How to Use Coconut Oil for Rosacea

Last Updated on November 23, 2019 by Marc Seward

Coconut Oil for Rosacea

You look in the mirror and you see an abundance of painful red bumps on your face. You think to yourself that you are too old to be suffering from acne, how can this be?

Chances are, you are not suffering from a sudden surprise acne breakout in your middle-aged years, but rosacea.

Rosacea a common chronic skin condition, usually affects a person’s face, particularly the forehead, eyelids, nose, chin, and skin of the cheeks. 

Redness, lumpy red spots, pustules, inflammation, and sensitivity characterize rosacea.

Enlarged blood vessels just below the surface of the skin cause these issues.

Rosacea usually starts to show up around middle age and its severity varies from person to person. While there is no cure we do think having information about natural remedies can help manage symptoms and flare-ups.

How Coconut Oil Works

For centuries, coconut oil has been known to heal the skin of many ailments. Coconut oil also helps nourish and condition your skin and hair. Being a natural oil and a rich source of healing vitamin E, coconut oil is often preferred to harsh treatments and cleansers.

It is a great natural remedy for a number of skin conditions including eczema, psoriasis, hives and of course  – rosacea.

Why Coconut Oil is so Good for the Skin

• Coconut oil is totally natural and free of the chemicals found in prescription creams and ointments. In order to get the best results, make sure that you buy the best quality coconut oil possible.
• Coconut oil is a rich source of compounds that are great for the skin including vitamin E and several antioxidants.
• Coconut oil also contains several medium-chain fatty acids with antibacterial and antifungal effects. Lauric acid, capric acid, and caprylic acid are all extremely good for the skin and can help treat a range of bacterial and fungal infections.
• The lauric acid found in coconut milk is a rare fatty acid present in mother’s milk. When applied to the skin, it is easily absorbed and works as a natural moisturizer from within and helps fight infection.
• Coconut oil also helps reduce skin irritation and inflammation.

When applied topically coconut oil helps reduce inflammation while promoting tissue skin care healing and repairing damaged skin. Applying coconut oil to the affected area also helps to improve the appearance of inflamed skin, reducing redness and bumps.

Coconut Oil and Demodex Mites

Demodex are mites that live in the face and are believed to be a contributing factor to rosacea breakouts.These eight-legged mites are often found on the same rosacea-affected areas of the face: the forehead, my face nose, cheeks, and eyelashes.

The connection between Demodex mites and rosacea is still being researched. However, research has shown that skin mites have been shown to create inflammatory skin diseases.

People suffering from both rosacea and Demodex mites have found coconut oil to be an effective skin care treatment.

Coconut oil, an anti-parasitic effectively kills the mites while soothing irritated, inflamed skin.
Tea tree oil is another good option for eczema and is particularly effective at killing Demodex mites.

Read this article for a list of other essential oils to help manage rosacea.

What Coconut oil to use

When using coconut oil to minimize your symptoms of Rosacea, it is important to make sure that you are using a high-quality virgin coconut oil.

Virgin coconut oil fights bacteria, expels toxins, speeds up the healing process and promotes the health of your cells.

Using an oil of inferior quality may be either over-processed, which can remove beneficial properties.

Or in some cases tainted with other chemicals and preservatives and may not be as effective. And the differences can be very dramatic.

It is not even just a matter of refining—these oils are drastically different in their composition and properties.

Virgin coconut oil is made from the coconut milk and meat. Typically, there is 11-12% yield—meaning 8.5 pounds of coconut are needed to make 1 pound of virgin coconut oil.

“Refined” coconut oil is typically refined/bleached and deodorized. It has none of the coconut smell and is made from the dried coconut kernel, the copra. There is about a 60% yield and it is more commonly used in cooking and as a food additive.

How to Use Coconut Oil to Manage your Rosacea

To get relief from your rosacea symptoms, after washing your face, apply a thin layer of coconut oil in circular motions on the inflamed area once a day. Some people prefer to apply the coconut oil at night, as the oil may leave a bit of a sheen on your face before it fully absorbs into the skin.

However, this sheen and slightly greasy feeling will dissipate after a few moments.

Use coconut oil daily to help keep your rosacea symptoms at bay. While not a cure coconut oil can be an inexpensive but effective tool that works to fight rosacea. This article has a list of other natural remedies to help manage rosacea

If you have serious or worsening skin conditions always seek professional medical care. There are many subtypes of rosacea and each has a recommended course of action. (1)

Natural cures like coconut oil are a great tool and can work for many individuals but some may require standard therapies.

Rosacea can be linked to other conditions as well. Often it is recommended to treat for a possible Helicobacter pylori infection—as the elimination of H pylori can help treat rosacea (2) This article is a great review of natural options on treating H Pylori and the varying levels of effectiveness.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is rosacea?  Rosacea is a chronic skin disorder that usually affects the face. It is characterized redness to the cheeks, chin, nose, and forehead. Flare-ups may come and go and while experts are unsure of the exact causes, certain triggers are likely involved.
• What are the triggers for a rosacea flare-up? The list of potential triggers is very long. It is important that you identify what triggers your flare-ups and do your best to avoid these trigger factors. In a poll of over 1000 sufferers, some of the most common triggers were being exposed to the sun, emotional stress, heat, humidity, caffeine, alcohol, exercise, and certain chemicals.
• What are the conventional treatments?  There are a variety of treatment options for rosacea and the choice largely depends on the severity of the symptoms. Common treatment options include topical creams, antibacterial washes, and oral antibiotic medications.
• Should I try coconut oil? Absolutely. Coconut oil is an excellent remedy for a number of chronic skin conditions. There is no guarantee that it will work for you but it very well might. It is free of any chemicals contained in many medicinal remedies and does not cause any known side effects
• What other natural remedies can treat rosacea? As well as coconut oil, there are a number of other natural remedies that may help. Some of the most popular are aloe vera gel, turmeric, ginger and certain essential oils.
• What type of coconut oil works best? Not all coconut oil is equal and there is a wide range of different types available these days. For the best effects, make sure you buy a good quality extra virgin coconut oil which is free of additives and retains all the important fatty acids.

Preventive Measures

Although there is no cure as such for rosacea, there are a number of things you can do to prevent breakouts or flare-ups. Here are some tips that can help…

• Use Sunscreen : Whenever you are going out on a sunny day, use a sunscreen of at least SPF 30, Wearing a wide-brimmed hat can also provide extra protection for your face.
• Use Gentle Skin Products : Avoid skin care products, cleansers, and creams with harsh ingredients, alcohol, and fragrance. After washing your face, dab it dry with a simple soft cloth.
• Moisturize : using a moisturizer can be especially helpful to your skin in cold weather conditions. Cold weather and wind tend to dry the skin.
• Face Massage : massage your face gently by rubbing the skin in a slow, circular motion. Start at the center and work gradually out towards the ears.
• Watch your Diet : Rosacea outbreaks can be triggered by certain foods. If you notice that you experience an outbreak after eating certain foods than avoid them. Caffeine and alcohol are also known to trigger rosacea outbreaks.
• Eat a good Diet with plenty of anti-inflammatory foods : Try to avoid processed and sugary foods and eat plenty of organic fruit and vegetables. Alos try getting your fats from healthy sources like avocado, coconut and various nuts and seeds.

Where to get a high-quality virgin coconut oil?