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
My son was using coconut oil instead of shaving cream thinking this was the better option. He has very fair Irish skin. The coconut oil was irritating his skin and causing breakouts. I use it all over my entire body daily and have never had a problem.
My son ayden has a skin condition where his little body produces too much histamine so he has very sensitive skin. Some of the topical additives that are coconut based in soaps and lotions were one of the things his dermatologist said to keep off of him. Its strange how internally and externally you can have different reactions
I use coconut oil on my son instead of lotion. We do a coconut oil massage every night. I wonder if that’s a bad idea? I’m not putting it on his face
Some questions here: perhaps she was reacting to cosmetic products bc of synthetic products. Plus, seems to support my argument that you shouldn’t go overboard with anything. All things in moderation.
I use a coconut oil based deodorant with essential oils and have no negative reaction.
Interesting. I’ve never had better skin since using a gentle microfiber cloth with water and two tiny squirts if organic argan oil on my face. I’ve had acne since my teens and am now in my 30s, but except for vary occasionally, this method has been great for me for the past year. I didn’t even consider that the argan oil replaced coconut oil on my face. Huh. I’ll have to watch to see if breakouts are connected with higher than normal consumption of coconut oil.
I struggled for years with what the dermatologist thought was acne. It wasn’t until I did many things to heal my digestion (GAPS diet) and detox generally that I started to see improvement. But when I started using coconut oil topically it really accelerated the detox process which is what my ‘acne’ was. Incomplete dotoxification. In my case i suspect a lifetime of exposure to mercury from amalgam fillings finally gettin the boot. Now my skin is totally clear. But I used fractionated or MCT oil which is a large part of the active detox component and and I would guess less comedogenic.
It’s very interesting you mentioned your fillings Catherine, did you have them removed? You have got me thinking. I’m 45 this year & my back has been covered in acne since I was 19 , a few years after my last filling.
Terry, definitely get your mercury fillings replaced! Don’t know if it will help your acne, but mercury is a toxin, so it’s very dangerous for your body.
FYI: Here’s something that completely eliminated horrible acne on my chin in less than a week, when nothing else worked…Tamanu oil. Should be able to buy at any health food store or online, but buy only cold pressed, organically grown (I like Life-flo brand, as there are no other oils added to it). After showering, use apple cider vinegar on a cotton pad and apply to your back. When dry, rub in the Tamanu oil. It’s now the only thing I use to moisturize my face – it rejuvenates the skin and gets rid of acne! I hope this helps you.
I used it for months and it is a no go for me. I use Wilderness Family Naturals and honestly I find it to be the best company and above Tropical Traditions.
I’ve talked to a couple women who had a bad reaction to CO on their skin. I convinced them to stick with it and a few weeks later their skin cleared up. For some people it can be a healing crisis and not reaction. Also you should only be using raw organic non refined CO.
I’ve recently discovered black soap. The one I use is by Nubian heritage, all brands are not created equal. The stuff is amazing. I was experiencing some pretty bad perioral dermatitis after my son was born and nothing would clear it up. I started using this soap and my skin cleared up within a week. I’ve continued to use it and my pores have gotten smaller and less noticeable and my skin feels extremely soft.
I’ve bought my coconut oil from tropicaltraditions.com and for me is the best and trustworthy.