Coconut oil appeared on the market not so long ago, but it has already proven itself as a cosmetic product for hair and problem skin care. Although in East Asia, where it is most often produced from the pulp of this coconut, it is also used in food, replacing them with sunflower and even olive oil.
Meanwhile, many young ladies are not yet so advanced as to fill salads with coconut oil, but they make masks for hair with great pleasure. To do this, and buy coconut oil in a pharmacy, supermarket or order online.
But, having acquired a cherished bottle, many wonder: how to store coconut oil at home so that it does not lose those properties it possesses?
Useful properties of coconut oil
- The coconut oil contains polyunsaturated acids: oleic, linolenic, arachidonic, capric, stearic, myristic, palmitoic, which the body needs for its normal functioning.
- This oil is rich in calcium, phosphorus, vitamins E, A, C.
- Oil normalizes cholesterol in the blood.
- It has antifungal, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties.
- It is used to treat dermatitis and eczema.
- Coconut masks make hair soft and manageable.
- Coconut oil improves dry skin. It increases its resilience and elasticity.
- Consuming coconut oil helps to reduce weight.
- There are no special contraindications for its use, but if you are hypersensitive to it, you should give it up.
How to choose high-quality coconut oil
- Coconut oil is worth buying from verified sellers: in large stores, in a pharmacy, in specially designated points.
- Resting in those countries where coconut grows, you should not buy coconut oil from street vendors who specialize in the sale of national souvenirs, as well as this oil, packaged in attractive attracting containers. Most often it is for the container and the price is assigned, and the quality of the oil can be far from the standard.
- When buying, pay attention to the color of the oil. It can be light, almost transparent or have a light yellow straw shade. It depends on the method of its manufacture, as coconut oil is produced by cold pressing (pressing) or hot. That is, it can be either refined or unrefined.
- Unrefined oil is produced by pressing the inner pulp of the coconut. It turns out quite a bit of raw materials. But it is rich in all the beneficial microelements that make up the coconut, and also has a pleasant aroma characteristic of fresh coconut. Of course, it is expensive.
- Refined coconut oil is produced in a hot way. From the same amount of coconuts it turns out much more. It does not have the smell that unrefined oil has, and there are slightly fewer nutrients in it. Therefore, it is cheaper.
- It is necessary to pay attention to the consistency of the oil, taking into account the temperature in the room in which it was located just before the purchase.
- The fact is that the melting point of coconut oil is + 25 °. Therefore, the cooled oil will have a thickish, possibly heterogeneous consistency, consisting of different size lumps. And warm oil is liquid and transparent.
Having bought coconut oil, many people think about whether you need to put it in the refrigerator or you can leave it at room temperature.
How to properly store coconut oil
In order for coconut oil to retain all of its beneficial properties and not go rancid, you need to create ideal storage conditions for it.
The quality of the oil is affected by light, temperature, air and, of course, the container in which it is stored.
Light
Any product in the light is spoiled. And oil is no exception. Therefore, you need to take care that the light does not fall on it - neither solar nor electric. This means that the container with oil should be in a cabinet with lockable doors or in a refrigerator.
Temperature
Despite this difference in temperature, the oil can be stored both in the room and in the refrigerator. But there is still a limitation. Under room conditions, the oil can stand without losing its properties, if the temperature in the room does not rise above 18 °, because the heat to coconut oil is contraindicated, as well as cold.
A positive temperature is maintained in the refrigerator - up to + 5-6 °, and these are good conditions for storing oil. But in the freezer it can not be stored.
Tara
If the oil is in the original packaging - a glass bottle, ampoule or vial, it does not need to be poured into another container.
But sometimes the oil is poured into an inappropriate container, for example, in a tightly closed bottle. Then it needs to be poured into another container with an airtight lid or stopper. The main thing is that inside there is no access to air, since when the oil comes in contact with oxygen it will oxidize. If the oil is stored in an open container, it will run down.
How much coconut oil is stored
Information on the packaging should be on the storage time of coconut oil. And you need to stick to it.
Usually the shelf life is 1 year. But this does not mean that exactly 12 months later, the oil should be thrown out, because if it is in the refrigerator, it can be stored much longer than the one that is in the room.
They also take into account the purposes for which this oil was purchased, since for external use the storage periods are more loyal than for ingestion.
When storing pay attention to the appearance of the oil. If it changes color, becomes bright yellow, or has an unpleasant odor, you cannot use it. At least, in the medical and cosmetic purposes. But in everyday life it can still serve the service, as they say that it is an excellent polish for furniture.
But in order not to throw out coconut oil, which has a shelf life, you do not need to buy too much of it. After all, it is not worth a penny!
It is better to use fresher every time than to lament the waste of money and spoiled product.
