Hi Monica, You can get refined and unrefined coconut oil. Refined coconut oils are usually made from dried copra (coconut) and it's bleached and deodorized to process out the oil. It's commonly used in baked goods. Unrefined coconut oil is made from fresh (not dried) coconut and is usually pressed to extract the oil. Unrefined coconut oil is rarely exposed to any type of high heat or chemicals - it is the most natural form of coconut oil that tropical islanders have been eating for decades. Here's more information on the difference between refined and unrefined coconut oil.

Spectrum coconut oil is a great brand of coconut oil. They offer an Unrefined Organic Coconut Oil and a Refined Organic Coconut Oil. The refined coconut oil has been exposed to more processing than the unrefined version.

Monica, it appears you have the Spectrum Refined Organic Coconut Oil. This is a good coconut oil for cooking oil due to a higher smoke point. It has a more neutral flavor, compared to the unrefined version, due to the processing it has gone through. It's also a great coconut oil to use for baking and frying. You can use it to replace margarine, butter and shortening in recipes. However, if you want a pure virgin unrefined coconut oil, then you may want to use the unrefined version.

Here's more detailed information on the different types of Spectrum coconut oils.

Monica, I hope you enjoy the health benefits of coconut oil and feel free to share your experiences in our coconut oil forums.