I used to recommend clients to use coconut oil as a moisturizer because it was closer to a nature made product versus all the man manufactured and processed randomness on the market.
I no longer advise so.
It started with a few people mentioning that they broke out when they tried using coconut oil on their face. This didn’t happen too often but when it did, clients often noticed breakouts happening immediately … like within 24 hours.
Even though these clients were using extra virgin, organic, cold pressed coconut oil, which is close to the top of the line kind of stuff, it was still causing acne, pimples, and breakouts.
So what was going on?
I decided to look into the matter. Here’s what I found:
DISCOVERY #1: LIGHT MOISTURIZER
What this means for you and me is that if you have dry skin, coconut oil does work to moisturize. It is absorbed into your skin very quickly, but it’s not a very heavy duty moisturizer. Therefore, if you have medium to very dry skin, coconut oil isn’t going to work well for you.
That being said, if your skin is that dry anyway, it’s probably got more to do with your hormonal imbalance and should be treated through diet instead of externally. But that’s a WHOLE OTHER CAN of worms.
DISCOVERY #2: HIGH SCORES IN COMEDOGENICITY
In the same way that I advise you guys to NOT buy certain kinds of sunblock, the same applies for coconut oil here. If you’re not familiar with what I’m talking about with sunblock, you’re probably going to want to check out that article here too.
To my surprise, coconut oil actually scores a lot higher than I thought on the comedogenic scale! Who would’ve thought?
What that means for you and me is that it will clog your pores if you put it on. Don’t worry, if that’s all you have, there’s a way around that by using a makeup remover at the end of the day to get rid of anything that might clog your pores. But if I were you, don’t risk it. It’s not worth it.
SWITCH TO THIS
At the end of the day, don’t use coconut oil as a moisturizer anymore, especially if you’re suffering from acne because chances are, your pores are already getting clogged pretty easily.
If you don’t have acne, this probably won’t be as much of an issue for you. For example, now that I’ve followed my regimen and cleared my own acne, I use coconut oil sometimes with no problems. But for those who still have random breakouts, acne, and pimples here and there, I’d advise you to look into the Acne Free Diet.
Otherwise, I’d look into various masks and peels to keep your skin fresh such as cucumbers, egg white masks, and light chemical exfoliants.
Next, there’s been a lot of talk about Argan oil, you can read more about my opinion of using it on your face in the next article below:
