Okay, not ALL refined coconut oil is okay, but some is. It depends on how they do the refining, but yeah.. certain brands have a gentle refining process that actually leaves you a decent product at up to a 1/5th the price of virgin coconut oil.
This is a discovery that has made my pocketbook soooo much happier.
Woah, back up there Missy, what are you talking about?
Okay, so I highly recommend the use of coconut oil. Coconut oil is… well, it’s the oil from a coconut. I’m sure you can figure that out. The reason it’s so good is because:
1) It’s, like, the best oil for cooking.
Fat is not bad for you, but almost all the fat that is commonly eaten these days – like nasty vegetable oils and trans fats – are very damaged and processed which makes them really bad for your body and skin. Coconut oil is a very, very stable fat that is not prone to going bad. You can heat it to high heats, you can leave it in direct sunlight – it will sit for years and stay good.
I personally think it’s pretty important to find a good solid, stable fat to cook with. Cooking with fat makes your food taste divine, so you don’t want to miss out on that. But if you don’t have a good stable fat, you’re stuck using yucky, health damaging seed oils. Coconut oil, or pastured ghee, lard, or tallow (which I also sometimes use) are the best choices.
2) It’s got a lot of unique health benefits.
From organicfacts.net:
“The health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity, proper digestion and metabolism, relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV and cancer, dental care, and bone strength. These benefits of the oil can be attributed to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, and its properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial and soothing properties.”
Yeah, so.. coconut oil is good times.
However, it’s not good times for your wallet. Well, at least the organic virgin coconut oil sure isn’t, which is what I used to recommend. Virgin means that an oil is the least processed and of the highest quality. Often anything less than that (as is the case with, say, olive oil), isn’t good for you because the harsh extraction process leaves the oil damaged and full of impurities.
Well, it turns out that because coconut oil is so stable and it can really take a beating before becoming damaged, that it’s actually okay to use refined coconut oil. For most seed oils, they need to be extracted extremely gently at low heats because the fat in them is so delicate… but with coconut oil, that doesn’t really matter because it’s a real tough cookie. And you’re probably going to be scorching the heck out of it anyway, so who really cares if it was extracted at low heat.
However, not all refined coconut oil is made the same…
Right, so, as with everything, it’s not that simple though, because it all depends on HOW they do the refining. In most cases the oil is refined with the use of harsh chemical solvents, or they’re made from rancid oil byproducts leftover from making dry coconut flakes. They’re also usually bleached and deodorized to make them palatable and acceptable for selling. Some are even partially hydrogenated, which is the process that creates trans fats. We don’t want that. That’s really gross.
But the good news is that there are some quality refined coconut oils out there that are cleaned using a natural, chemical free process, which are A-okay for consumption. I believe they might have slightly fewer health benefits than virgin, but still retain most of them. And hey – if you are not in high finance, and it’s a choice between using refined coconut oil or canola for your cooking… it’s so worth it for your health to go for the refined coconut oil!
Besides, you can always keep a jar of virgin around if you really want the best quality with the most health benefits – like if you are using it as an antifungal during a candida cleanse, or using it as a moisturizer on your skin.
Plus – there is actually another benefit to refined coconut oil aside from money: refined coconut oil doesn’t taste like coconut. I know that some people don’t mind the coconut taste of virgin coconut oil (personally I never noticed it making my food taste coconutty), but some people really notice it and can’t stand it. So this is a great little bonus.
Here’s how much money I’ve saved:
I used to buy little jars of organic virgin coconut oil at my local health store for 18 or 19 bucks a pop (on the left in the photo below).
But then I discovered I could get this bucket of organic refined coconut oil for 42 dollars at the organic bulk food store next door:
The bucket has five times as much coconut oil as the other one or only twice the price, which means that I literally saved $100. A hundred dollars!! A hundred frickin dollars!!
Which Brands of Refined Coconut Oil Are Okay to Use for Cooking?
Well, I am sure there are more available than I am aware of, but a few brands that I know of that seem to have a quality refining process are the following:
I guess I should mention that if you really want to get a good deal on coconut oil, you should buy it in bulk! That’s why I linked to the one gallon pales. Also, if you are wondering about the refining process of a different brand of coconut oil, don’t ask me because I don’t know! haha… please visit their website or give them a call about it and they will be able to tell you.
Watch Me Talk About Coconut Oil in Video
Do you use coconut oil? If not, what oils do you use to cook your food in?
Jules says
February 2, 2013 at 1:23 pmI’m so glad you posted this Tracy! I actually just started cooking with coconut oil yesterday and I loved that I didn’t feel guilty eating fried food. I personally, don’t taste the sweetness of the coconut oil in the dishes I made but I definitely smell the coconut aroma. I also heard that coconut oil is beneficial for pets, so I fed my dog a tiny, tiny amount of the solidified oil.
Tracy says
February 2, 2013 at 10:38 pmI know, it’s awesome. I just use a ton of it (especially if I’m baking sweet potato fries or potatoes or roasting vegetables)… tastes so good and love knowing it’s a healthy oil 🙂
sam says
February 7, 2013 at 10:06 amI was babysitting my MIL’s doggie the other week and where I live its very cold and the ground is covered in salt. One of my friends recommended I rub coconut oil on the dog’s paws to help them feel better from all that salt. I could hardly get it on her because she loved it so much that she just licked it off as soon as I started rubbing it on! Haha. So I think it’s probably good for them, and YUMMY to them!
Vicky Clayton says
August 28, 2016 at 10:36 amThe organic refined coconut oil has no smell of coconut or taste!!
Ramon Zermeno says
February 20, 2017 at 11:23 pmWill the refined coconut oil work as a flea and tick repellent? I’ve only been hearing about virgin coconut oil working.
Kit says
February 2, 2013 at 2:41 pmI LOVE coconut oil. I use it for so much – frying, baking, roasting, oil-pulling and lip balm – so trying a cheaper variety would save me a ton if I liked the quality. It’s such versatile stuff. I haven’t liked all brands the same though, so I think I’d try a tiny bit of refined CO before committing to a big ass tub like that haha.
Tracy says
February 2, 2013 at 10:39 pmhaha yeah, I agree.. if you are sensitive to the variations (I don’t notice it much and I’ve tried all sorts of coconut oils), definitely try a smaller sample first
Nick says
February 2, 2013 at 4:42 pmTracy,
Thanks for the article and btw I am new to your site. I started using jojoba and manuka one week ago and the oil my face produces has drastically reduced…I am so glad I found your site! So I think I am allergic to coconut oil, as I have been testing many natural health bar soaps, and the main culprit is coconut. Might you have any suggestions for a natural bar soap or any bar soap without coconut oils in the ingredients. I can’t find one and I have been researching for awhile. Any help would be appreciated, and thank you, for being you!
Tracy says
February 2, 2013 at 10:40 pmHi Nick – welcome to the site 🙂
Hmm.. I’m not aware off the top of my head a natural soap that doesn’t use coconut oil… I use Dr. Bronners, but I know that contains it. If I find something, I will let you know! Maybe someone else here knows of one and can share.
Kit says
February 3, 2013 at 4:40 amTry the olive oil bar soaps by Kiss My Face. The unscented one has three ingredients – olive oil, sodium chloride (salt) and water. I love it – I find it very pleasant and non-irritating, and my skin is sensitive. They make scented varieties but I haven’t tried them. They’re available on the company website, Amazon, or in a lot of health food stores.
anana says
February 3, 2013 at 1:48 pmI agree. I am (unfortunately) very allergic to coconut oil. The kiss my face olive oil soap is THE ONLY soap i have found that does not have coconut or coconut derivatives. It is great. Also, if you are allergic to coconut, look in to using “soap nuts” for laundry detergent. And tooth powder instead of toothpaste. Coconut is in everything! And, it is really fantastic, if you are not allergic.
Nick says
February 5, 2013 at 6:28 pmThank you Anana I bought some and I like it!
Nick says
February 3, 2013 at 4:48 pmThank you so much Kit…I just purchased one!
Kit says
February 4, 2013 at 9:57 amOh great! I’m not even allergic to coconut…I just find the olive is way more gentle on the skin. I think you’ll love it 🙂
c says
February 4, 2013 at 12:51 pmHey Nick, I really love Kiss My Face’s olive oil bar soap, it is coconut free and naturally very moisturizing. works great on my sensitive skin. http://www.kissmyface.com/natural-body-soaps/item/11/Pure-Olive-Oil-Bar-Soap
Meeeg says
April 3, 2013 at 9:01 pmYou might like Val’s Veggie bars. I have been using them for years, and am pleased as punch.
Linda Verhallen says
January 26, 2017 at 9:21 pmTry tea tree oil for topical use on skin, it has many of the same benefits as coconut oil.
Nathan says
February 2, 2013 at 5:00 pmCoconut oil is a huuuuge part of my budget and even though I have found it a lot cheaper than the supermarkets it’s still pretty expensive stuff. I’d estimate that it cost me around £100 a year and for a cooking oil that’s expensive. (compared to the dirty vegetable oil that would cost 1 fifth of that at the most. A huge price jump for anyone wanting to improve their health)
This is the cheapest I’ve found in the UK but it’s not refined.
http://www.realfoods.co.uk/product/23602/essential-organic-virgin-coconut-oil-690ml
I’d love to hear from other UK coconut oil buyers if you have found it any cheaper.
P.S Tracy the embedded video on this page says it’s “Private”, as does the direct Youtube link.
Tracy says
February 2, 2013 at 10:40 pmOh… oops. Thanks for the video tip, it’s all fixed now
Amy says
February 2, 2013 at 11:43 pmHi.
I buy Biona coconut oil in the glass jars, they also do a larger size in a plastic tub but i’ve always stuck with the smaller jars because i’ve heard that plastic can leak toxins that are bad for you. What are your thoughts? Should i just go for the cheaper option?
Tracy says
February 3, 2013 at 9:35 amHi Amy – yes, glass is definitely preferable over plastic, due to the toxins/hormone mimickers in it… but I guess I am just choosing to ignore it in this case. You can make that choice for yourself about whether you want to avoid plastic at all costs… there’s no objective way to say if the glass is worth the extra money or not, so I don’t know!
lilah says
December 30, 2015 at 8:30 pmPlastic does leak toxins. Stick with glass jars. Some of the toxins can cause infertility in both men and women.
Adel-Alexander says
February 3, 2013 at 3:59 amHmm.. I just started using Ghee to cook my food, I’m starting to like it more than coconut oil! 🙂
Tracy says
February 3, 2013 at 9:35 amYeah I like ghee too! 😀
Shibs says
May 11, 2017 at 5:34 amDoesnt ghee have a lot of fat? Also, Tracy, I just bought a refined organic coconut oil by cisco. How can i tell if that has all the good vitamins? i didnt realize first what i was getting. haha I just saw organic and assumed it was unrefined.
amy says
February 3, 2013 at 7:16 amwhat is your star sign? (just out of curiosity) also do you believe in all that horoscope stuff??
Tracy says
February 3, 2013 at 9:38 amHi Amy – I’m an Aries. I just haven’t gotten into astronomy deep enough to say without a shadow of a doubt that I think it’s legit, but I do think the cosmos and stars have some effect on us, certainly, so I guess I am a believer.
I think though that to be accurate you have to go past just the sun sign that is normally the only one talked about… you have to consider where all the planets were when the person was born. So I guess I believe astronomy, but not the usual sweeping generalizations about the sun signs without all the other considerations haha
john says
February 3, 2013 at 11:08 amNothing makes my skin smoother than when I eat lots of coconut milk (usually Trader Joe’s coconut cream). Coconut oil is great too, but of course the recipies are limited.
SweatyGirl says
February 4, 2013 at 7:45 amI was super into coconut oil back in the day when I did Atkins. I think I got so burnt out on it that I stopped using it. I am definitely ready to get back into the habit! I never knew which kind was better, I just kept both kinds “the one that tasted like coconut” and “the one that didn’t” 🙂
I used to float a TBSP of the flavorful one in my coffee! Delicious 🙂
Rachel says
February 4, 2013 at 6:22 pmI use coconut oil in my cooking fairly often but I have recently discovered a dairy farm somewhat near my home and have been buying raw milk and cream. I have been meaning to make butter with the raw cream…how would the butter I make compare to coconut oil??
Tracy says
February 5, 2013 at 8:19 amHi Rachel,
Butter is good for cooking too! Well, sort of… dairy fat is. Butter will burn at high heats because it still has some of the proteins in it. If you want to use it for high heat cooking, you can make it into ghee (I know, another step..): https://thelovevitamin.com/3976/how-to-make-ghe/
LaTisha Smith says
November 18, 2016 at 10:40 amHi Tracy I just bought a jar of refined coconut oil and I wanted to use it for my skin,hair and oil pulling is this a good choice or not,this is my first time buying it,and its in a plastic jar,did I make a good choice
Nick says
February 5, 2013 at 6:27 pmThank you everyone for your recommendations…I have been using for a couple days now (Kiss my face) and I like it too….
Rata@coconutoilgood says
February 20, 2013 at 10:07 pmThank you for posting this.
Combining the best with the pretty good product is a great way to go on the wallet.
And i had been looking for a coconut oil that didn’t have a strong taste. coconut oil is fabulous with so many things but not great with a fried egg.
And i really am trying to avoid cooking with olive oil since it becomes trans fat.
So, Yay!!!
Tracy says
February 20, 2013 at 10:53 pmGreat! I’m so glad you found this helpful 🙂
Kait says
March 6, 2013 at 10:35 amThanks for the info, Tracy! I just wanted to let you in on my little secret to savings as well. Costco no carries a 54oz unrefined, cold pressed, organic coconut oil for about $15! I do a lot of grocery shopping at Costco because you can buy organic fruit and vegetables in bulk (and I eat a LOT), but this new addition got me pretty excited! I too don’t mind the flavor, so I eat it, use it on my body, use it for oil pulling, and also use a bit for my face. I don’t know if you have Costco in Canada, but it’s a steal there if you do!
Tracy says
March 6, 2013 at 8:53 pmHi Kait, ah yes Costco can definitely save you a lot! We have it in Canada, but I don’t have one in my town.. and I live on a .. well it’s practically an island, we have to take very expensive ferries to go anywhere. So not cost efficient for me, unfortunately!
Kait says
March 6, 2013 at 10:35 amGr… typo! *Costco NOW carries
Annalisa says
September 19, 2013 at 4:13 pmIs refined coconut oil good for your hair?
Tracy says
September 20, 2013 at 7:33 amHi Annalisa, actually I’m not sure if it has the same benefit or not. I don’t think it would hurt it
Abdul says
September 20, 2013 at 11:39 amHi Tracy
Love your website. On your cost savings….didn’t you save $60?
You paid roughly $20 for the small bottle. And $40 for the large tub which has five times the oil. So, you would have to buy 5 small bottles to have the same oil as the large tub. That would cost you $20 x 5 or $100. The savings from buying the large tub then is $100 less $40 = $60 in savings.
No?
Tracy says
September 21, 2013 at 8:06 amHmm.. it would appear you’re right based on what I wrote. But I think I calculated it based on the exact mL of each.. … I remember doing some fancy calculations. Maybe I got it wrong though, I don’t know. Either way, $60 is still pretty good 😉
Abdul says
September 21, 2013 at 8:31 amMore importantly, either way, your research cleared my acne. Thank you so much!
Tracy says
September 21, 2013 at 8:36 amYay!! Great news 😀
Niki says
August 23, 2014 at 4:30 pmI recently just bought coconut oil from a brand named Spring Valley It smells like coconut and the minute I apply it on my skin it feels good and smells like coconut . Within 10 minutes my skin no longer smells like coconut it smells like soap to be exact it smells like castile soap . Is this normal I’ve read some comments mentioning it normal some say it’s not , I really don’t know what to think please help
marycris says
October 20, 2014 at 7:04 amHi tracy
I’m from Philippines.. I used cold pressed coconut oil from head to toe and internally..and make my own cold pressed coconut oil too.. But i had a problem with the smell,it smells like closer to vinegar..they say that unrefined coconut oil easily gets rancid..is this true..and this also the first time i madecold pressed coconut oil..we usually cook it to extract the oil but they say CPCO is much healthier bec of the heat process that kills the enzymes,nutrients and ect..ps:sorry for my english not fluent in english..
Cindy says
October 24, 2014 at 1:21 pmThe link for 1-gallon Wilderness coconut oil doesn’t exist anymore. I searched for it on my own and it doesn’t appear Amazon sells it anymore, if it is even sold that way anymore. Thought you would want to know.
Tracy Raftl says
October 25, 2014 at 2:09 pmAw, that’s too bad. Thanks Cindy
chax20 says
November 5, 2014 at 6:38 pmhey, Do you know how refine coconut oil
Brenda says
November 21, 2014 at 8:45 pmI just now bought me some refined coconut oil wanting to try it out …besides cooking with it how else can it b used can refined b used in ur hot teas and coffee or as a spead on toast..or am i better off getting unrefined for those uses
Tracy Raftl says
November 22, 2014 at 7:24 amHi Brenda, you can use the refined one wherever you want but the unrefined one has more health benefits so if you want those then you can use it for some things!
Susan Di Santo says
August 14, 2015 at 2:38 pmI’ve tried Nutiva and Carrington Farm but not Spectrum….. Ive ever seen it for sale in UK or noticed it online.
I have a few comments on your video.
Like banana production, it ‘s unlikely that coconut oil iis not organic or GM because they are foods not grown in the US.
Re. Labelling coconuts are not olives. Its a bit of a deception or exaggeration to call coco ur oil ‘extra virgin’ when there is no secondary pressing for coconut oil as in olive tradition.
Re. ‘Cold pressed’ or ‘Mechanically extracted’:
Although you read out dictionary definitions of refined and organic, you overlooked to research exactly how cold pressing coconut flesh (copra) is done. Firstly it has to be macerated. Then pressed and strained.
I hardly think that this process is managed by hand and would involve electically operated food processing machinery. Therefore cold pressing is mechanical extract action. If heat or chemicals are involved then the former description would be deceptive. Spectrum are not actually deceiving the public at all. The coconutsthey used are mostly likely organically grown, (expensive pesticides and fertilzers are simply not necessary), and the macerate copra used is ‘virgin’ (there is no extra-virgin or virgin in coconut oil in the oil extraction/pressing process)
It would have been useful to see what melted Spectrum oil looked like compared to the Carrington Farm and Nutiva.
A last comment, although I buy in bulk, (both the 2 brands you trust), I’m aware that storage for any length of time is preferable in glass jars, (which add to weight, transportation cost and fight survival). But like you, I have a limited budget.
lilah says
December 30, 2015 at 8:41 pmCoconut oil helps reverse some of the signs of Alzheimer’s. I’ve been using it on my 80yr.old dad for a month a teaspoon in the morning and one at night, he is starting to remember who I am….by name.where he lives, can remember how to count from one to fifty….he couldn’t do any of this a month ago….. Unrefined coconut oil is truly necessary if you know someone who has this disease…..
Cynthia says
March 9, 2016 at 7:47 amwow….this article is really helpful. I like it.
I started using the refined coconut oil on my hair two days ago. Can I stop using it and look for unrefined one or I just continue using this ?
Sherrie says
March 18, 2016 at 8:50 amI have organic unrefined coconut and I think I bought the wrong one.. This stuff came in a glass jar and it is thicker than Vaseline— might be all right for a hair conditioner but how could you use it on your skin? I tried heating for 15 seconds in micro wave but it gets thick once it’s not warm. Anymore! I am living in the desert and I need to keep myself moisturizer to the max . This stuff is so thick and goopy– I have obviously bought the wrong stuff
Please if you have any suggestions– I can get something else and if coconut is the best moisturizer– so be it
Akinpelu says
July 28, 2017 at 5:54 amSherrie, don’t be discouraged because of the bad coconut oil you bought. There are still some very good organic unrefined ones out there. I make coconut oil here in Nigeria & it is made using the most natural process. If you are interested, I will like to send you a sample of my product.
Shana says
July 8, 2016 at 8:13 amjust bought a 1 gallon tub of non-hydrogenated, Non-GMO verified, refined coconut oil from Big Lots for 12 bucks!!!! Going back to stock up on more asap!!!
R says
August 29, 2016 at 10:03 amI bought neutral scent c o at whole foods from jarrow brand so far so good. Anyone have an opinion on jarrow brand? I don’t like smell of coconuts so don’t use virgin c o.
Also, is it good as a sunscreen too?
Sharon says
September 6, 2016 at 10:12 amWhat do you think about the Nutiva brand? I’ve seen they have a butter flavor refined coconut oil. But I’ve always heard that unrefined was the way to go….until I just found your article. What do you think of that brand?
Ashley says
September 17, 2016 at 11:25 amI’m also wondering about the Nutiva brand. I just got a gallon bucket of the Nutiva Organic Refined Coconut Oil & was wondering what their process is.