Benefits of Coconut Oil in Cold Process Soap for Skin
The health benefits of coconut oil in cold process soap for skin are amazing; the oil possesses antimicrobial, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and antioxidant properties. The lauric, capric and caprylic acids within the oil are credited with many of these benefits.
Coconut oil for acne is a great natural remedy helps to keep skin healthier and nourished, as it fights acne break outs. Coconut oil for acne benefits range from helping to kill acne causing infections, decreasing the look of acne scars and helping to prevent new ones, and alleviating inflammation caused by severe acne.
Topically, coconut oil can be used on the skin and hair. For your skin, it’s great for soothing dryness and even irritation from rashes. It is also good for fighting wrinkles and signs of aging. Common skin disorders like psoriasis and eczema can be taken care of, along with simple chores like removing eye makeup without the use of chemicals.
Coconut oil contains medium chain fatty acids which are absorbed into the skin, where they can be directly utilized for nutrition and energy. This provides all the energy your skin needs to heal and maintain itself.
Coconut oil will absorb easily, keep the skin soft, and yet without feeling greasy. It is not like other oils used to soften rough, dry skin. It is an excellent ingredient to use in healing salves and ointments.
Coconut oil will not only bring temporary relief to the skin, but it will aid in healing and repairing. It can help bring back a youthful appearance. The coconut oil will aid in removing the outer layer of dead skin cells, making the skin smoother. The skin will become more evenly textured with a healthy shine. While doing this the coconut oil will penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin and strengthen the underlying tissues.
In the making of soaps, the soap does not have a tallow smell nor the smell of a vegetable oil. Instead, it has a nice fresh smell and yields a nice fluffy lather. Coconut oil is the most important oil that we use in soap making.
Scientific research into the benefits of coconut oil for skin and face care has shown that it contains antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory properties. For example, research published in the Natural Medicine Journal said that coconut oil contains medium-chain fatty acids which have an antimicrobial effect. The main fatty acid is lauric acid which plays a vital role in killing off various bacterial and fungal infections on the skin.
Coconut oil is also one of the best natural products to keep your skin feeling soft and hydrated which is an important aspect of good skin care. The journal Dermatitis showed that coconut oil helps to soothe and moisturize itchy, dry, scaly skin and is as effective as mineral oil as a moisturizer.
Top 10 Uses Coconut Oil on Your Face
1. Skin moisturizer
Coconut oil is one of the best facial moisturizers that you can use to care for your skin. Moisture acts to protect your skin from various infections and the harmful effects of the environment and pollution. Coconut oil effectively locks in moisture to your skin to prevent dryness, itchiness, and scaling.
One factor that makes coconut oil especially effective as a skin moisturizer when compared to other natural oils is that it easily penetrates the skin. Scientists have found that the lauric acid in coconut oil easily penetrates deep into the skin and stays in the dermis. This provides a strong protective barrier on the skin’s surface and keeps it free from impurities.
2. Makeup remover
Using coconut oil to remove makeup from your face is just one of the everyday uses of coconut oil. You will find that after some time, if you regularly use coconut oil on your face to remove makeup, the condition of your skin will greatly improve and you will have to spend less money on moisturizers and other skincare products. Coconut oil is also gentle enough to use on sensitive skin so it’s great for the sensitive skin on your face.
The oils and fatty acids in coconut oil effectively cut through makeup and remove it from your face without having to resort to scrubbing or applying harsh makeup removers. This means that after removing makeup there is less chance that your skin is left irritated and damaged.
3. Facial scrub
You can use coconut oil to make a DIY facial scrub to get a beautiful glowing skin. To use coconut oil as a facial scrub for cleansing your face, you just need to mix it with sugar, almond oil and honey.
The nourishing properties of coconut oil help to keep your facial skin in great condition while the sugar gently exfoliates to remove dead skin cells and unblock pores on your face. In fact, because coconut oil is anti-inflammatory, it will help to reduce the appearance of blemishes and redness on your cheeks and face.
4. Treats skin conditions and skin infection
Coconut oil can help reduce the symptoms of a number of skin conditions that affect your face. For example, eczema, psoriasis, ringworm, and allergic reactions that cause itchy red patches of skin to appear on the face and other areas of the body. Sometimes, the itchy skin can be rough and scaly. Very often these itchy rashes are caused by bacterial or fungal infections, and coconut oil is one of the best natural remedies to cure these skin infections.
5. Coconut oil for treating acne
Many people use coconut oil to treat face acne and prevent further outbreaks of spots, pimples, and pustules. Acne is caused when excess sebum and dead skins cells clog up pores. These pores can become inflamed and filled with pus when bacteria cause an infection. Although coconut oil doesn’t work for everyone who has acne, there are many people who have found this to be an effective home remedy for acne which can, in time, actually help to reduce the amount of sebum the skin produces.
The antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of coconut oil help to reduce the number of bacteria on the skin and reduce inflammation. One study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology found that lauric acid (the main fatty acid in coconut oil) showed strong antimicrobial activity against Propionibacterium acnes – the bacteria responsible for inflammatory acne.
6. Reduces facial wrinkles and prevents premature aging
You can help to reduce the appearance of wrinkles on your face if you regularly use coconut oil as a skin moisturizer. Wrinkles can appear when collagen in the skin breaks down and the skin loses its elasticity. Regular use of coconut oil on your face and neck can help to keep your skin hydrated and prevent collagen loss, thus giving your skin a much smoother look.
The journal Skin Pharmacology and Physiology showed that virgin coconut oil helps wounds to heal quicker because its components help to boost collagen production. More collagen in the skin means that it looks plumper and wrinkles are less noticeable.
7. Soothes chapped lips
The moisturizing and healing properties of coconut oil make it one of the best natural ingredients to help soothe chapped lips. What’s more, coconut oil has a delicious taste to and it is completely non-toxic.
8. Heals cold sores
Cold sores (fever blisters) are caused by the herpes simplex type 1 virus (HSV-1) and can cause unsightly and painful blisters around your lips. You can use coconut oil to help speed up the healing process of cold sores and help soothe the discomfort that cold sores cause.
Coconut oil contains many antimicrobial and moisturizing properties that can help treat fever blisters quickly.
9. Natural shaving gel
One of the best reasons to keep coconut oil in your bathroom is to use coconut oil as a shaving gel. Applying coconut oil to your face before shaving is a great way to soften the bristles and prepare the skin for shaving.
The advantage of using coconut oil as a facial shaving cream is that its antibacterial activity helps to protect the skin from infection. In addition the anti-inflammatory properties of coconut oil prevent hair follicles from becoming inflamed after shaving. Using coconut oil as part of your shaving routine is also an effective and natural way to avoid razor bumps and burns.
10. Sunburn relief
After a day in the sun, you can apply coconut oil directly to your face and other skin areas to reduce the redness and discomfort caused by sunburn. Sun damage can dry out the skin and cause it to lose its elasticity. Also, the harmful effects of the sun’s radiation can cause burns and blisters on the skin. Coconut oil is one of the best natural ingredients to get rid of sunburn and sunburn blisters.
The journal Pharmaceutical Biology reported on the fact that coconut oil is anti-inflammatory and can help to reduce redness and skin inflammation on damaged skin.
