The Coconut Oil Conundrum: Unrefined or Fractionated?

Unrefined (virgin) coconut oil keeps the coconut's full range of fatty acids, including skin-nourishing lauric acid. It smells like coconut and turns solid below 78°F (25°C). Fractionated coconut oil keeps only the lighter caprylic and capric acids, so it stays liquid at any room temperature, has almost no scent, and absorbs quickly. Choose unrefined for rich skincare like body butters, and choose fractionated when you need a liquid carrier for rollerballs, dropper bottles, and massage blends.

The fresh, tropical aroma of coconut oil speaks to me of the heart of summer. It is beautifully nourishing in skincare blends, or all on its own, straight from the jar. Still, I have noticed some confusion in the natural skincare world: which one should you reach for, unrefined or fractionated? Let's clear it up together.

What is unrefined coconut oil?

Cold-pressed unrefined coconut oil, often sold as virgin coconut oil, is packed with medium-chain triglycerides. These include fatty acids such as lauric acid and myristic acid.

Lauric acid is one of the reasons unrefined coconut oil is so loved in natural skincare: it is deeply skin nourishing. Unrefined coconut oil also contains vitamin E, another skin-loving nutrient. I love using it to soften the look of fine lines and wrinkles.

The fatty acids in coconut oil vary in weight. Some are heavier than others and solidify at room temperature, which is why your jar can be a firm white solid one day and a clear liquid the next. That is a natural variation as the oil responds to its environment. The melting point is 78°F (25°C), and the oil keeps its characteristic, tropical coconut aroma. Because it is often solid in cool conditions, it is best stored in a jar. From there, you have a few options:

• Melt it into a body butter along with other natural carrier oils and butters, like shea butter.
• Melt it by itself before adding essential oils.
• Use it as it is, letting it soften and melt on contact with your skin.

If you do melt unrefined coconut oil, a low heat setting is all you need, and you will not accidentally fractionate your oil at home. It does not take much heat to melt coconut oil!

What is fractionated coconut oil?

Fractionated coconut oil is like the lighter, more versatile sibling of unrefined coconut oil.

Here is how it is made. When coconut oil is heated past a certain temperature (usually around 140°F or 60°C), the heavier fatty acids settle at the bottom while the lighter ones float to the top. As the oil cools, the heavier fatty acids solidify at the bottom, and the lighter ones stay liquid at the top. That light liquid is a fraction of the original oil: our fractionated coconut oil.

Fractionated coconut oil is made up mostly of caprylic acid and capric acid. These lighter fatty acids stay liquid no matter what temperature you store the oil at, and they absorb easily into the skin. Fractionated coconut oil also carries very little of that familiar coconut aroma, so it will not compete with the essential oils in your blend.

This makes it a popular go-to for aromatherapists who want to blend essential oils into a liquid carrier oil. It is ideal for roll-on blends and dropper bottles.

Which one should you choose?

Both oils have valuable roles to play. Here is a simple guide:

• Body butters and rich moisturizers: choose unrefined coconut oil. Its solid texture gives body butters structure, and its full range of fatty acids deeply nourishes the skin.
• Rollerballs and dropper bottles: choose fractionated coconut oil. It stays liquid, pours easily, and absorbs quickly.
• Massage blends: fractionated coconut oil is a favorite here too, since a liquid carrier glides smoothly over the skin.
• Everyday skincare, straight from the jar: unrefined coconut oil makes a wonderful moisturizer all on its own.

Personally, I prefer unrefined coconut oil for my skincare blends. I want to give my skin the full range of fatty acids, especially lauric and myristic acids. A few small studies suggest caprylic acid can offer some similar benefits, but lauric acid seems to have more to offer. Fractionated coconut oil still benefits your skin, and when I want a liquid carrier, it is a wonderful solution.

Coconut oil also shines in simple body-care projects. If you would like more ideas, try these three DIY body scrub recipes for smooth summer skin.

A recipe to try: Cooling Coconut Body Butter

This recipe combines unrefined coconut oil with shea butter, and it does not require any stovetop melting. You can make it with an immersion blender (also called a stick blender). You will need a 2 oz (60 ml) glass jar.

Ingredients

• 1 oz (28 g) unrefined Coconut Oil (Cocos nucifera)
• 1 oz (28 g) Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii or Vitellaria paradoxa)
• 4 drops Rose absolute (Rosa damascena)
• 4 drops Lemon (Citrus limon)
• 2 drops Sandalwood (Santalum album)

Directions

1. Measure out the room-temperature coconut oil and shea butter.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the coconut oil and shea butter. Blend with the immersion blender until the mixture becomes smooth and creamy.
3. Once the base is creamy, add the Rose absolute (Rosa damascena), Lemon (Citrus limon), and Sandalwood (Santalum album) essential oils.
4. Blend again to thoroughly incorporate the essential oils into the body butter.
5. Transfer the body butter to a clean jar with a lid, and store it at room temperature.

Apply the body butter after showering or whenever your skin needs extra moisture, massaging in circular motions until fully absorbed. The cooling, nourishing base and the aromatic essential oils will leave your skin feeling refreshed.

Questions people ask

Is fractionated coconut oil natural?

Yes. Fractionated coconut oil starts as regular coconut oil. Simple heating and cooling separate the lighter fatty acids from the heavier ones, and the liquid fraction is bottled as fractionated coconut oil. Nothing synthetic is added along the way.

Can you substitute one for the other?

Often, yes. The main difference is texture. A rollerball or dropper bottle needs a carrier that stays liquid, so fractionated coconut oil is the practical choice there. A body butter relies on the solid texture of unrefined coconut oil for its structure. For a blend you scoop from a jar, either one works: it comes down to how rich you want it to feel.

Which is better for skin?

Unrefined coconut oil offers the full range of fatty acids, including lauric and myristic acids, along with vitamin E, so it is the more nourishing choice for skincare. Fractionated coconut oil still moisturizes and absorbs beautifully; it simply carries fewer of those heavier, skin-loving components.

Does fractionated coconut oil go rancid?

Fractionated coconut oil is a very stable carrier. The light fatty acids that remain after fractionation resist oxidation, so the oil keeps well for a long time when stored with the lid on, away from heat and direct light. Unrefined coconut oil is also a sturdy pantry staple, and a cool, dark spot helps it stay fresh.

Whichever oil you reach for, coconut oil is a generous, versatile carrier for your blends. And if you would like to understand carrier oils more deeply, our Working with Carrier Oils course explores each one in depth, so you can choose and blend with confidence.