5 Benefits of Virgin Coconut Oil for Dry Skin

1. Virgin coconut oil is easily absorbed into your dry skin

Virgin coconut oil is solid at room temperature, but melts upon contact with your skin.

The texture of melted virgin coconut oil is thin and light.

Virgin coconut oil initially creates an oily, protective barrier on the skin, which is then absorbed fairly quickly, leaving your skin feeling soft and plump.

2. Virgin coconut oil makes your dry skin feel soft and lubricated

Virgin Coconut oil is easily absorbed into your skin and has clinically been shown to soften and lubricate dry skin and improve symptoms of eczema (Agero et al, 2004; Verallo-Rowell et al, 2008; Evangelista et al, 2014).

Coconut oil has been shown to be as effective and safe as mineral oil when applied as moisturizers for mild to moderate xerosis (Agero et al, 2004).

In a study of children with mild to moderate xerosis, topical applications of virgin coconut oil was shown to be effective in decreasing the severity of the disease, ameliorating disease severity index, and improving skin barrier function (Evangelista et al, 2014).

3. Virgin coconut oil is rich in beneficial fatty acids that act as emollients for your skin

Virgin coconut oil contains fatty acids including lauric acid (49%), myristic acid (18%), palmitic acid (8%), caprylic acid (8%), capric acid (7%), oleic acid (6%), linoleic acid (2%), and stearic acid (2%).

These beneficial fatty acids help nourish your skin to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles for plumper looking skin.

When formulated properly, virgin coconut oil is non-comedogenic and will not clog your pores. 

Virgin coconut oil is an emollient.

What are emollients?

The word emollient derives from the present participle of the Latin verb emollire, which means "to soften or soothe." Emollire, in turn, derives ultimately from mollis, meaning "soft." 

Emollients are a broad category of skincare ingredients and products.

Skincare ingredients that function as emollients include plant butters, vegetable and fruit oils, animal fats, and esters.

Products that function as emollients include moisturizers, creams, oils, serums, and balms.

An emollient is an ingredient in a moisturizer. The job of the emollient is to soften skin.

What are the benefits of emollients for dry skin?

The function of emollients in skincare is to soften the skin, help the skin retain its moisture and to support the skin’s barrier function.

Skin that does not have sufficient lipid content on its surface can appear dull, dry and rough. Emollients "fill in the gaps" in the skin barrier and soften it along with giving it a healthier look

The role of emollients in the treatment of dry skin conditions is often underestimated. Emollients promote optimal skin health and prevent skin breakdown, and their use can improve quality of life.

Emollients are skin conditioning – the give skin a soft and smooth appearance, restoring suppleness and improving elasticity.

Emollients:

• Make your skin feel soft and smooth.
• Help reduce flaking and roughness from dry skin.
• Help assist the skin barrier by filling in gaps between cells.

Learn more: What are Emollients? Best Emollients for Dry Skin

4. Virgin coconut oil has antimicrobial activity

Virgin coconut oil may protect against opportunistic skin pathogens, such as Staphylococcus aureus that can grow on dry, damaged skin and cause inflammation, itching and irritation (Verallo-Rowell et al, 2008).

5. Virgin coconut oil is rich in antioxidants that protect your skin

Virgin coconut oil is rich in antioxidants including vitamin E and polyphenols.

What are antioxidants?

Antioxidants protect your skin by preventing free radical damage.

Free radicals are unstable molecules or atoms that can damage skin cells.

Free radicals are generated from normal aging, and by daily environmental damage - such as UV radiation from the sun and air pollution. Free radicals cause destruction to your cells and tissues, and accelerate skin aging (Masaki et al, 2010).

Antioxidants protect your skin by neutralizing unstable free radicals.

Coconut oil antioxidants

Coconut oil has been shown to contain vitamin E (Shahidi et al, 2016).

Vitamin E is a family of compounds with different vitamin E activities and antioxidant properties that includes tocopherols and tocotrienols 

Learn more: What is topical vitamin E?

Coconut oil contains small amounts of vitamin E tocopherols:

• 0.002 - 0.018 mg/g alpha-tocotrienol 
• trace - 0.002 mg/g beta-tocotrienol
• trace - 0.001 mg/g gamma-tocopherol
• none - 0.004 mg/g delta-tocopherol

Coconut oil is also a source of vitamin E tocotrienols and has been shown to contain:

•  0.01 - 0.03 mg/g alpha-tocopherol 
•  trace - 0.002 mg/g beta-tocopherol 
•  0.003 - 0.006 mg/g gamma-tocopherol
•  trace - 0.001 mg/g delta-tocopherol

Virgin coconut oil is also rich in polyphenols with antioxidant activity (Marina et al, 2009) that can protect your skin against oxidative stress and damage. 

The total phenolic contents in virgin oil are higher than commercial coconut oil (Rohman et al., 2021).

Summary

There are many benefits of virgin coconut oil for dry skin.

Virgin coconut oil is rich, creamy and decadent.

Virgin coconut oil is easily absorbed and makes your dry skin feel soft and lubricated.

Virgin coconut oil is rich in beneficial fatty acids with antimicrobial activity, and phenolic compounds with strong antioxidant activity.

Dry Skin Love Wild Orange Oil to Milk Cleanser is made with organic extra virgin coconut oil that is cold-pressed and unrefined. Our virgin coconut oil is Fair Trade and comes from a sustainable source. 

We infuse virgin coconut oil with calendula flowers, chamomile flowers and whole vanilla beans, resulting in a rich, creamy, decadent aroma.

Agero AL, Verallo-Rowell VM. A randomized double-blind controlled trial comparing extra virgin coconut oil with mineral oil as a moisturizer for mild to moderate xerosis. Dermatitis. 2004 Sep;15(3):109-16.

Evangelista MT, Abad-Casintahan F, Lopez-Villafuerte L. The effect of topical virgin coconut oil on SCORAD index, transepidermal water loss, and skin capacitance in mild to moderate pediatric atopic dermatitis: a randomized, double-blind, clinical trial. Int J Dermatol. 2014 Jan;53(1):100-8.

Masaki H. Role of antioxidants in the skin: anti-aging effects. J Dermatol Sci. 2010 May;58(2):85-90.

Marina AM, Man YB., Nazimah SA. & Amin I. (2009). Antioxidant capacity and phenolic acids of virgin coconut oil. International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition, 60, 114-123.

Rohman A., Irnawati, Erwanto Y., Lukitaningsih E., Rafi M., Fadzilah NA., Windarshi A., Sulaiman A., Zakaria Z. Virgin Coconut Oil: Extraction, Physicochemical Properties, Biological Activities and Its Authentication Analysis. Food Reviews International. 2021. Volume 37, Issue 1. Pages 46-66.

Shahidi F, de Camargo AC. Tocopherols and Tocotrienols in Common and Emerging Dietary Sources: Occurrence, Applications, and Health Benefits. Int J Mol Sci. 2016 Oct 20;17(10):1745.

Verallo-Rowell VM, Dillague KM, Syah-Tjundawan BS. Novel antibacterial and emollient effects of coconut and virgin olive oils in adult atopic dermatitis. Dermatitis. 2008 Nov-Dec;19(6):308-15.