Ingredient

Coconut Milk

Cocos nucifera

Coconuts are highly nutritious, rich in vitamins and minerals including iron, sodium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorous and soothing for the skin. To make coconut milk, the fresh coconut kernel is grated and mixed with water.

The coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) is thought to be native to the warm climates of Polynesia, Malaysia and southern Asia. One tree can yield up to two hundred coconuts. The trees bloom and bear fruit throughout the year, growing a new flower spike nearly every month. This then becomes a cluster of six to twelve nuts. The nuts are the largest seed known to the world and can take up to a year to fully mature. When coconuts are young their flesh is soft like a melon. Local people prefer them like this and eat them as a rich food. 'Kalpavriksha', the Sanskrit name for the coconut, means 'tree which gives all that is necessary for living.'

Adding coconut in its ground form is ideal for a powder product. It is soothing on the skin and protects it by locking in moisture. The white flesh (harvested from inside the nut) is washed, shredded and dried. This is known as desiccated coconut. To make coconut milk, the fresh coconut kernel is grated and mixed with water. It is then squeezed, filtered and spray dried to form a white powder.