COCOS NUCIFERA (COCONUT) OIL

📋 Quick facts

Description: COCOS NUCIFERA (COCONUT) OIL — CIR reviewed: safe as used in cosmetics. Report: Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Cocos nucifera (Coconut) Oil and Related Ingredients.

Quick Facts:

• Category: other
• Also Known As: 椰子（COCOS NUCIFERA）油, ヤシ油, 코코넛야자오일

Proven Benefits At A Glance:

• Coconut oil is derived from dried coconut fruit and composed mainly of saturated fats
• It’s used in cosmetics as a fragrance ingredient, hair conditioner, and skin conditioner
• Found in hundreds of cosmetic products at widely varying concentrations (0.0001% to 70%)
• Safety assessments have determined it’s safe for cosmetic use at typical concentrations

📊 Comedogenicity

🛡️ Safety rating

Safety tier is a starting heuristic from regulatory status and comedogenic rating, not a dermatological verdict — see our Terms for the full disclaimer. Research confidence reflects how many real cited studies back this ingredient, not the strength of their findings.

🌍 Regulatory Status

💧 Skin Type Compatibility

⚠️ Don’t Combine With

📚 Research & Evidence

🔬 The Science

Coconut oil (Cocos nucifera oil) comes from the dried fruit of the coconut palm and has a straightforward chemical composition: approximately 90% of it consists of saturated triglycerides, which are a type of fat molecule made from glycerol and fatty acids. This makes it quite different from many plant oils that contain higher levels of unsaturated fats. In skincare and cosmetic formulations, coconut oil serves multiple purposes. #1: It functions as a fragrance ingredient, meaning it can contribute scent to products. #2: It acts as a hair conditioning agent, helping to coat and soften hair. #3: It works as a skin-conditioning agent, which in cosmetic terminology means it helps improve the feel and appearance of skin by moisturizing or softening it (Int J Toxicol, 2011).

The ingredient appears in a surprisingly wide range of products—626 cosmetics were documented in the research—and manufacturers use it at vastly different concentrations depending on the product’s purpose, from as little as 0.0001% to as much as 70%. Beyond coconut oil itself, related derivatives are also used in cosmetics, including hydrogenated coconut oil (a processed form), fatty acids extracted from it, fatty alcohols derived from it, and various esters and salts made from coconut oil components. These derivatives are expected to have similar safety profiles to the base oil (Int J Toxicol, 2011). According to a comprehensive safety assessment, coconut oil and its related ingredients are considered safe for use in cosmetics when applied at the concentrations and in the ways they’re typically used (Int J Toxicol, 2011).

📄 Related Research

Matched by search — not necessarily verified support for every statement above.

• Burnett CL et al. (2011). Final report on the safety assessment of Cocos nucifera (coconut) oil and related ingredients. Int J Toxicol.

🧴 Products Containing COCOS NUCIFERA (COCONUT) OIL

• Kneipp 2 in 1 Dusche Lemongras Guarana
• Floressance, Léa Nature Huile 100% naturelle Avocat
• New Flag GmbH Foamie Feste Duschpflege
• Foamie Men – Wasserminze und Zitrone
• Kneipp Soin Lèvres Menthe aquatique – Aloe Vera
• Babo Botanicals Sensitive Baby Fragrance Free Miracle Face Cream
• inecto naturals
• ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm
• Love Beauty & Planet is sold by Hul Argan Oil & Lavender Smooth and Serene Conditioner
• Orkla Sunsilk minerals Coconut Care
• LILLEBORG AS Sunsilk Deo Coconut Care 50ml
• Protane Argan Oil of Morocco
• primer amino keratina loquay
• Nature’s Bees Cocoa Butter Olive Oil
• Léa Nature natessance kids shampooing douceur
• proraso sapone tutte le barbe
• Proraso Sapone (Barbe Dure)
• Proraso Shaving Cream (Sensitive Skin, with Green Tea and Oatmeal)
• PediFix Funga Soap Cleansing Wash
• L’Erbolario Shampoo Solido con estratti di Camomilla e Calendula
• Carrefour,Carrefour Sort Green Solid SHAMPOO cheveux normaux
• ELEMIS Travel Size Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm
• ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Rose Cleansing Balm
• Alba Passion Fruit Lip Balm
• Burts Bees Baby Sunflower Lotion
• CONAXESS TRADE NORGE AS Live Urban Metallics U72 Dusty Silver
• Eos sparkling sugar plum and pomegranate punch
• eso pumpkin and apples
• Instituto español Aceite hidratante suavidad total
• Palmer’s Coconut hydrate daily body lotion
• brazilian keratin therapy
• Vaseline Intensive Care Cocoa Radiant 48H Moisture/ Hydration Lotion
• Unilever, Dove dove body lotion
• naturalium extra nourishing keratin hair mask
• LOGOCOS Naturkosmetik Limpiador, exfoliante y mascarilla arcilla blanca
• Schmidt’s, Schmidts Schmidt’s Déodorant Stick Signature Rose + Vanille 75g
• Schmidt’s Schmidt’s Déodorant Stick Signature Bergamote + Citron Vert 75g
• Schmidt’s Schmidt’s Déodorant Stick Peaux Sensibles Noix de Coco + Ananas 75g
• Schmidt’s Schmidts Déodorant Stick Peau Sensible Sans Parfum 58ml
• Proven-Orapi, Spado Le savon liquide de Marseille