#Does your skin absorb water skin#

#Does your skin absorb water skin#

Well, if your skin has a rash, one of the major problems is dysbiosis of the skin’s healthy microbiome. You’ve heard to ditch your anti-bacterial soaps and hand sanitizers because they increase your risk of skin rashes like eczema and psoriasis, right? “Many people with chronic rashes and sensitive skin already have trouble releasing heat, so this could exacerbate your situation further,” says Pontilloģ – Coconut oil messes up your skin’s microbiomeĪnything that disrupts your skin’s healthy microbiome can make your skin worse. One of the skin’s main functions is body temperature regulation. It also “interferes with normal lipid production, and can feel physically and emotionally suffocating (remember, the skin is a key part of the nervous system because it contains thousands of nerve endings per square inch),” says Pontillo.Īnother reason why you don’t want an occlusive barrier of saturated fat on your skin is because it can also increase heat in the body. This is a problem because coconut oil doesn’t allow for your skin cells to breathe or detoxify. While it still… “provides protection, it ends up acting more like a plastic bag on the skin,” says Pontillo. This means it stays on top of the skin and can cause an occlusive barrier. Saturated fat applied to your skin can worsen some skin conditions.Ĭoconut oil is 90% saturated fat.(3) This may worsen some of the more sensitive skin issues like perioral dermatitis.Ĭoconut oil has large molecules and is absorbed slowly. I know how this will sound as we shift our beliefs about saturated fat in the diet, but… If healthy skin’s natural pH is around 5, it means that coconut oil is 100-1,000 times more alkaline than your skin.Īnd unfortunately, applying something that can alter the pH to such a degree like coconut oil can perpetuate a state of dysbiosis of your skin’s microbiome and Leaky Skin. That all said, coconut oil has a pH of 7-8. This plays a role in creating a state of “Leaky Skin” that also helps perpetuate an imbalance in your skin’s microbiome. This increased pH irritates the skin, thinning its protective outer layer known as the stratum corneum. Studies show that washing with soap increases the skin’s pH by up to 3 pH units (it can become up to 1,000 times more alkaline) and that effect lasts for 90 minutes!(2) In fact, using soap and detergents is one of the most common causes of dermatitis of the hands and can trigger flares of eczema.(2) We know that washing with soap and detergents can worsen atopic dermatitis because of their high pH values. That means that your skin with a pH of 5 is at least 100 times, more acidic than neutral pure water.(1) Each unit of pH is 10 times stronger than the one next to it. While the numbers 1-14 seem small, they’re actually powers of 10. On one end are acidic substances (pH from 0-6) and the other end are basic (or alkaline) substances (pH of 8-14). Pure natural water is right in the middle with a neutral pH of 7. PH is a measure of acid-base strength on a scale from 0-14. Your skin has a natural pH level and it’s not a good idea to disrupt it – not even with a natural product like coconut oil. So here are four reasons why I don’t recommend that you put coconut oil on your skin (and what you should use INSTEAD).ġ – Coconut oil is too alkaline for your skin I know that you’re ready to ask, “Can you share the reasons why coconut oil is bad?” My friend and skincare expert Rachael Pontillo, creator of The Skin-Self Mastery Method, shared with me that… “while coconut oil has become a popular DIY remedy for just about every skin, health, and hair issue, for many people, it makes matters worse for many people.” This topic initially came to my attention in 2018 after speaking with several of experts featured in the Eczema & Psoriasis Awareness Week. But what I will share is an important reminder that you may need to re-evaluate how committed you are to slathering it on your skin.Īnd I’m not at all alone in my concern about the overuse of coconut oil in skincare. I’d rather not see you continue to suffer.īefore we go any further, let me tell you that this article isn't meant to knock coconut oil. Since I started talking about this, increasingly more of my readers admit to me that coconut oil has worsened their skin conditions. Health blogs claim that coconut oil is some sort of health panacea - “It’s a miracle for everything!” they say.īut the truth is, when applied to your skin, coconut oil can make your skin worse.Įspecially when you’ve got some sort of skin condition plagued with chronic rashes. This is especially important for dry skin, atopic dermatitis, and many other skin conditions.Īnd yes, coconut oil is one (of many) natural oils that is often used as a moisturizer. Yes, your skin needs an emollient moisturizer to help prevent water loss. Despite what you've read, coconut oil is bad for your skin.