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
I put coconut oil on week old mild sun burn that had actually turned brown and was healing nicely. The next day I woke up and all of my arms were peeling very bad as if I’d suffered severe sun burn. Coconut oil does not work it’s bad for your skin. I tried using it on my face for a week and I’ve now developed 2 deep wrinkles from my nose to my mouth.
It’s no surprise that I’m a huge coconut oil fan, for it’s the do-everything oil with next-to-zero downside. Coconut oil is loaded with good fats that provide us with energy, able to fight microbes in the body and excellent for cooking. It even smells amazing! But did you know that coconut oil for skin is also a thing?
My facial skin has been tricky to care for since high school. It tends to be oily but if I fail to apply a moisturizer (either I ran out or I just forget) for a day or two and it will quickly dry up, leaving unsightly white patches on my face. Given that, it’s been quite complicated to get the right product. It had to be strong enough to fight the oil but gentle enough to not cause it to dry up. I’ve always craved for some kind of balance. I sought skincare products that had simple ingredients (that I could recognize much less pronounce). I chose all natural, organic brands that promised nourishing my skin without harsh chemicals. Some of the worked but were mostly broke the bank. Too expensive to maintain. Then I reached a point where I started to make my own. I googled recipes for herbal remedies and concoctions using ingredients from my own kitchen. Blah, blah, blah, there came Matcha Skin (www.matchaskin.com). I have always been in love with green tea and when I stumbled upon an article on Matcha, I was hooked. It’s like green tea on steroids. I love its absolutely potent anti-oxidant qualities and how it balances my skin. It fights the oil but never dries up my skin. Though it’s super natural, it’s not as expensive as the other more popular (but not so effective) brands. Because of its price, I didn’t hesitate to give it a try and I am so thankful I did. I have found it. No more trial and error looking for the perfect skincare line that works for me.
At 52 other than a few break outs during menopause I never suffered with acne and considered myself lucky. But with all the hormonal changes in my skin I needed something better than a regular moisturizer. I used coconut oil for three weeks and my skin was glowing. My make-up looked great and my wrinkles were fading. Then it happened. All along my jawline and chin I began to get patches of bumps. I can’t even call them pimples because they seem to be empty. Just ugly little bumps that look bad and actually itch. This appeared to be more of an allergic reaction.
I had made a lot of life changes since January. I quit smoking, I stopped drinking soda and cut my sugar intake in half. I also changed my diet. So I chalked it up to my body cleansing itself. It didn’t make sense though because I had already been through the cleansing process two months back. But then I saw this and many other articles online about coconut oil and facial skin. I stopped using it on my face and now it is healing. Thank you.
Coconut oil DOES NOT agree with my skin. I am always searching for an alternative and FINALLY found it with this organic skin butter by Beecher’s Botanicals. Made with only argan oil, mango butter and avocado butter. It is the most natural and luxurious skin care product I have EVER USED! beechersbotanicals.com/#!our-products/kmt72/!/Organic-Skin-Butters/c/15385027/offset=0&sort=nameAsc
Several weeks ago I bought some coconut manna (or butter), and it was so good that I “pigged” out on it, and before I knew it, I had eaten several Tbsps. I thought nothing of it, but the next day my chin started to “bloom” with several cystic acne pustules. I kind of suspected that it might be the coconut, so I stopped all coconut products until the acne healed. Then I made a dish containing canned coconut milk, and once again I started to break out. I am concluding that it’s the coconut, because I never get acne otherwise. Thing is, I have been eating meals containing coconut milk for quite a while and never had a reaction. Could the manna have sensitized me to the point where now any product will cause skin problems?
THIS is my exact situation currently. Pigged out on coconut butter this week and bam almost immediate cystic acne on my chin, neck and even butt.
I am hoping it is just the coconut and not the almond butter that I have also been known to pig out on.
hi just waned to say, i was quite surprised when i first started reading this… i thought no this cant be right the hiiighest skin clogging… i checked the chart and it seems that what you read on the chart thinking that it was coconut oil there that had a rating of 4 ….. nope. that was coconut butter… so basically what you wrote on this article is based of misreadings….. coconut oil. emphasis on the oil part is not bad for you skin in fact it is really quite good for you and your skin. has many healing and moisturizing properties that are somewhat close to your own bodies oil so it gets absorbed readily and without clogging pores.
on the other hand.
coconut butter has not only the coconut oil but the flesh of the coconut which gives it the high rating in the chart…it is not as easily absorbed by the body, and the heavy flesh and the molecules inside it are what are too large and make the pores clogged
now i checked multiple times in the chart just to make sure i wasn’t wrong but it sees coconut oil isn’t in it at all.. sorry you stopped using coconut oil because of it, but that may just be your skin just like others could also be many other factors
Coconut oil does NOT cause acne. On the contrary, it clears it up. Anyone who reacts with acne while using coconut oil is due to the detoxing qualities of the oil trying to remove any toxins from the skin. Coconut oil is highly anti-fungal and will cure skin from many ailments. The best way to apply coconut oil on the skin is to take a cotton pad soaked with witch hazel or aloe vera juice and then pour a few drops of coconut oil. You can also make a great facial moisturizer by mixing well aloe vera gel and coconut oil (I also add olive oil) with the essentiall oils of your preferrence. You will love your skin!!!
This is not true at all! Especially those of us with an allergy to coconut. Just because it works for you does not mean it does for other people. By the way there is no such thing as “detox” if something breaks you out, it breaks you out. There is literally no such thing as “acne detox” your breaking your face out with these products not clearing it. If the product works for you it will NOT break you out ever!
“Acne detox” or “acne purge” IS a thing. It doesn’t mean it works for everyone tho. I started using coconut oil in my skin care routine and the first week was a disaster with pimples everywhere, then after a week it started clearing up and now my skin is the best its ever been. So “If the product works for you it will NOT break you out ever!” is a false statement since you’re being subjective and going of you’re own experience only. Coconut oil works for many people and an initial stage of “purging” is to be expected. But if you go months without any changes to your skin then sure, you should stop using it.
So I have been washing my face with pure virgin, organic coconut oil for the past couple of months now and it seemed to clear up my face and made it soft and nice and everything and I have loved it! but throughout the last week and a half I have noticed that on my t-zone and my chin (the most oily parts on the face, I have oily skin) have been a bunch of tiny white bumps like little break outs in clusters and I have a feeling it might be from the coconut oil, I don’t want to stop using it because I I don’t want to use a face wash with a bunch of chemicals in it…can anyone help me out??
I’m devastated at what coconut oil has done to my face. It’s EXACTLY what you’ve described- very tiny, clusters of white heads all over my cheeks and my chin. I have never broken out this way before. I’ve had family members ask if I was having an allergic reaction — and the worst part is, I’ve had my skin nice and breakout free using only my tea tree oil.
A friend recommended I try coconut oil simply as a moisturizer to keep my skin looking hydrated and fresh.
(Big mistake??)
I start my first day at a new job tomorrow and my first instinct is to use all the cover up I can to hide these bumps all over my face! 🙁
I read online that applying coconut oil on sunburn takes it away over night so I put it on my acne prone skin (which was clear at the time) and the next day woke up with a horrible rash that has now turned into horrible acne all over my face. My forehead is covered with little dots (pimples) all over and my chin/lower cheeks look like cystic acne. I am so shocked that a natural product did this to my face and I’m embarrassed to leave the house. I don’t know if this is an allergic reaction or it just clogged my pores so much now it is acne. If you have any type of acne prone skin I do not suggest you put coconut oil on your face you will regret it!!!
The exact same thing just happened to me. I had a pretty bad sunburn and read about coconut oil healing it faster so of course I drowned myself in it. Now I have hives on my arms and my face feels like sandpaper that’s red and bumpy. It’s only been a few days. I didn’t not put anymore on my face. Hopefully this rash all over my face will clear up soon.
The same happened to me! I put coconut oil on my face for several days and I noticed within the first day when I woke up the next morning I was seeing some breakouts but I never thought it was from the coconut oil, so I kept using it and “Oh My” within less than a week of using it I had very bad breakouts all over my face and cystic acne around my jaw lines, chin, and cheeks, I hadn’t had such a bad case in a very long time. It was horrible, now I am left with my face full of scars that not even make up is able to cover, they are gone, they took a while to heal, my face is smooth now but is not even toned, I can still see the scars even after makeup. I ruined my face with coconut oil, can you write an article in how we can get the benefits or alternatives for us acne prone people? I began taking it today for weight loss but I don’t know if that will cause me breakouts and cysts too, help us!
Taking it internally won’t necessarily cause the same problem as applying directly to the skin. That is the good news 🙂