Like most people in the Real Food community, I LOVE my coconut products: coconut flour, coconut milk, coconut water, coconut butter, coconut chips, and obviously coconut oil. While coconut is no doubt a healthy traditional food, what many do not realize is that it has the potential to negatively affect the skin.
This potential occurs whether it is ingested or put on the skin directly. Such a reaction can be especially distressing for those using coconut oil for weight loss efforts.
From what we know of the immune system, it is not adequately developed until the age of two. The foods we are exposed to in childhood are usually foods that will be less problematic later in life. Why? We have already developed the antibodies for our immune system to recognize these foods as safe.
Healthy for One May Not Be Healthy for Another
However, we can overexpose ourselves to a particular food our bodies are familiar with. When this occurs, it can start to negatively impact digestion or the immune system. This is a common occurrence for foods that seem to be in everything like dairy and gluten.
My point here is that most people did not consume coconut products in their diet growing up. Unless of course they were born in the tropics or are of African or Polynesian descent. Because coconut is a staple of these traditional diets, these people are adapted and can usually tolerate it better.
Dr. Weston Price made this same observation when studying different cultures and their staple foods. The healthy diets he found encompassed a wide variety. Some were almost exclusively meat-based, others fairly low in animal foods. Still others were a balance between the two. Despite the variations, all these cultures were considered healthy.
This is why it’s nearly impossible for everyone to thrive off the same “healthy” diet. It is also important to keep in mind when we discover new “super foods”. Some look great on paper, but how each individual reacts will vary greatly. One’s ethnicity can frequently dictate how well they are tolerated.
Internal vs External Triggers
Within the last year, I have been exclusively focusing on the root cause of acne internally with clients. Truthfully, I have not given external triggers much thought until recently.
Fortunately, I met with Kimberly Tan, owner and esthetician at skinSALVATION Acne Clinic in San Francisco. This is where I discovered the term comedogenic, which refers to the ability of something to produce or aggravate acne, usually tending to clog pores on a topical level. Products that contain comedogenic ingredients tend to cause pimples for acne prone skin. The gender or nationality of the person does not matter.
Like many terms that are used freely for marketing purposes, products that claim to be “non-comedogenic”, “oil-free”, “dermatologist tested/ approved” are not necessarily free of clogging ingredients. Just like the supplement industry, beauty and personal hygiene products are not regulated. There is no standard or truth to what a company has to comply with on labels. Therefore, like everything else you choose to put in and on your body, understanding what ingredients to look for is vital to know if it is truly acne safe. Just one comedogenic ingredient in a product is enough to cause pimples in someone who is acne prone.
Not everyone is affected by comedogenic ingredients. It depends on a person’s skin, pores and genes, as to the severity of the problem. If you suffer from acne and have addressed other factors such as diet, digestion, hormones and recognizing food sensitivities, then this is something you should consider.
Coconut Oil is Highly Comedogenic
Kimberly Tan has had great success in addressing acne of all types by educating people and of course treating it topically. The right products make a big difference in skin recovery. I am definitely reaping the benefits of this knowledge. For example, I eat what I consider a very high quality, clean and anti-inflammatory diet. Due to my line of work, I am also very aware of other causative factors. Despite this, I still suffer from regular breakouts.
The reason remained a mystery until I began to take a closer look at what I was applying to my skin. Even within my “natural” and practically edible products, many contained coconut oil. To my surprise, coconut oil is one of the highest scoring comedogenic ingredients on the comedogenicity scale. This is the case even when consumed in small amounts as coconut oil capsules.
Removing Coconut Oil from Skincare and Diet
I was worried and hesitant at first to give up my precious coconut oil but wanted to give my skin a fair chance. So, I tossed my makeup, shampoo, toothpaste and any hair care products that contained coconut and any other clogging ingredient. I also took it out of my diet. The good news was I could keep other coconut foods, just not the oil itself. This is because internally the pure oil seems to be the biggest culprit since it is concentrated in the fatty acid that has the clogging ability.
Personally, I feel fine when I consume coconut. With all the health benefits we know it contains, including the antibacterial properties, this was the last thing I suspected that could be causing my stubborn breakouts. It has been only about a month since switching out all my products containing coconut oil and eliminating it from my diet. I have already seen an immediate reduction in my breakouts.
Inflammatory Effect on Skin
I was curious about the inflammatory effect that coconut oil has internally on the skin. There are many different types of acne that may appear and be different for every person. According to Kimberly Tan:
Eating it [coconut oil] internally may not be causing inflamed acne, but the seeds are still planted, especially for those who are acne prone. These people NEED to stick to an acne free lifestyle to prevent breakouts. Products help to take the seed (which causes follicles to clog) out once diet and acne safe topical products are in place, but it can come back. Planting a seed is the first step to causing a breakout, and is fairly easy to do if exposed to these factors. Even just one exposure can bring acne back.
Coconut Oil and Stubborn Acne
If you have been struggling with getting your breakouts under control, take a look at everything you have been using on your skin. Check for comedogenic ingredients in every product you use. This includes skin care, face wash, moisturizer, masks, shaving cream, toothpaste, lip balms and lipsticks, sunscreen, toner, scrubs, foundation, face powder, and any other makeup. When choosing products to buy, make sure that the company discloses a full list of ingredients on the label. This includes both active and inactive ingredients. Check all of them against the comedogenic list before buying.
Eliminate then Reintroduce
Bottom line: Everyone is different. Like changing your diet and cleaning your pantry of junk food, you’ve got to purge any suspect products to get a clean slate to work with. This includes an acne-safe lifestyle and proven non-comedogenic products. Stay with this routine for at least 6 months. After that, you can reintroduce each questionable and untested product (like those with coconut oil) to see if you notice a reaction in your skin. The process is very similar to introducing food sensitivities back into your diet. Make sure the manufacturer does not change the formulation to these acne safe products. Most importantly, be consistent with your actions and always double check ingredients on everything before applying to your face and body. Hair products too, as it will all eventually come in contact with your skin.
Implementing an acne-safe lifestyle will prevent acne from forming internally (anti-inflammatory diet and the right nutrient support), and non-comedogenic products will prevent acne from forming externally.
is a whole body approach!
More Information
Eczema Treatment: Avoiding the Drug-Based Domino Effect
MCT Oil: The Coconut Oil Dregs
Costco Coconut Oil is Risky Business
Histamine Intolerance, Fermented Foods and Acne
Red Palm Oil: Great Alternative to Coconut Oil
Your article was quite interesting.
I’m 17 and I’m from India. Over here everybody is always talking about how coconut oil is good for the skin and how it prevents dryness and wrinkles. Since I have dry skin, I started applying it on my whole body except my face,daily. My skin feels oily and itchy throughout the day but if I don’t apply it my skin gets very dry. Ive tried using all sorts of creams but their effect doesn’t last long and coconut oil makes my skin feel itchy. Any suggestions/help???
I get (facial) acne because I use an oil as part a particular regimen (won’t go into it).
I found that applying coconut oil kills the acne very fast.
What I found, however, was that the very same oil that cures acne can also cause acne IF you rub it in. I can’t say that I understand why. Maybe rubbing it in is introducing not only coconut oil but also other oils and dirt on the hands. If you make sure just to “glide” the oil on, though, it doesn’t cause acne breakouts it actually DESTROYS acne.
I used to use coconut as a facial moisturizer, but not anymore. It made my skin soft, but also clogged my pores. Now I only use it around my eyes at night. I also don’t use it in my diet because it makes me nauseous. Red palm oil also makes me irritable.
What about coconut derived ingredients such as coco glucoside or cocamidopropyl…? I found your article after suspecting coconut oil on my skin was causing rashes and breakouts. Thank you for the information.
Yes! great post as this applies with other foods as well. No such thing as one size (diet) fits all.
every time i put coconut oil on my face my face turns red and i have no idea why and it takes about 15 to 20 minutes for it to go back to my natural skin tone does this mean that I’m allergic
I agree. Thank you for the post! I stumbled upon it, when a symptom checker said my sudden,strange edema could be allergies. I was always taught as an Alternative med student that coconut oil was one of the top natural moisturizers. I have been dealing with horrible ulcers (literally) on my face, despite keeping c. Oil w/ tea tree oil, neroli,peppermint, and lavender on my face. And a gentle crystallized honey mask, and niacinamide treatments. I figured surely, all of that healing power would heal it, but… then I got lazy/disgusted and poof! Now, I think it was not putting the c. oil on my face, and maybe it IS the cause of the edema. So, thank you…guess they are right when they say not to trust everything you read, even in text books! Thoughts on switching to Emu oil?
interesting, thanks.
i’m just the opposite — my skin seems OK with coconut oil;
but as much as i like coconut, i always get a mild cramp with coconut (raw especially).
coconut is not my ancestor’s diet that may be why
regards,
What about a substitute for internal? I of course eat plenty of grass Fed butter, but like some alternatives. What about red palm oil? (I have tested and seen huge improvement with cutting out the coconut oil).
For on skin, what is your second choice? I am potentially allergic to jojoba oil
I love coconut oil for my hands and hair. However, my face doesn’t like it too well. Lastly, it makes me sick to my stomach which is why, no matter how many health benefits it has, I cannot take it. I don’t seem to do well at all ingesting any tropical oils. I find that I do better with animal based oils – Cod liver; beef tallow; lard, etc.
I am continually amazed at what a what a great product coconut oil is, but I suppose everything has its negatives.