This site has limited support for your browser. We recommend switching to Edge, Chrome, Safari, or Firefox.

LOVE IT OR RETURN IT IN 90 DAYS!
Free Shipping on orders over $55

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

Maryam

Regarding your last line, how long should I use the oil to tell wether it is good for me or to move to anothe oil .?.

Salis Skincare

Maryam- does your heritage come from around the equator? Do you have darker skin? I’ve found that it works on most with ethnic skin, but not on caucasian skin. I would try Jojoba, or Calendula and then rotate with coconut oil to see which one works the best!

Melanie

I have very fair skin and I have many deep wrinkles above my upper lip. I have never smoked yet I have worse “smokers lines” that people 2x my age who did/do smoke. I have tried EVERYTHING and nothing has worked and I was going to try coconut oil (have tried other oils, glycolic acid facials, regular facials, $$$$$$ skin care products). Do you have any suggestions to help me.

Thanks

Salis Skincare

Hi Melanie-

That is so not fun. Unfortunately, that is a harder spot to fix! However, I always believe that the skin is constantly rejuvenating itself. I would try Calendula oil from Bodyceuticals (also in my calendula scrub) or try Jojoba, Sweet Almond, Olive, and Seasame. You can also try using Surthrival’s Colostrum on your problem spot overnight. Make a paste with water and apply it really thick to the area, and leave on overnight. I’ve noticed it helped lighten my wrinkles on my forehead. Hope that helps!

Ana

Hello,

I was wondering if you could please give me some advice on which oil to use on my face. I am Caucasian with a Meditteranean background. I’m 25 years old but have had problems with acne since I was 16. I have very acne prone skin and have been told that I have a bit of rosacea around my nose and on my chin. While I do not get large cystic acne anymore, I still get angry red acne and I do occassionally get acne that looks like dark blue blood spots under my skin which leave nasty scars (either in the form of a depressed hole or a dark hyperpigmentation spot). My forehead is extremely oily and when I wear make-up, I look disgustingly greasy. The area around my mouth and on my chin is very dry and flakey. I tried using coconut oil and find that it is fading my hyperpigmentation marks. However I’m not sure if it’s breaking me out more. My undereye area also seems to be really dry for some reason and as if I’m developing more fine lines. Could this be because of the coconut oil? Which oil do you recommend for me? Thanks.

1 2 3 4 38

Leave a comment

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published