Coconuts do more than hold fruity drinks. They were critical to island cultures for thousands of years, providing nutrients as well as medicinal healing. According to the website Coconutresearchcenter, the coconut has been used to heal ailments from nausea and fever to dysentery and typhoid. Modern science has found many benefits for coconut, particularly the oil. Coconut oil is an ingredient in skincare products because of its emollient properties.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil comes from the "meat," or white fleshy part, of the coconut. Like other oils, it is a fatty acid or triglyceride; however, coconut oil is in a different category than oils derived from other nuts and plants. Coconuts are medium-chain fatty acids, or MCFT, or medium-chain triglycerides, or MCT. According to a January 2006 article published in "The Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients," medium-chain fatty acids are more easily digested, are found in breast milk and are preferred by the liver as a source of fuel to produce energy.
Skincare
Because coconut oil is a fat, it has emollient properties--it has a softening and soothing effect on skin. Coconut oil's melting point is right around your body temperature, allowing it to literally melt into your skin. Island cultures used coconut oil for all types of skin ailments as well as to moisturize and protect skin from the sun.
Atopic Dermatitis
According to a November 2008 study in Dermatitis, coconut oil shows promise in treating atopic dermatitis, a dry skin condition that leaves the skin vulnerable to Staphylococcus aureus infections. The study compared the use of virgin coconut oil and virgin olive oil in eradicating staph infections and alleviating dermatitis. Only one of the participants who received topical treatments of coconut oil remained positive for staph infection, compared with six of those receiving olive oil treatments. Although coconut oil shows promise, it is not yet approved for treatment of staph infections or atopic dermatitis.
Burn Care
The Indian Journal of Pharmacology released a study in August 2008 that investigated the topical use of coconut oil and silver sulphadiazine on burn healing time. Rats with burn wounds were not treated, treated with coconut oil, given silver sulphadiazine or given a combination of coconut oil and the silver cream. Rats that received the coconut oil or the coconut and silver combination saw the most improvement. The study concluded that coconut oil "is an effective burn wound healing agent."
Use
There are many skincare products that include coconut oil. You also can apply the oil directly to your skin. Use virgin coconut oil in the shower. After you have cleaned your skin, apply a small amount of coconut oil and then rinse in warm water. Pat yourself dry with a towel, but don't wipe all the oil off of your skin. Don't apply the oil to the bottoms of your feet to avoid slipping in the bathtub.
References
- Coconut Research Center: Coconut Uses
- "The Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients"; Medium-chain fatty acids: the healthy fats; I. Alleger; January 2006
- "Dermatitis"; Novel antibacterial and emollient effects of coconut and virgin olive oils in adult atopic dermatitis; V.M. Verallo-Rowell, K.M. Dillague and B.S. Syah-Tjundawan; November 2008
- "Indian Journal of Pharmacology"; Burn wound healing property of Cocos nucifera: An appraisal; P. Srivastava and S. Durgaprasad; August 2008
- Healthy-oil-planet: Coconut Oil Application
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