How effective is coconut oil for Rosacea?

What is Rosacea?

Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin condition affecting the face. It is a common condition. However, quite a lot of times, people receive the wrong diagnosis when they have rosacea. There is no absolute cure to the condition, however, it’s the symptoms that can be treated and reduced.

Treatment is generally available in the form of eye drops, skin creams, antibiotics, etc. a laser treatment can also be performed to reduce the visible blood vessels, though it comes with its drawbacks. 

Symptoms of Rosacea

Given below are the most common symptoms of rosacea. You must understand the symptoms well since the condition can be and is very commonly confused for acne or any other skin condition.

1. Skin discoloration: The expansion of the blood vessels beneath the surface of the skin leads to the discoloration of the skin. This will generally look like a sunburn or blush.
2. Thickening of skin: This thickening of the skin generally affects the nose and can cause rhinophyma, which is more common in males.
3. Pimples, skin bumps, acne
4. Visible blood vessels: These are also known as spider veins, and generally affect the nose, cheeks, and central face area.
5. Irritation of the eyes: irritated, watery, red, swollen eyes.
6. Other lesser common symptoms also include rough facial skin, burning sensation in the skin, acne-like breakouts, swollen skin, patches of darker skin, etc.

Coconut Oil for Rosacea: Any good?

Coconut oil works wonders for the skin, and you must be aware of its wide-reaching effects on the betterment of the skin. The ultra-hydrating properties of coconut oil make sure that the symptoms of the condition remain in check, and do not worsen.

Coconut oil is a thick, heavy oil and works great to retain more water or moisture on the skin, and keeps it hydrated. It’s anti-inflammatory and skin-barrier repair properties make it apt to be used on the skin, including the face. Also, evidence suggests that chemical imbalance in the body known as oxidative stress worsens the symptoms of rosacea.

For this purpose, coconut oil can be a rescuer because of the ample antioxidants that it can provide to your skin. Compounds like lauric acid present in coconut oil can work well for the swelling of the face associated with this skin condition. 

How to use Coconut Oil for Rosacea?

If you have rosacea, you must be undergoing treatment from a doctor and taking medications. Well, it is recommended that you do not stop your ongoing medications to treat your disease only with coconut oil. This can be taken as an additional thing apart from the medications. 

Now that you know that using coconut oil to treat rosacea does have a lot of benefits for the skin, you must also learn how to apply it because a wrong procedure can spoil everything well.

If you’re allergic to coconuts, this treatment is not for you. Some people with hazelnut or walnut allergies also react to coconut oil adversely at times, hence you must check for any kind of side effects in the primary stages of using itself. This can be done by a small patch test wherein you apply coconut oil to a small portion of your area and check if it results in any side effects on the skin in a period of 24 hours. If you want to be super sure, you can even judge the results for a good 72 hours.

Usage of cold-pressed, virgin coconut oil will ensure that the number of additives and chemicals added to the natural product are fewer in number. You might want to avoid refined coconut oil available in the market since it is processed with a lot of chemicals that might not be suitable for your skin type.

To apply coconut oil on your skin with rosacea, you can take a teaspoon of oil and warm it up by rubbing it between your palms and ensure that you get your desired consistency of the oil so that it gets absorbed easier and better. Apply the oil closely on areas where the symptoms of rosacea are more profound. A very great plus with using this oil is that it is quite safe to apply even in the areas around your skin, unlike most other oils or supplements. 

You can apply coconut oil at night for the best results since it can aid maximum absorption by the skin cells.

What are the risks of using coconut oil?

Generally, coconut oil is a safe product and does not lead to any adverse side effects. Allergies with coconut can end up bad for you, so the use of coconut oil for rosacea must be avoided if you fall into this category of people. 

Also, coconut oil can be comedogenic, i.e. it builds up and clogs pores if it doesn’t get absorbed into the skin properly. This is the reason you might want to avoid the oil if your skin is prone to acne and blackheads. 

Coconut oil works better for symptoms like redness and flushing than for acne. Also, if in the primary stage, you observe that your symptoms tend to get worse by applying coconut oil, we would recommend you to discontinue its use as soon as possible and consult your doctor for further inquiry. Your body and your underlying health condition might be resistant to coconut and hence might react to the oil differently. This is why doctor first!

In all, coconut oil and its properties can be helpful for you if you have developed rosacea. Although there is no study or evidence to suggest any direct link between the condition and this natural remedy, it is certainly a good option to go for, along with continuing your prescribed medications and treatment side by side.

 Just make sure that you’re not allergic to it. we would recommend consulting your doctor, that would be the best. After that, you can easily apply coconut oil to your skin and see the results for yourself! We hope this article helps you.

Also Read: Can Rosacea Be Treated At Home