Pure coconut oil- is it a cooking oil?

[Dreamkitty]

My mum always buys pure coconut oil. I went to the shop and asked the guy "Is this okay to use om hair?" he said it was a cooking oil. Now I am a little bit confused, I have been using this oil for 2 years now, is it normal to use coconut oil that can be used for cooking too?

[Dragon]

Yep, it is. I often use coconut oil as well and also use olive oil thats ment for cooking.

[Chamy]

There is a difference between refined and unrefined coconutoil, one is used mainly for cooking and the other is used mainly in skin and harcare as understand it. And both can be used on hair, there is a difference in smell between the two kinds. Someone else has to fill in the blanks, i feel like i dont have anything to really contribute with. :P
But remember that not all store clerks understand what we put in our hair.

[Sooze]

I must admit when I first heard that people used extra virgin olive oil on hair I did a double take, but since joining TLHC and trying oils for myself, I was converted. I think however that a lot of people out there wouldn't necessarily know that such oils can be used for cooking, hair and/or skin as well. Provided you aren't using Mazola or Spry Fry Crisp n Dry it has to be worth a go. (Having said that, I bet there are Mazola users out there who get very fine results from their product of choice!)

[In2wishin]

Not only is coconut oil good for cooking it is absolutely the best for popcorn! It is also one of the most popular oils for many hair and body care products (olive and shea are the others).

Chamy is right: the only significant difference between refined and unrefined is the smell, there is no real difference between them as far as hair benefits go.

[krismuse]

Yep, that guy was clueless. I use organic virgin coconut oil on my hair, scalp and skin. And then I turn around and use it to cook eggs, or sometimes just eat a spoonful. I do keep separate jars, though. CO has many uses, and people claim there are a lot of health benefits, but there aren't enough studies backing up those claims yet. Still, I feel if it's that good on the outside of the body, it must do some good inside, too, saturated fats be damned.

[little_cherry]

I wouldn't cook with refined hydrogenated coconut oil...but it's o.k for the hair.

Edit: I meant hydrogenated...my bad!

[greentealeaf]

Coconut oil is just one of those magic things. Great for hair, skin, and I use it in baked good instead of butter!

[spidermom]

Refined coconut oil can take a higher heat without smoking/burning than unrefined coconut oil, so it is fine for cooking. Both can be used in hair, also.

[Anje]

Personally, I'd rather use a cooking oil on my body than something that's not safe to eat!