Yes, you can mix coconut oil and olive oil with great effect!
Olive oil and coconut oil are two of the most popular oils used in cooking and skincare. So, it is only natural to wonder can coconut oil and olive oil be mixed. This is a question that many of my clients have posed to me. This is usually because they want to know if they are going to be able to double up on benefits.
Well, yes and no. While the oil mixture can certainly make them better for you in some ways, this isn't always the case. Below you can find out when you should mix the oils as well as what to expect in each circumstance.
Let’s begin!
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In the sense of chemical reaction, nothing at all! When you add these two oils together, they will mix to a certain degree. You may still be able to see individual flat globules in the solution.
However, they will still maintain their individual properties. This includes characteristics and benefits for health, skin, hair, and more. Once coconut and olive oil has been combined, they can be used in food as well as your hair.
Let’s take a closer look at how this oil combo can be utilized…
It is possible to use both these oils at once when frying. But, there are a couple of rules that you need to be aware of.
The first is the issue of smoke points. These are the various temperatures at which oils begin to smoke. Now, when cooking or frying, you want to make sure that you heat the oil well enough to cook the food, but that you stay away from the smoke point.
Now, the smoke point for coconut oil is 350°F and for olive oil it is 410°F. This means that when cooking it is important to keep the temperature below the smoke point of coconut oil. It isn't too difficult to manage this, just avoid deep frying any foods and stick to sautéing instead.
The other thing to consider is the taste. As you may be aware, the taste of coconut oil can be much stronger than that of olive oil. Of course, this can vary from brand to another and is subjective.
If the coconut oil that you are using does have a strong flavor, then you may want to use less of it. Otherwise, that taste will overpower that of the olive oil. Then, it would be pointless to really include olive oil in the recipe at all.
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It is unusual to mix coconut oil and olive oil when baking. However, if you want to cut down on the amount of saturated fats in your baked goods, then this trick might. It is unlikely that the finished result should be impacted all that much as both oils have a similar consistency.
If you are mixing them, it is a good idea to combine them in a 1:1 ratio. For instance, if the recipe calls for half a cup of oil, you can use one-fourth cup of each. You can use less or more of one of the oils, depending on your preference. Remember to consider the coconut oil flavor again when adding it to your recipe.
If you are looking for an all-natural tan, then you may have heard about some people using coconut oil and olive oil to look perfectly bronzed. Well, you shouldn’t believe the hype.
Yes, coconut oil and olive oil offer a bit of sun protection. They both have an SPF of 8. What most people don’t realize, though, is that these oils are only capable of blocking about 20 percent of the sun’s harmful rays.
Therefore, if you use the oils to tan then you are at risk of a sunburn. And, with prolonged use, you may be at higher risk of skin cancer. Thus, you may need to find a milder sunscreen as an alternative.
It should also be noted that olive oil isn't good for your skin barrier. It can damage it and cause your skin to dry out over time. Thus, you should steer clear of it for topical use.
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Many people will use coconut oil and olive oil for their hair as it can be quite moisturizing for your tresses. Depending on the length and thickness of your hair, mix the oils in a one-to-one ratio. Combine well and then apply to your hair.
Start from the scalp and work your way down. If your ends are especially dry, make sure to coat them with additional oil. Wrap your hair up in a plastic shower cap and let the oil sit in your hair from anywhere for an hour to overnight.
An hour is fine if you are looking for mild conditioning. If you wish to deep condition your hair, though, you can leave it for several hours or overnight. Use a clarifying shampoo to wash the oils out of your hair.
You should bear in mind that this mix works best for thick, coarse hair. If you have fine strands and your hair is quite thin, then the combined oils will weigh down your hair, making it look limp.
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In terms of cooking, you can mix coconut oils with other oils as long as they have similar smoke points. You should also consider the flavor – don’t mix the oil with another very strong tasting oil as the combination may be quite odd.
Coconut oil can even be used with essential oils. It is considered as a carrier oil and can work to dilute them. This way, they are less likely to cause irritation when used as massage oils, for instance.
There you have it – coconut oil and olive can be mixed. However, they can’t always be utilized. They work best for cooking, baking, and for your hair. As long as you stick to these guidelines, you should be able to manage the combination beautifully!
