THE BEAUTIFYING BENEFITS OF COCONUT OIL
The coconut oil craze is real. Here's why you'll want to get in on it ASAP.
“First it was coconut milk, then coconut water, and now coconut oil—and I think a big part of the recent popularity is that it's natural, not synthetic, which is so appealing,” says Francesca Fusco, MD, a dermatologist at Wexler Dermatology in NYC. Coconut oil, unlike mineral oil (another proven highly effective moisturizer) delivers on the same skin softening promise sans the potential not-so-pretty aspects. “Research has shown that from the use of coconut oil on skin, hydration improved and skin surface lipids remained in tact,” she says. And when it comes to “thick, scaly, fissured feet, or rough leathery elbows and knees, coconut oil might have the advantage over regular moisturizer.”
And it could also be the answer to chronic skin conditions such as eczema, too. “Coconut oil is an excellent moisturizer and good anti-inflammatory, so its use for eczema is on the rise,” says Ted Lain, MD, a dermatologist in Austin, Texas. “We know that it has inherent moisturizing properties just from its oily consistency, and that the anti-inflammatory effects are likely related to antioxidants such as polyphenols.” Lain points out a recent double-blinded study comparing mineral oil to coconut oil as topical treatment for children with eczema. “It showed that 46 percent of patients using the coconut oil had an excellent response as compared to only 19 percent of patients using only mineral oil.”
“The combination of anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-bacterial and hydrating properties make it truly unique,” says Whitney P. Bowe, MD, a dermatologist at Advanced Dermatology PC in Westchester and NYC. “Coconut oil is primarily composed of saturated fats and contains medium-chain fatty acids, which not only help to repair the skin barrier and trap water, thus hydrating the skin, they also reduce inflammation.” Bowe suggests gently rubbing a few drops of the oil into the skin around the eyes nightly using your fingertips, but rubbing a more generous amount onto legs, elbows, knees and heels “to help smooth the skin and trap moisture.”
Along with hydration, and lessening inflammation, coconut oil has also been shown to be capable of quenching free radicals. “The antioxidant property of coconut oil is thought to be due to cphenolic compounds (specifically ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid),” explains Bowe.
