Health Benefits of Coconut Oil for the Skin

Yes, we love cooking with coconut oil, but did you know your skin (and hair) can greatly benefit from the topical application of coconut oil too?

Our skin is constantly working at protecting us from microbes, pathogens and environmental toxins. Our skin is so magical, that it also keeps our entire body hydrated and helps the body retain it’s fluid. So not only do we want to keep our skin beautiful, but we also have to keep it healthy - the two actually come hand-in-hand. Coconut oil is one of those superfood ingredients that will work at keeping our skin, yup you guessed it, both healthy and beautiful! Let’s have a closer look at the health benefits of coconut oil and understand exactly how it will beautify our skin all around!

A brief Breakdown of Coconut Oil

100% pure virgin, or extra virgin coconut oil, contains vitamin E, iron, proteins, vitamin K and fatty acids like Lauric, Myristic, Caprylic, Caproic, Palmitic, Oleic, and Linoleic, just to name a few! Together, these nutritious vitamins and minerals make for a great anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal natural remedy. 

Benefits of Topically Applying Coconut Oil to Skin

If you’re using natural products in your home and in your beauty regimen, then we’re feeling very confident that you’ve seen coconut oil listed as one of the main ingredients in your products. Why? Because it’s just that good and just that incredibly versatile. 

Here are some ways you can use coconut oil and how your skin will benefit from it’s pure goodness:

1. Deeply moisturizes the skin- why not start with the most obvious first to clear it out of the way, right? If your skin is unbearably dry (or just slightly dry!), then coconut oil is your right hand man (or woman, your choice!). Coconut oil is easily absorbed by the skin and helps the skin retain moisture. It can improve the skin’s lipid levels, while it hydrates your thirsty skin. And the best part is, that it will moisturize your skin more effectively and for longer than your standard chemical moisturizer. 2-points for coconut oil! 
2. Heals Wounds and can be a remedy for acne- coconut oil has the power to increase collagen synthesis in the skin, which is a part of the wound healing process. Similarly, it can heal the scars and the areas where the skin breaks from acne. However, while promoting collagen synthesis, its antibacterial properties will also clean out the acne forming bacteria from the pores and surface of the skin.  
3. Protects the Skin- while it works at hydrating the skin, it can also protect the skin from harmful free radicals, dirt and environmental toxins floating around in the environment. These toxins are pretty much everywhere you look, from cars, airplanes, and all the way to industries. In its native countries, coconut oil was even used to protect the skin against the strong sun. Imagine that! An oil which protects the skin from sun. In today’s day and age though, coconut oil doesn’t have sufficient SPF to really protect your skin from those UV rays, better to cover up and protect your skin instead! 
4. Can exfoliate the skin- many men and women who love making their own products, use coconut oil mixed with a granular substance like sea salt or sugar to exfoliate the skin. While the salt or sugar gently removes dead skin cells, the coconut oil can hydrate, heal and clean the skin all at once. Sounds like a dream team to us!
5. Can remove bad smelling body odor- just to go above and beyond, coconut oil also has the power and care to remove foul body odor. It works as an easy spreading agent for other antiseptic essential oils to really get in there and clean those underarms with a fine smelling scrub. And it’s for this very reason (among others) why Play Pits went with Coconut oil as an essential ingredient in our naturally delicious smelling products. 

Final Thoughts on Coconut Oil’s Skin Benefits 

Coconut oil can also be used to gently remove makeup from the face, facepaint, as a gentle smooth shaving agent, can soothe irritated skin and is completely safe to use (though you should always do a skin patch test first to make sure you, or your little one doesn’t have any unknown allergies to its goodness.) 

When using coconut oil as a skin remedy, we do recommend everything in moderation. This means one should only apply very modest amounts to the desired area at a time. To truly witness the skin benefits of coconut oil, we should only apply a little bit once or twice a day, regularly. Over time (as all good things in life take time and patience) we will truly experience its soothing and powerful benefits. 

Have you added coconut oil into your cosmetic or beauty routine? We’d love to hear how you’re using it and how you’ve benefited from it!