Why Listen To Me?
Since I am an esthetician I talk to women all the time about their skin. I hear many complaints about what is wrong with their skin and what they want to do to make it look better. I have lots of women tell me that they use coconut oil on their face and they've been using it for years.
So while I do recommend using oil on the face, I definitely do NOT recommend using coconut oil on the face anymore.
What Changed?
Yes, I used to recommend it all the time! I thought it was the greatest thing ever, it has natural sunscreen and it has so many benefits! However, I noticed that in many of my skincare classes, women of European descent (their ancestors came from Europe) would have bad reactions (rashes to redness) from using coconut oil.
I Decided to Research It
I did lots of research after that. I read in a few books that recommend never using coconut oil on the face. In fact, David Wolfe author of "Eating for Beauty" said to not put it on the nose or the forehead because it can clog pores! And if there was one thing I didn't want, it was clogged pores.
So one day I was actually reading "Nutrition and Physical Degeneration" by Weston A. Price, I had my epiphany about coconut oil. Weston Price was a Canadian dentist who researched the diets of indigenous people all over the world. He found that the people who only ate food native to their region with and didn't eat refined sugars didn't experience any tooth decay.
I applied this theory to skincare products. Coconuts didn't grow native to where my ancestors lived, or to where I lived now. So maybe coconut oil wasn't the best option for me? It seemed to do really well for people whose ancestry was from around the equator, but just not for anyone that had European ancestry.
I did more research and found that coconut oil has a larger molecular structure, and people that live around the equator tend to have darker, thicker skin, and that can more easily handle and absorb coconut oil. That's why my skin couldn't handle it!
What Oils Are Better?
I also looked at what oils grow naturally in European areas, and I've found that many people of European descent do really well with sweet almond, olive, and apricot.
My skin does really well with Jojoba oil that grows in the U.S. which is where I live. That's why we use it in all of our serum products!
But I Still Use Coconut Oil... Sometimes
It's not that coconut oil is bad, I will sometimes use it as a sunscreen on my arms & legs in the summer. Or I'll sometimes use products that have coconut oil and my skin does well. But as an "everyday" face oil, I've found that Jojoba works wonders! And I don't have to set it on a window sill to warm it up if it gets cold.
What's even worse is fractionated coconut oil (which makes it stay as a liquid) which is refined oil, should never be used on the skin.
I get a lot of surprised looks when I tell light-skinned women to not use coconut oil on their face! In fact, many argue with me. But try it for yourself! See if another oil works better on your skin.
Also, experiment with oils to see which one your skin does best with!
Also, try our Salis Salt Scrub Face wash! It's in the Shop section. The scrub has Jojoba in it, which again, seems to be very beneficial to my skin - amazed at the vast difference from using coconut and other oils. Check it out!
Have a question? Ask below!
189 comments
I use avocado oil and it is amazing for me most of the time. My background is English. I urge others to try it as well!
We love avocado too! Great choice!
Hey Benjamin! Congrats on quitting! I would say something like an olive oil or sweet almond oil might help reduce the smoker’s wrinkles. Make sure you’re also acidifying your skin – with a apple cider vinegar recipe that is also on this blog. Nivea just makes your skin a little more alkaline, and your skin is naturally acidic. Also, try fresh aloe vera on the forehead. It’s done wonders for my forehead wrinkles specifically. Hope that helps!
I am Puerto Rican and I have fair skin which is really dry and flaky especially on my forehead and cheeks and after reading your article what other type of oil would relieve the dryness and flakiness?
Also my daughter is very fair skinned and has eczema and coconut oil didn’t really do much for her skin, what could I try?
Conceding my 30s I have had problematic skin around my nose and sides of my mouth and chin. I’ve been desperate for a search for something top keep my skin balanced, oil free and at the same time not dry and flaky. Sometimes the skin on my chin and sides of mouth will be both dry and flaky and oily at the same time. I have spent hundreds even thousand of dollars on skincare products and have finally given up on the mass-market. I have been looking for more natural approach to skincare and recently came across coconut oil. I’ve been using it about a week each day I see that it is causing me more more problems rather than benefits. My skin feels oily and dry all over I can feel my fingertips catching all my clothes from the dry skin. I’ve illuminated all chemicals from any part of my skincare regimen. I feel itchy and dry everywhere even tho I’m covered in coconut oil. I’m looking for An all-natural product that will help my skin retain its natural oils and keep from being dry and keep from getting cystic acne around the sides of my mouth and my chin. Am desperate for an answer because up into my 30s I didn’t even have to wash my face went to sleep at night. Now my skin is super high maintenance which is fine if all this maintenance paid out, but it doesn’t. It’s a constant battle trying to keep it clean and moist. Clean=dry=red rashy patches on my chin, nose and corners of mouth. Moist=oily=whiteheads, cystic acne and an oily sheen.
Anyone With suggestions of what they use along with skin type and skintone and ethnic background also experience with past products would be greatly appreciated. I am desperate I’m on over a year search at this point and I’m lost and I don’t know what to do. I’m sick of shelving products that are no good for me it’s what a waste of money. I’m sick of trying a new product and for a few days it seems like it’s working and then my face blows up and all my skin blows up and I spend three weeks trying to fix my face. Help!
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