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- Written by Bruce Saumure
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When Babassu Oil, also known as cusi oil, is a clear light yellow vegetable oil extracted from the seeds of the babassu palm (Attalea speciosa), which grows in the Amazon region of South America. It is a non-drying oil used in food, cleaners and skin products. This oil has properties similar to coconut oil and is used in much the same context. It is increasingly being used as a substitute for coconut oil. Babassu oil is about 70% lipids, in the following proportions:
| Fatty acid | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Lauric | 50.0% |
| Myristic | 20.0% |
| Palmitic | 11.0% |
| Oleic | 10.0% |
| Stearic | 3.5% |
Lauric and myristic acids have melting points relatively close to human body temperature, so babassu oil can be applied to the skin as a solid that melts on contact. This heat transfer can produce a cooling sensation. Babbasu is an effective emollient.
Sun Island Body Care currently handcrafts two different soap bars where Babassu Oil is the primary vegetable oil replacing Coconut oil. This was to fulfill customer requests for a soap that does not contain any Coconut oil, as these customers have Coconut sensitivities. The cost of using Babbassu as a primary carrier oil is greater than Coconut, however, and therefore the cost of these soap bars is a little greater than our soaps made with Coconut oil.
Here are links to the product pages: BlackBerry Sage Babassu Goat's Milk Soap with Shea Butter and the No Fragrance Babbassu Goat's Milk Soap with Shea Butter.
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- Written by Bruce Saumure
- Category: Carrier Oils
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Coconut Oil, also known as copra oil, is an edible oil extracted from the kernel or meat of mature coconuts harvested from the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera). The Coconut tree is a member of the palm tree family (Arecaceae) and the only known living species of the genus Cocos. The term "coconut" can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is botanically known as a drupe, not a nut. The term is derived from the 16th-century Portuguese and Spanish word Coco meaning "head" or "skull" after the three indentations on the coconut shell that resemble facial features.
| Fatty acid | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Lauric | 48.0% |
| Myristic | 16.0% |
| Palmitic | 9.5% |
| Decanoic | 8.0% |
| Caprylic | 7.0% |
| Oleic | 6.5% |
| Other | 5.0% |
Coconuts are known for their versatility of uses, ranging from food to cosmetics. The inner flesh of the mature seed forms a regular part of the diets of many people in the tropics and subtropics. Coconuts are distinct from other fruits because their endosperm contains a large quantity of clear liquid, called "coconut milk" in the literature, and when immature, may be harvested for their potable "coconut water", also called "coconut juice"
Mature, ripe coconuts can be used as edible seeds or processed for oil and plant milk from the flesh, charcoal from the hard shell, and coir from the fibrous husk. Dried coconut flesh is called copra, and the oil and milk derived from it are commonly used in cooking – frying in particular – as well as in soaps and cosmetics. The hard shells, fibrous husks, and long pinnate leaves can be used as material to make a variety of products for furnishing and decorating.
The coconut also has cultural and religious significance in certain societies, particularly in India, where it is used in Hindu rituals. The coconut palm thrives on sandy soils and is highly tolerant of salinity. It prefers areas with abundant sunlight and regular rainfall (1,500–2,500 mm [59–98 in] annually), which makes colonizing shorelines of the tropics relatively straightforward.[63] Coconuts also need high humidity (at least 70–80%) for optimum growth, which is why they are rarely seen in areas with low humidity.
Coconut oil is one of the Primary vegetable oils used by Sun Island Body Care. As a soapmaking oil, Coconut oil produces a soap bar with excellent cleaning properties and a very desirable fluffy and bubbly lather. In large quantities, Coconut oil is drying to the skin, so we combine it with other oils to produce a balanced soap with a fluffy lather that is stable and moisturizing with good hardness. The majority of our soaps are Coconut oil-based.