Hmm.. maybe try a gourmet food shop? Something like Central Market? Or maybe even Whole Foods would have it.

Thanks, Anne!
Do you use it to condition your hair, as well, and if so, how often do you use it?

Here are the different descriptions of both refined and unrefined coconut oil as given on the Mountain Rose Herb site.

Karen...I have used coconut oil for cooking, but haven't tried it as a hair conditioner. I'll have to give it a try.



Organic Coconut Oil Profile

Botanical Name- Cocos nucifera
Origin- Philippines
Extraction- Expeller Pressed/Refined
Shelf life- 12-18 months
Kosher Certified- No
Notes- Will melt at 76 degrees and turn to liquid. This particular oil is refined through organic methods involving deodorization, and the removal of color through the use of bleaching clays.
Recommended for cosmetic purposes only, as the Virgin unrefined is a more suitable edible oil.

Virgin Unrefined Coconut Oil Profile (Organic)


Botanical Name- Cocos nucifera
Origin- Philippines
Extraction- Cold Pressed/Unrefined
Shelf life- 2 years
Kosher Certified- Yes
Notes- Will melt at 76 degrees and turn to liquid. This particular oil is "Virgin" unrefined and has a pleasant and enticing coconut aroma. If blended within skin care preparations at a high percentage, it may alter the scent of the final product. Suitable for both food and cosmetic use.
This grade of Coconut oil is the same variety sold in natural food stores.
Method Of Extraction

Fresh, whole coconuts that are sound and ripe are shelled and then pared to remove the brown skin. The white meat is then milled to fine shreds and dried at a temperature of not more than 100 degrees for an average of 2 hours and 30 minutes. This does not create a completely dried and useless meat, but rather helps in the evaporation of excess water which is prevalent in the meat.
After drying, the milled coconut is passed through a customized, cold process oil press where the oil is separated from the coconut at a controlled temperature of less than 100 degrees. The oil is collected in a receiving pan and pumped through a series of filter cloths, which results in a water clear coconut oil, known commercially as Virgin Coconut Oil.The filtered virgin coconut oil is temporarily stored in a tank and made to pass through a final filter to remove any detritus left over before it is packed into its final drum.

I buy mine at Whole Foods. They sell virgin, unrefined coconut oil near me for about 6.99 a jar (reasonable I think and you don't have to buy it on the internet and Whole Foods stores are becoming quite widespread (I live in Maryland). I would imagine that unrefined/virgin oil is better but I think the most important part is that you are using the coconut oil at all and not so much as to weigh down your hair or get it on your skin which might potentially cause breakouts for those susceptable (I use a shower cap and leave on about a quarter cup or so of my (men's) medium-long length hair (down to my ears) that is dyed to a level 10 blond (aka very blond) from a natural level 3 or 4 approx. (dark brown) and I leave it on for up to an hour no more than twice a week. Remember, if you use it too much on colored hair it can contribute to the fading of the color. But, I have found it highly effective as a deep-conditioning scalp and hair treatment and is probably wonderful for those with dry skin and associated dermatological conditions due to its penetration into the skin (excellent) and its anti-oxidant properties.
Hope this helps!
Teddy

Hi all, recently i've just been exposed to a new brand with virgin coconut oil. It's called Bencoolen. I've been consuming virgin coconut oil for the past 6-7 months, and started to drink Bencoolen Virgin Coconut Oil for the last 2 months when i got to purchase them in the retail store. Then, i tried out their hair care - shampoo, conditioner and leave-on conditioner. After using this hair care for 2 weeks, i noticed that my hair has been replenished with moisture, it's lightly oily even after few hours of drying. It's not the oily coconut oil on the hair, but it's something like moisture that you could feel it. It's kinda hard to describe till you use and experience it. Oh, the hair care set has Virgin Coconut Oil in it as its main ingredient which makes the products extra special. I thought i would share this info with whoever that is interested. I purchased the hair care set online at http://www.bencoolen.com.my . If anyone has used their products, do share the experience, i would like to hear review on other range of products as well.

The nail polish remover can really dry your nails out. One way to restore the moisture is to soak you fingers in warm Olive oil for 5 minutes to soften your cuticles vs soapy water. It really helps counteract the damage done by the remover. Just make sure you wash the surface oils off so polish will stick. I also can't believe how much better glass nail files are. My nails don't layer off and peel when I use them like they would with the old style files. They aren't cheap, but they don't wear out.

I don't know what happened..this was suppose to be posted under the nail care discussion.