Coconut oil is made from the fruit of coconuts. For centuries, it has been used in cooking and food preparation in Asian countries. Recently, it’s begun taking the Western world by storm as well.  Besides its nutritional uses, coconut oil also has cosmetic benefits. The fatty oil locks in moisture in your skin and hair. For centuries, women in India and Southeast Asia have regularly applied coconut oil to their hair and dry patches of skin for a healthy, gorgeous look. The benefits of coconut oil are so potent that it even holds up against harsh modern-day treatments that threaten to strip your hair strands of its nutrients, such as bleaching.