In the past decade, plenty of exotic ingredients have made their way into popular beauty products. Memorable ones include precious materials like gold and pearl, insect excretions like snail mucin and bee venom, botanicals like saffron and broccoli, and even mud from far-off moors, lakes, and volcanoes. These ingredients may be intriguing, and they may also have their own beauty benefits. But Filipinos don’t have to stray too far from home to encounter one of nature’s best beauty ingredients: coconut.
Dubbed the tree of life, the coconut plant is well-known for its many practical applications with regard to food products and cleaning products. But it also has qualities that make it an excellent main ingredient or additive to beauty products. Here are some of the properties of the iconic Cocos nucifera sourced from the Philippines that beauty brands should look into.
Philippine Coconut Oil is a Great Carrier Oil
Carrier oils, sometimes called base oils, refer to oils that are used to dilute potent ingredients like essential oils before these are applied topically. Coconut oil Philippines products are effective carrier oils, as these have a lot of fatty acids and polyphenols. The oil derived from coconuts not only helps stabilize volatile oils but also has plenty of nourishing and cleansing capabilities on its own. So when using beauty products that have coconut-derived carrier oils, consumers are able to enjoy the effects of the main ingredient as well as the beauty benefits brought about by the addition of coconut oil into the solution.
Philippine Coconut Oil Serves as an Effective Cleanser
Cleansing is an important part of a beauty routine. This step helps eliminate dirt, pollution, dead cells, and other impurities like oil and makeup from the skin that can cause buildup and lead to clogged pores and even acne. It also regulates the skin’s pH and promotes water and product retention, which keeps the skin looking hydrated.
Oil dissolves oil, so the inclusion of coconut oil into a cleansing product can help improve the said item’s effectiveness against excess skin oil and oil-based impurities. On its own or mixed with other cleansers, coconut oil is an effective makeup remover. In addition to eliminating visible dirt and gunk, the said oil also has antimicrobial properties that prevent the growth of microorganisms that harm the skin. Lauric acid, which comprises about half of the fatty acids in coconut oil, has also been found to be quite effective in blocking bacteria growth. Coconuts that are organically grown in the Philippines can thus be made into effective, affordable cleansing products that local beauty enthusiasts will love.
Philippine Coconut Oil Can Help Reduce Inflammation
There’s scientific evidence that coconut oil is rich in antioxidants that can help alleviate inflammation. Inflammation is a common skin concern that is characterized by redness, swelling, heat, pain, and itching. People who have inflammatory skin issues such as acne, dermatitis, and rashes often feel embarrassed about their condition. More than that, however, they are also more prone to acquiring infections due to exposure to harmful microbes that enter the body through broken skin.
Having a topical skincare product that can help alleviate inflammation can help beauty product users reduce the health risk and skin damage brought about by inflammatory skin conditions. Philippine coconuts will serve as great bases for the mild, nourishing coconut oil used in good local beauty products.
It Effectively Moisturizes the Skin and Softens Hair
Applying coconut oil topically can help the skin stay hydrated. The oil does this by creating a barrier that locks moisture into the skin. If used on one’s hair, coconut oil can help protect against the effects of protein loss. This is because the medium-chain fatty acids in the oil can be easily absorbed by individual hair strands. The substance, then, protects each hair strand from incurring damage from the environment. This prevents breakage and enables the strands to grow stronger, healthier, and softer.
It’s no wonder, then, that coconut oil has become an increasingly popular ingredient in natural shampoos, conditioners, and lotions. Philippine coconuts, in particular, have proven to be excellent foundations for these products.
Takeaway: Why Choose to Source Coconut Products from the Philippines?
Coconut oil has long been a staple in a lot of traditional beauty regimens in the Philippines, and Filipinos are well aware of the aesthetic and health gains of using this wonder ingredient in their daily routines and activities. Still, there are plenty of opportunities to maximize the beauty benefits brought about by using products derived from coconuts. While coconut trees are readily accessible to many people living in the Philippines, the local market’s options can still be enriched by the addition of quality products that contain this ingredient. In addition, the launch of new coconut-based products for export will make it easier for beauty enthusiasts of all nationalities to incorporate the ingredient into their daily routines, thus enjoying the many beauty and health effects that coconut brings.
Choosing to source their coconuts in the Philippines also offers plenty of business advantages for beauty companies. Coconut trees grow abundantly all around the country, which means that it’s available at an affordable price. And because the trees are grown locally, the raw materials can be transported to a local manufacturing company quickly, thus minimizing the cost, time, and carbon footprint generated by the process.
In case the products need to be transported internationally, the Philippines has an advantageous location in proximity to thriving markets in Asia and the Pacific. This, in turn, makes the country an attractive point of origin for raw materials and even finished products that make use of coconuts. Given the increased demand for natural, eco-friendly products in America and Europe, there’s no doubt that Philippine coconut products will find their way to those continents as well.
The tree of life has maintained an excellent reputation for usefulness in many countries, but it still has a lot of potential applications. That said, it’s certainly a source that beauty companies should investigate, assess, and harness for the benefit of their businesses.
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