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Why I don't ever use coconut oil on my face.


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

Caitlin

This article is great. I started using olive oil on my skin in high school after having a horrible reaction to a face wash. Everyone thought I was crazy, but my skins been clear since! I was going to start using coconut oil, but considering I’m very fair I will stick to olive oil!

Lisa

She asked how long she should try the other oils. Could you please offer us a specific answer? Thank you.

Laura

I had a friend with GORGEOUS skin told me she was using coconut oil. I decided to give it a go. The first couple of weeks I noticed my skin was softer and healthier looking. After two, maybe three weeks, the worst acne of my life began. Around the same time it started, I moved to a new city, now a new country, believing this could be the cause. I’ve lived here for few months, and during this time have tried many different skin care remedies and NOTHING is working. I have continued to use coconut oil and will use it with occasionally with baking soda as a scrub. I’ve been blaming it on moving but it occured to me that it could be coconut oil that has caused my acne. My once clear skin (with one or two pimples a week), now breaks out everyday and is red and scarred. I use coconut on my entire body, which leaves it soft and smooth. Do you have any suggestions to clear this up and something to leave my skin soft? I’m of European descent (Scottish, Irish, Welsh, German).

Salis Skincare

I think Sweet Almond or Olive Oil might work for you! Some cool essential oils would be any type of Fir or Black Spruce essential oil. Black Spruce is really good to help heal the Adrenal Glands! Place a drop on the outside of your thumb and then place it on your back where the adrenals are at.

Hope that helps Elizabeth!

Andrea

No kids, it seems to be hereditary. Because it’s on the nose and under-eye area we joke that we are part raccoon, but only my dads side as it. My sister is pale and covered with freckles green eyes and brown hair like my mom (and not one person on their side has it). I on the other hand have olive-tan skin hazel eyes and jet black hair. Any & every issue/allergy my dad has right down to the medications he’s allergic to I’ve also inherited (thanks dad lol). That’s where the melasma comes in. Most people think it’s “freckles” because I’m 27 and it’s not that bad yet. It’s scary to consider I’ve damaged my skin for so long in the search for clear skin. My aesthetician thought she could take me off BP and just use products with salicylic acid but again, my acne came back so I’ve been trying to research what to do esp that’s more natural. I will definitely purchase the product you recommended and start using the ACV Toner recipe you recommended but if I have problems I think I will have to contact you. Thank you so much for the reply :)

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