African Coconut Oil

Coconut oil has valuable health benefits, both as a food and for skin and body care. However, its recent rise in popularity has led to unsustainable harvesting and mass cultivation in many parts of the world. Coconut oil production is now linked to many of the human rights and environmental catastrophes that plague the palm oil industry. Coconut cultivation can drive deforestation and destruction of sensitive ecosystems rich in biodiversity, and the people who tend the trees and harvest the crops are often paid next to nothing of the substantial profits when their products are sold in rich markets on the other side of the world.

Almost all of the coconut oil available here in South Africa (and worldwide), comes from Malaysia, Indonesia, India and the Philippines. It is very hard to know what environmental and social controls are in place when buying produce from so far away. Unfortunately, what is clear is that environmental and social abuses are rife in the industry.

At The Apothecary we love using coconut oil as an ingredient in many of our products, but have always insisted on sourcing it exclusively from neighbouring Mozambique - where coconut oil production is linked to small-scale operations and community upliftment programmes - and from suppliers we can trust.

So, you can rest assured that all the coconut oil in our Body Butters, Scrubs, Deodorants, Toothpastes, Antiseptic Healing Salve, Decongesting Vapour Rub and RAspect sun protection products, is not only organically grown, but also locally sourced from Southern Africa, from trusted suppliers.