HappyLifestyleJournal
Coconut oil has been proven to be beneficial for many things, from nutrition to skin care. But what if you get acne? Shouldn’t you stay away from fatty and oily foods and crèmes? Well, yes, usually. However, this is not the case with coconut oil. This powerful antioxidant is good for treating acne for many reasons, the first one being its naturalness and overall healing power.
Of course, this one, as well as all other home remedies should only be used for mild acne and acne scars. If your acne situation is very serious and you have an infection with deep scars, you should first consult your dermatologist before applying anything to your skin (whether it is naturally or chemically-made medicine).
If you feel and know that using coconut oil will not cause you any discomfort, we can move on to the benefits of it for acne treatment. The fact is that coconut oil contains many nutritive agents that are very helpful when it comes to dealing with acne.
Fatty Acids
One of the most important ingredients found in coconut oil are fatty acids, which are considered to be powerful antimicrobial agents. Among the most powerful ones there are capric acid and lauric acid, and both of these types of fatty acids are found in coconut oil. The same acids are among the most important components of breast milk, which should be enough to convince you in their nutritional values and healthiness, as their main function in breast milk is to protect the newborn babies from infections. When you apply coconut oil to your skin, it reacts with good microbes that are already present on your face and together they create monocaprin and monolaurin. These help protect the skin from constant washing and wiping which dries and sometimes damages the skin. They also prevent the development of microbial infections without which acne cannot develop. Even though the application of coconut oil directly to the skin is usually suggested for acne treatment, internal consumption (taking it in with food) is equally helpful.
Vitamin E
Another very powerful component of coconut oil is vitamin E, and it is found in large amounts. Vitamin E is important, as the cells use it in order to be able to interact with each other and perform important bodily functions. As for the skin, vitamin E makes the sebum glands function properly and clears any blockage that might appear. This means that coconut oil doesn’t only treat the symptoms, but the cause of the development of acne as well. Moreover, vitamin E helps the body reduce the fluctuations of those hormones that induce the hyper-activity of the sebum glands.
Anti-inflammatory Effects
Besides being rich in fatty acids and vitamin E, coconut oil also has anti-inflammatory effects on the skin. When it is applied onto the skin, it is almost immediately absorbed and it starts reducing the inflammation caused by acne, as well as healing any existing open wounds from acne. Whether it is applied onto the skin or consumed orally, coconut oil is beneficial for acne treatment as it promotes the regulation of hormones and normal secretion. This way, the chances of developing acne, if they are not already present, is very low. Moreover, coconut increases the speed of metabolism, as well as the rate of healing and repairing of the skin that is damaged or started being affected by acne.
How to Apply Coconut Oil
If you are considering applying coconut oil onto your skin, apply it thinly but put enough to cover the skin. On the other hand, if you decide to take it in orally, a daily dose of 2-5 tablespoons are enough to have a beneficial effect and help you with your acne situation.
Quality Matters
When choosing the kind of coconut oil, you need to pay attention to the quality – you should make sure you bought the oil of the best quality you can find. Taking a low quality one may end up being unbeneficial as it may be unhygienic and even negatively affect your skin, as an unhygienic coconut oil can even clog your sebum glands. So, to be safe, it is better to choose a more expensive variant, as you can’t really be sure with those cheap, possibly unhygienic ones.
