a fragrant oil of your choice, a foaming soap dispenser, and water. Take the clean foaming hand soap bottle and add two tablespoons each of the Castile soap and fractionated coconut oil. Then add five drops of Tea Tree oil, along with five to ten drops of the fragrant oil you have chosen. The Tea Tree oil helps sooth, cleanse, and purify the skin as you wash your hands. I know there are many people who do not like the scent of the Tea Tree oil, hence the fragrance to create a more pleasing aroma. With the soap and oil in the bottle, swirl the contents gently to mix. Then fill the bottle with water to just below the threads for the applicator. Attach the applicator and swirl the mixture to fully combine the ingredients. Press the applicator to prime the pump, and you are ready to use it once the foamy soap starts coming out. (13)

fractionated coconut oil

I have really come to appreciate fractionated coconut oil the more I have learned about it. This carrier oil is a powerful adjunct to increase the effects that essential oils have on a person’s body. The list seems endless for how fractionated coconut oil can be used. I recently found out that it can also help free a stuck zipper, as a supplement to shine dress shoes, and helps prevent dust accumulation when used as a furniture polish. Shampoos, body scrubs, insect repellant, wow! The list just keeps going on and on. The Touch oils are a relatively inexpensive way to experience the power of the oils in your home. If you have been intrigued by some of our past article topics, but have experienced concern over the cost, see if the oil you are interested in is available in the Touch format. As I indicated before, Lavender, Rose, Neroli, Oregano and Peppermint are part of the Touch line. Also consider trying the blends found in the Kids Collection. I know many adults who love to use these blends. If you are new to our blog and are unfamiliar of what Co-Impact Sourcing and the Healing Hands Foundation are about, check out our previous blogs to learn more. May you embrace the power and benefits of essential oils in your life in the new year. As I was once told, “One day or Day One. The choice is yours to make.” Join us next time as we take a look at Helichrysum, a very powerful oil. Until then, have a wonderful holiday season and may the coming new year be good and prosperous for you.

Sources

1.    dōTERRA. “Source to You: Fractionated Coconut Oil.” 26 October 2021. Online. <https://sourcetoyou.com/en/stories/story/fractionated-coconut-oil>. Accessed 20 October 2024.

2.    Online Etymology Dictionary. “Coco.” Updated 8 January 2018. Online. <https://www.etymonline.com/word/coco>. Accessed 13 December 2024.

3.     Ng YJ, Tham PE, Khoo KS, Cheng CK, Chew KW, Show PL. “A Comprehensive Review on the Techniques for Coconut Oil Extraction and its Application.” 19 May 2021. Online. < https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00449-021-02577-9>. Accessed 4 December 2024.

4.    Ibid.

5.    Ibid.

6.    Ibid.

7.    dōTERRA. “doTERRA Touch Products.” Online. < https://www.doterra.com/CA/en/pl/doterra-touch-products> [This is the Canadian site…need Dee’s US site.]

8.    dōTERRA. “dōTERRA Kids Collection.” Online <https://www.doterra.com/US/en/p/doterra-kids-collection-2019>

9.    dōTERRA. “Source to You: Fractionated Coconut Oil.” 26 October 2021. Online. <https://sourcetoyou.com/en/stories/story/fractionated-coconut-oil>. Accessed 20 October 2024.

10. Philippine Statistics Authority. “Farm Workers are Paid Average Daily Wage of PhP 331.10 in 2029; CALABARZON Farm Workers are the Highest Paid While Central Visayas Farm Workers are the Lowest Paid.” 28 August 2020. Online. < https://psa.gov.ph/content/farm-workers-are-paid-average-daily-wage-php-33110-2019-calabarzon-farm-workers-are-highest>. Accessed 13 December 2024.

11. US Dollar to Philippine Peso (PhP) Conversion Rate per Google: $1 US equals 58.64 PhP. Rate Accessed 14 December 2024.

12. Estrellado, Vilma. “Average Salary in the Philippines: How a Company Saves Costs Through Filipino Hires.” 4 October 2024. Online. <https://www.outsourceaccelerator.co m/articles/average-salary-in-the-philippines/>. Accessed 12/14/2024

13. dōTERRA. “Foaming Hand Soap.” The Blog. Date UNK. <https://www.doterra.com/US/en/blog/diy-foaming-hand-soap>. Accessed 12 December 2024.