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
This makes more sense now why my homemade rosacea salve with lavender e.o. actually inflamed husband’s skin. But worked well on my skin as a moisturizer.
The term comodogenic refers only to topically-applied products. Eating oil or fat does not directly cause breakouts; your food is broken down into acids as you digest, and then reassembled for use within the body. Your pores do not extrude the things that you eat. Pimples (but not blackheads) are caused by naturally-occurring bacteria that consume our excess skin oils, inflammation or dead cells that need to be exfoliated.
If you have blackheads, stop applying oils that are solid at room temperature. This means coconut, shea, cocoa, palm, even beeswax. Resume use only if you live in a harsh winter climate. If you have pimples, first try a chemical exfoliant (your washcloth is not sufficient). Especially as your skin ages, you need to exfoliate even within the pores. The exfoliating masque that I use and recommend is whole milk yogurt, a mashed strawberry (frozen is cheapest and easiest), and maybe a little honey if your skin is acne-prone. Sensitive skin or those with allergies can leave out the strawberry, but should definitely add honey. A small amount will cover your face, neck and decollete. It’s gentle enough to use a few times a week, but be wary if using for the first time (or first time in a while): it can pull a lot of stuff out of your skin, causing a 1-2 day breakout. All of that filth and bacteria has got to go somewhere.
Food can too make you break out if you can not tolerate the food.
i wrote about this recently on my site, Red and Honey: http://redandhoney.com/why-i-stopped-using-coconut-oil-as-a-skin-moisturizer/
LOL ~ Finally glad to see this somewhere. Feared saying it might bring down the wrath of coconut lovers everywhere! Also to consider ~ if you look at the connection to foods and blood types, coconut isn’t tolerated as well by some types. And … one industry rep told me that coconut oil can actually be drying to the skin for some people. Coconut is great for many things, but like anything else, it’s another bandwagon to research before jumping on.
My dry skin breakouts a lot when I eat coconut fat and even more if I apply it on my skin, inflammation and irritation. Everyone told me it’s impossible, because coconut is so healthy and a superfood, and I wish it was. But I guess it’s not a superfood for me..:-(
You are not alone Martina! There are many people who are affected by it, which is why I wrote this article. Just because a food is “healthy” on paper doesn’t mean it will be good for everyone.
yeah I can’t eat coconut oil.. for some reason it makes my throat itch… but I can still oil pull…coconut milk itches too
Kathy Welsh this is an interesting article.
I recently started taking MCT oil as per recommended by my holistic doctor. I started slowly and now am up to 1/4 c. daily. Recently, I noticed my back has broken out all along the spine. I have NEVER had problems with break-outs except for the occasional few pimples on the face or the top of my back (usually where my hair touches my body because I have oily hair). I scoured the internet to see if acne could be a side-effect of MCT oil. Miraculously, this article was posted today! I’m thinking I should cut back at this point…
Hi Laura, I think it is worth a try. Stop it for a week or so and see if you have any improvements in symptoms. 1/4 cup seems to be a very concentrated dose, especially if taken daily, although you might want to consult your doctor before making changes.
Carla,
This is a real eye-opener for me. The oil never seemed to work on my skin and sort of distressed my stomach. But what about coco milk or coco nut flakes? Would it have a different impact?
It shouldn’t have the same impact because it’s not as concentrated. You leave these in and if it still persists, than take them out and monitor your reactions.
I always feel disgusting when I eat coconut oil. I just can’t eat it at all, it causes me quite embarassing digestive distress and makes me feel sluggish and lethargic. All symptoms go when I stop taking it.
*comedogenic