Cooking and hair conditioning

by Barbara
(Philadelphia)

Hi ya! I have recently discovered "clean eating" and in many recipes it calls for coconut oil. I purchased a jar at my local Whole Foods. When I bought the jar, the coconut oil looked white and solid. It said to store in a cool and dry place, so I placed it in cabinet. I figured it was cooler in the cabinet, but it is still warm out and i don't have central air. When I pulled it out, the solid white coconut oil was now clear and liquid with white specks at the bottom. Is this normal and okay to use? Also, how much should you use to deep condition my hair?
Thanks so much! BB

Reply: Hi Barbara, It's perfectly natural for virgin coconut oil to turn into a clear liquid and it's safe to use in this form. Coconut oil naturally becomes a solid when cooled; try placing your oil in the fridge and it will become a solid hard mass in a few hours. Take the jar out of the fridge so it warms to room temperature and you'll find the solid oil becomes more liquid and translucent.

Virgin coconut oil also makes an excellent natural hair conditioner. Place a small amount of oil in the palm of your hand, rub your hands together to liquify the oil and then coat the hair on your head. Here's more detailed info on using coconut oil for hair.