Acne is a common problem that affects just about everyone at some point. Studies show that up to 80% of people are affected by this skin condition, most commonly teenagers. However, acne can still affect adults as well. As this is a common nuisance, there are dozens of treatments available to the public. Some are more effective than others but skin type does play a significant role when it comes to how effective an acne treatment will be.
Coconut oil is known for a multitude of health benefits and right now you can chalk up anti-acne among them. However, is this claim supported by actual scientific research or are we simply basing it on the fact that coconut oil contains a myriad of benefits and would likely also offer a solution to skin problems?
Let’s take a closer look at what causes acne to better determine whether the benefits of coconut oil do indeed have a positive impact on this common skin problem.
Causes of Acne
The cause of acne is pretty simple yet can be quite difficult to remedy. Acne develops on the skin, commonly around the face, when oil, dirt, and dead skin cells block pores. If a pore is blocked by dirt and oil, it can cause bacteria to develop within the pore itself. The bacterium that is commonly linked to acne problems is propionibacterium acnes.
Once this bacterium is trapped inside the pore and starts to grow and our body’s white blood cells will do their job and try to eliminate it. However, a side effect of this process is skin inflammation which results in small red round bulges on the skin.
Known symptoms of acne are pimples, blackheads, and whiteheads. These are mostly mild and can be remedied by simply following healthy hygiene but there are cases when acne is so severe that special medications are needed. Other factors that are linked to acne are stress, diet, hormonal changes and infection.
Can Coconut Oil Relieve Acne Problems?
So, when and how did the use coconut oil became a viable choice for acne treatment? It comes from coconut oil’s molecular structure. You see, coconut oil is mostly made up of Medium-chain Fatty Acids (MCFA), a compound that is known to offer powerful anti-microbial properties which means it can eliminate dangerous bacteria.
Around half of the MCFA that you can obtain from coconut oil is medium-chain lauric acid. Lauric acid is often used to treat infections caused by fungi, viruses and bacteria. It has also been observed to eliminate P. Acne.
In fact, a couple of tests conducted showed that lauric acid edges out benzoyl peroxide when it comes to eliminating acne causing bacteria. Coconut oil is also known to offer anti-inflammatory properties, pushing it further as a viable solution for acne problems.
Final Thoughts
Coconut oil is known for its health benefits and it appears that we can include acne treatment in that list as well. Further tests and research are still necessary to fully determine how effective and safe coconut oil is when it comes to acne treatment but, from what we can gather at the moment, it is looking promising. If you wish to use coconut oil to treat acne we suggest using naturally processed virgin coconut oil for best possible results.
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