Acne can not only affect your physical appearance but can also affect you emotionally as well. Your skin is the first thing people see so it’s hard not to be self-conscious about your acne-prone skin. It can be even more frustrating if you feel like you have tried everything and nothing seems to be working. But do not give up. There is something that works for everyone though what works for one may not work for another. You will eventually find something that works for you – and coconut oil may be the solution. You may be thinking, isn’t oil going to make me break out further? There are good oils and bad oils and coconut oil is considered good oil. It has been found to not only be able to treat acne but prevent it from ever coming back.
Where Coconut Oil Derives From
Coconut oil comes from coconuts and is made in one of two ways:
1. Made “industrially” and the oil comes from the copra which is known as the low grade part of the flesh. It is treated with pesticides and chemicals to keep the shelf life longer. This is not recommended to be used by anyone for any purpose. It may be cheaper and last longer, but the pesticides and chemicals make it unhealthy for use.
2. “Cold-Pressed Virgin Certified Organic” coconut oil is the ideal coconut oil to use for cooking, baking, or for topical use on your skin. It is made from fresh ripe coconuts, dried, pressed, allowed to settle then purely filtered. It is all-natural with no added chemicals or pesticides within. This is the coconut oil to use for cooking and on your skin. Only organic and naturally pressed.
Benefits for Treating Acne
1. Unrefined virgin coconut oil is non-comedogenic and will not clog your pores or cause or worsen acne breakouts on your skin.
2. It is rich in lauric acid which is known to fight acne deep at the core of the problem. Lauric acid is anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral so it is incredibly potent against even the worst acne-cystic acne. Anyone who suffers from cystic acne knows how big pimples can get and even worse, how PAINFUL they are. Something as simple as coconut oil can help banish your acne forever.
3. Coconut oil will soothe inflamed skin caused by acne.
4. Rich in Vitamin E to help promote repair on damaged skin from open wounds, sun damage, or acne. Vitamin E will help minimize scarring and heal damaged skin more quickly.
5. Coconut oil is added to many skincare products due to its ability to heal skin issues.
Ways to Use Coconut Oil
Orally
Coconut oil can be used in baking or cooking or you can mix a small amount straight into your fresh juice or smoothie. Good skin and good health starts on the inside and exudes out so adding this beautiful oil to your diet will jumpstart your transition.
Face Mask
Coconut oil can be used as a face mask once or twice a week. Make sure your face is freshly cleansed with a gentle cleanser then apply a small amount of coconut oil to your face. Since coconut oil is more of a solid consistency at room temperature, massage it into your skin for a few minutes and the heat from your fingertips and face will melt it rather quickly. Leave the mask on for 20 minutes. This mask will remove deeply embedded impurities and bacteria in your pores. After the time is up, rinse off with warm water and a tiny amount of a gentle cleanser to remove any residue left behind. Gently pat dry and follow with an oil-free moisturizer.
You will see very quickly why natural, organic, unrefined coconut oil is recommended by many in fighting and treating acne once and for all. Once you see the positive effects it is having on your skin, share with others so they too can experience one of nature’s most beautiful gifts.
Lindsay Schroeder, professional makeup artist and skincare guru, is the writer of all the content on Acne Skin Site. She has personally dealt with acne all throughout her 20’s and knows firsthand what anyone suffering with acne is going through. She has worked with thousands of clients that suffer with acne and has been able to encourage and educate them on how to get their skin on the road to recovery.
Fantastic,
In these types of post it would be great to be directed where to buy these “ingredients”. Where can I buy organic coconut oil?
I buy mine from my local health food store 🙂
i got my organic oil from amazon! xx
you can buy organic coconut oil from trader joes and whole foods!
I was just at Trader Joe’s and I bought virgin organic coconut oil 16 oz for $6.00. Even if it doesn’t work for you (or me) still worth a try at that price! I’m sure we’ve all spent way more on failed attempts. Sadly.
I get mine from GNC. It runs about $14 for a jar, sadly I don’t have a trader joes yet…
You can get it at Kroger in the organic section for $6.
Costco has a large container (I think 60 oz) of organic coconut oil for about $20. Walmart has it as well in the vitamins isle.
Organic virgin coconut oil (unrefined) caused chaos on my skin. I have the occasional small pimple occasionally, nothing ever serious…but for a week or two I was using coconut oil as a hot oil treatment on my hair and used it on my chapped lips and I got a couple pimples by my lips and a couple by my hairline within a couple days. I’m 100% sure the coconut oil caused it. I still love it for my hair (not as a hot oil treatment because when rinsing it drains down my face) but I’ll never again put it on my face. I use other oils for my face (hemp,grapeseed,safflower,sunflower, sweet almond,etc)with no problems.
Great information – I love applying a coconut mask about once a week and find that it is most effective in preventing breakouts if I apply a mask after a hot shower once my pores are opened up. Thank you for clarifying that cold-pressed virgin organic coconut oil is the way to go, definitely super important.
My skin broke out horribly from coconut oil. I highly recommend NOT trying this out. I was hoping to be one of those that was successful with this oil…I was, for 2 days…now, 3 weeks after the initial use, I’m nursing 5 HUGE cysts on my face. 2 of these cysts popped up on day 4 of OCM with coconut oil and are so resistant to any acne treatment now. I have NEVER had acne like this in my life. At 35, I am well versed in how my skin reacts…I should know better. Don’t fall for this as an acne treatment.
My skin does really well on coconut oil — and it’s acne-prone. However, I CHECKED FIRST by trying some on a small area of my face, for a few days, and when my skin stayed clear, I used it on half my face for a couple of weeks BEFORE trying it on my whole face.
Btw, unfortunately, the coconut oil at Trader Joes is refined. (If it doesn’t SAY unrefined, it’s refined.) I get the good stuff at a health food store — cold-presssed, Unrefined and Organic:)
I read a lot of hot and cold accounts about coconut oil for the face, but I thought I would give it shot. I wanted to steer towards a more natural skin care method. I bought organic, cold pressed, unrefined, etc. coconut oil. I would cleanse my face, then rub about a tablespoon into my skin for a bit, then draped a hot wash cloth over my face until it became room temperature. Then I would wipe any excess oil from my face. Nearly immediately, I noticed my face beginning to break out. Even in places I wouldn’t normally get pimples! There were tiny bumps all over my face, red, some white heads…. It could have possibly been the “healing crisis” of my skin purging and I tried to convince myself to be patient – it would get better, I would get flawless skin, this awful look was only temporary.
But alas, I’m not a patient person. I went back to my normal skincare regime that, AcneFree Sensitive Skin, and my face is coming back.
Maybe it would have worked if I kept with it, maybe my face just doesn’t take to it well, who knows! But I think it’s at least worth giving a try because you may get fantastic results. But try a small area of your face and see what happens so that way you can tell if it will break you out.
Best of luck out there!
I just got a bottle of cocoplus cold pressed coconut oil. I must confess am pretty scared to try it on my face after reading these reviews. Seems most people broke out after uusing this.
I use coconut oil on my face, my 12yr daughters acne and all her friends. It works! However you CAN NOT just leave it on there! I have been doing this well over a year and without fail it works but you have to follow it step by step.
1) wash face with warm water and a washcloth. You want to loosen up the dirt and your make up. I find the coconut oil is hands down better than ANY make up remover I have ever bought. So, loosen up the dirt and keep that warm washcloth on your face for a bit.
2) Use a quarter size amount and melt it in your hands and start with your eyes (I do this because I wear eye makeup and want clean oil in that area) rub into your face, in fact massage it in there. I am confident to remove oil you have to use oil. Soap doesn’t remove oil, it just moves it around and compacts it.
3) take that same washcloth and rinse it out and get it hot again. Rub ALL the oil off. I actually im vigorous in taking it off. I will add a bit more oil to my eyes to make sure ALL my mascara is off and wipe it off one more time.
4) rinse with cool water and pat dry.
I do this at least once a day and if I do it at night and take a shower the next day I only wash my face with water. I am convinced acnea is because we over produce oil. If you remove your natural oils and scrub your face has no defense, thus it produces more. I used to have very bad acne in my late 20’s and early 30’s at 34yrs old I have terrific skin now. Again if it didn’t work for you its because you left it on, didn’t take it off or worse didn’t use it properly.
Wondered if you could possibly link to the science that says its non-comedogenic. I’m with you completely and my gut says it’s not, but others on another site have been stating that it is comedogenic. Any help would be awesome so I can show them what they don’t want to believe.
I got mine at trader Joes. I have been using baking soda as a face wash ( which has done WONDERS for my acne, it removes the dead cells quite well too. It seems to pull it all out and heal anything underneath. Since its a bit drying I have been following with coconut oil and I LEAVE it on for the 12 hrs or so of the day then repeat. The coconut oil has quickly picked up where the baking soda left and been pulling more out ( it actually looks different ((the pimple)) almost like its just bacteria from all of the pores) and I have been doing this for awhile and I HAVE NEVER EVER EVER had better skin. Its been clear clear clear for months. This is the only product out there that will do that that I’ve found. People in Thailand and the Phillipines have been using coconut oil for beauty purposes for many many years as an antibacterial due to the lauric acid in it. Go on and try it!
I jus started using Coconut Oil on my face two days ago. I don’t have cystic acne, but I do have moderate acne and I do have an oily skin type. (i’m thinking my breakouts are from my hormones).. so I just wanted to give it a try because I’ve been hearing good reviews but also bad.. Yet i’m never too scared to try something new! I use honey and oatmeal as a cleanser, or I use one of my gentle cleansers. I do exfoliate my skin 3 to 4 times a week. (NOT recommended if you feel your skin can’t handle it) I exfoliate my skin that often because I do feel that I shed a lot of dead skin cells, which is what stirs up acne.. and because oily skin people can exfoliate that often. If you are more on the drier side, then of course exfoliating your skin that often isn’t for you!
Best of luck everyone!
Check out my blog:
brittykitty808.blogspot.com
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I have oily/combo skin that is acne prone all weeks of the month, and worse the menstrual week. Adult acne. I use Shea moisture African black soap, everyday and my break outs are small compared to cysticas it was before. As for ocm, I use half castor half coconut once or twice a week. I rub it into my skin for 2min, place a steaming washcloth on my face 3x and then use the washcloth to remove and exfoliate gently. It works well for me but I have not triedt more then a few times a month.the black soap is 5 bucks at Walgreens! Walmart for my castor oil 2 bucks as well as coconut oil 10. Since, I have gone from horrible cysts to micro dots!
I’ve been dealing with acne for about 35 years, since I was 12. Never went a day without some sort of blemish on my face. Thought about trying the coconut oil but I’m afraid I might mess up a good thing. Recently started using Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Soap (coconut oil, hemp oil, tea tree extract, vitamin E, etc) and I’m loving it. Works much better than the Black Soap I’d been using for the last several years. But my real secret weapon against breakouts lately has been Boudreaux’s Butt Paste. Don’t laugh, it works! 40% zinc oxide baby! Mornings, I wash with the Dr. Bronner’s and moisturize with 100% pure cocoa butter stick (no crows feet yet, thank you very much) and a tinted sunscreen. At night I wash again and either lube my face with the coco butter stick (heavy coating) or apply a thin layer of the Boudreaux’s (alternating nights) leaving both on when I go to bed. I couldn’t be happier with my results.
Very interesting reading all of the comments. I, for one, absolutely LOVE coconut oil. At 33, I have great skin (genetics) but i keep my skincare regimen very simple. I wash my face twice a day with Cetaphil. In the winter I use a teaspoon of coconut oil and oil free SPF moisturizer for daytime. In the winter evenings I sleep with a teaspoon of coconut oil on my face. In the summertime I use a little coconut oil along with my moisturizer. In the evening I don’t put anything on my face. The only time I’ve gotten any pimples is when I didn’t wash my face at night. I also cook with coconut oil. I call it my wonder oil!
I got a jar of Orgánica Coconut Oil at Trader Joe’s, its been great!, i use it on my shoulders after i shower, and my acne has been cure quickly, it’s not greasy (dont over use it tho) and it doesn’t leave my clothes dirty or anything. Also after washing my skin care routine at night I put a small amount all over my face and go to bed, I don’t wash it like it says here, if you use a spot treatment at night, I also put the coconut oil (again, a normal amount, I don’t leave my face mega greasy) and after a couple of minutes Without wahsing my face or anything, I put the spot treatment on the areas needed and go to bed.
I haven’t found something to keep my face moisturized at night and the coconut oil has been great so far! :))
Good luck everyone!
I have pretty bad skin: at 30 I have to use acne medication… That aside, my skin is so sensitive that I often get huge problems with my skin starting to painfully peel off. Needless to say, I’m not very keen on face washes. I’ve tried some before, but they were so irritating and caused break outs.
The only thing my sensitive skin can use is the Made From Earth Grapefruit Glycolic Wash. First, micro-beads are big, so even if you scrub a lot, they won’t scratch you. Second, I did not notice any break outs after using this product every other day for a month now and my skin looks much more radiant and feels really smooth.
I’m one of those people who really need to use sensitive skin products, but I’ trying to move away from Clinique to more natural/organic like Made From Earth.
People stop using it when it is working … that’s the issue with some of you who are saying it was horrible on your skin…, The coconut oil pulls everything up to the surface so you will breakout if you have a lot of crap down there in your pores at first. It will get worse before it gets better you have to keep using it at that point.
I am a 32 year old with a history of cystic ance. I have been on all treatments possible and nothing has work. I finally gave up and tried accutane which help with the acne but with averse side effects including liver inflammation and extremely high triglycirides level. I use organic extra virgin coconut oil from cooking to put it on my hair to my face. I was skeptical but have not had a break out. I put a little on before bed and in the morning before going to work and after each face wash. I get a few pimple here and there once in a while but nothing crazy as before. Also, coconut oil works on cold sores as well, I put a dab on the infected site and within 24-36 hours the swelling and pain is gone where it used to take days to weeks before. Good luck!