Coconut Oil - Beneficial or Bad?

There have been huge debates as to whether coconut oil is actually ‘good’ for your skin and although I’ve spoken about the benefits of Coconut Oil in the past, that doesn’t mean that it works for everyone. 

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I managed to find some quotes from Dermatologists which may help influence your opinion on Coconut Oil:

Dr. Engelman said ' “Oil-based products are one of the best ways to add moisture back into the skin.” ' (https://www.skincare.com/article/coconut-oil-for-your-skin)

Dr. Bhanusali said ' “Coconut oil has great moisturizing properties, however, it may actually clog pores in some skin types, particularly oily, acne-prone skin.” '

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Coconut Oil has a lot of benefits such as being an antioxidant and full of healthy fatty acids but it does have the potential to clog pores. Coconut Oil is a 4 on the Comedogenic scale which means that most people will break out by using this oil. If you suffer from rosacea or acne then I’d highly recommend staying away from Coconut Oil as it can make your breakouts worse! 

Do I use Coconut Oil?

Yes. I am one of a few that don’t suffer from breakouts when using coconut oil and it works wonders on my skin! I only use a pea size amount on my face as it’s very oily so I don’t want to overdo it but after using it, my face feels so soft and moisturised. I use unrefined coconut oil which means it’s in its purest form (as I don’t like the idea of putting lots of additives on to my skin when unnecessary) and I get mine from Holland and Barrett. I don't regularly use Coconut Oil and rarely do I use it to replace my regular moisturiser, but it does a great job at removing my makeup and it is one of the best organic makeup removers I have found.

Where can Coconut Oil be used?

○ It can be used on any dry areas of your body such as your elbows and knees! 

○ For drier skin types, you can use it on your face but only in very small quantities. 

○ Your hair! It works miracles as a hair mask and really helps treat colour-damaged hair.

○ Shave with it! It works wonders as a shaving cream!

If you still want to use a natural oil similar to Coconut Oil then I'd highly recommend using Jojoba Oil or Argan Oil as they rate lower on the Comedogenic scale and have great health benefits too! But to sum up this debate, Coconut Oil is both beneficial and bad it just depends on your skin and whether or not it reacts badly to oils or not. However, if you're looking to use Coconut Oil in replace of your moisturiser then I wouldn't recommend it as it won't do that good of a job.