Fushi's Virgin Organic Coconut Oil

Coconuts evoke the feeling of far away and sizzling destinations; tropical islands with pure white sandy beaches, a crystal clear cerulean ocean and palm trees dotted around the lush and colourful landscape. Besides the holiday feeling and occasional coconut cocktail it isn't something I use on a daily basis, though I have eaten the flesh before and sometimes use the milk in my cooking and baking. What I didn't realise however, is that is it incredibly versatile and the oil is perfect for daily use both internally and externally.

Virgin Organic Coconut Oil, which is extracted from the kernel of the drupe, is one of the products from British health and wellbeing company Fushi and I got to put it to the test. According to the company, the cold pressed and unrefined oil is not only nature's own anti-ageing moisturiser, but it is also a skin conditioner to combat dryness and flakiness; hair treatment to boost shine and encourage growth; and a dietary oil to help you shed those last winter pounds.

Upon opening the jar of coconut oil I was hit by the intense sweet and tropical fragrance of the product. It was simply delightful and I was instantly transported to that tropical island I mentioned earlier. Despite the white substance within being noticeably solid, as soon as it came in contact with my fingers it melted like soft butter - leaving an oily filter on my hand which I could then easily apply as a very nourishing moisturiser to my skin. It was predictably a little slippery and shiny, but it was absorbed quickly, leaving no visible traces other than the pleasant tropical scent.

Consuming a tablespoon of the oil would help digestion and the release of sugars but I have to say it was strange sensation to eat it on its own. As expected it initially had a greasy and buttery texture, though as it melted into a more oily consistency it was pleasant enough to consume. I rather recommend trying it as a cooking oil, as I loved using it for this purpose myself. A tiny bit of the solid product when heated went a very long way and it added a gentle hint of coconut flavour to the food. It would also make a wonderful addition to sweet bakes, especially if there's chocolate involved as that is always a winning combination.

In all I'm surprised by how versatile the coconut oil is and I haven't even tried all of its purposes yet. It can be used on hair to encourage growth and battle dandruff, and is supposedly also able to ease skin conditions such as eczema. So far I loved it the most as an organic and uniquely flavoured cooking oil to add a dash of the tropics to my meal, and I look forward to exploring more of its internal and external uses in the future.