Can I use coconut oil for sunburn? Can coconut oil help sunburn? These are questions I have asked myself as a lover of coconut oil. Its a super versatile, chemical free product that I love using in my DIY skincare and I have heard people touting coconut oil for sunburn redness and pain, but is it true? In this article, we will find out!
So, can you use coconut oil on sunburn? Coconut oil on a sunburn is a topic that lacks any scientific evidence and what we know is mostly anecdotal, so it is safe to say that no, I will not be using coconut oil sunburn treatment on my immediate hot sunburn.
Coconut oil is high in saturated fats, making it super moisturising and nourishing for the skin. However, when applied to hot sunburn it can trap heat and potentially prolong the healing time of your sunburn.
So does coconut oil help sunburn at all? Although coconut oil will not help a hot sunburn, it can be used as an effective soothing moisturiser if you are experiencing itchiness and peeling after your sunburn has cooled down.
In this article, I will walk you through all I have learnt about using coconut oil and sunburn including benefits and drawbacks, how to use coconut oil for sunburn and whether you should. If you are interested to learn more, keep reading!
What Is Coconut Oil?
Coconut oil can be found in three different varieties that are called refined, virgin/unrefined and partially hydrogenated. All three types of coconut oil come directly from coconuts. Coconut oil is derived from the meat and copra (kernel) of the coconut and the copra and coconut meat are pressed either fresh or dried to release all of their oils.
Coconut oil that is refined means it has undergone further treatment that includes high heat exposure and chemicals. There are certain benefits to refined coconut oil such as a higher smoke point. However, most of the goodness is taken away from the chemical and heat processing which makes it less beneficial to the skin. I do not recommend using refined coconut oil on your skin.
Virgin/unrefined coconut oil is purely cold pressed coconut meat and copra without any of the high heat exposure or chemicals. It undergoes no further treatment after this process and maintains the most nutrients this way. I recommend only using unrefined/virgin coconut oil on your skin.
Click here to buy unrefined coconut oil now.
PinFinally, partially hydrogenated coconut oil is the process of partially hydrogenating the coconut oil. The good unsaturated fats are converted into bad trans fats during this process. The benefit of this process is to extend the shelf life and maintain coconut oils solid form in warm temperatures.
This process makes the coconut oil not only unhealthy to cook with it reduces the benefits to your skin. I do not recommend using this type of coconut oil on your skin.
Is Coconut Oil Good For Sunburn?
Does coconut oil help sunburn? In short, no, it is not going to immediately help relieve or heal your sunburn.
It can, however, provide some healing effects after your sunburn has cooled down. I will talk about these benefits below.
Benefits Of Coconut Oil For Sunburn
There are a lot of benefits of coconut oil for the skin, including its ability to treat certain conditions like eczema and dry skin. However, the benefits of using coconut oil for sunburned skin are limited.
Those who love to use coconut oil have also claimed that you can use coconut oil for sunburn on face and the body. Claiming that the coconut oil can cool down and soothe your sunburned skin, relieving any symptoms like peeling and itching skin. There is no evidence to support these claims. However, some of it may be true.
Coconut oil is very high in saturated fats that are fantastic at moisturising the skin. After the skin has been sunburned it can often become itchy, peeling and dry in the days following. Using coconut oil could possibly relieve those symptoms.
Read my full guide to using coconut oil on skin here.
Drawbacks Of Coconut Oil On Sunburn
Using coconut oil sunburn relief is only a good option if you are looking to reduce any dryness, itchiness and peeling in the days following the sunburn. Coconut oil heals sunburn only if the skin is completely cooled down and is in the process of healing.
If you apply coconut oil to hot sunburned skin, it will trap the heat inside and create further discomfort and potentially extend the time your sunburn will take to heal. It is not a good idea to apply coconut oil on hot sunburn and I do not recommend you doing this.
Coconut oil is used as a skin tanner by many people around the world, it has an SPF of around 7 which is not near enough to help protect your skin from the sun. Not only that, but it will also increase your chances of getting a sunburn worse than if you had not applied the coconut oil at all.
If you are looking for instant sunburn relief I recommend using aloe vera (on eBay). You can use it on hot sunburn, and it can help to cool the area and reduce discomfort.
Why You Might Want To Avoid Coconut Oil Sunburn Use
When you apply coconut oil to hot sunburned skin it can trap the heat inside of the affected area, prolonging the time your sunburn takes to cool down and increasing the likelihood of getting sunburned again if you are going out in the sun.
Coconut oil is used as a sun tan oil by some people looking to increase their chances of getting a deep tan, meaning it will increase the intensity of your sunburn. This could make it a potentially unsafe product for those who burn easily to apply before going out in the sun.
How To Use Coconut Oil After Sunburn
After you have been sunburned you should wait until your burn has completely cooled down and the area is no longer warm to the touch. Applying coconut oil to warm sunburned skin will trap the heat inside and prolong the time it takes to heal.
To use coconut oil for sunburn relief, take a small amount of your coconut oil and massage it onto the affected area.
Can Coconut Oil Prevent Sunburn?
No, coconut oil can not prevent sunburn. Coconut oil has an SPF of around 7 which is not nearly enough to protect you from the sun. Not only that but coconut oil is used as a sun tan oil, increasing the likelihood that you could get burned again.
I do not recommend using coconut oil to prevent sunburn as it will only increase your likelihood of becoming sun burned.
Instead choose a high SPF30+ sunscreen that you know will help protect your skin.
Final Words
So is coconut oil a sunburn remedy? No, not really.
Coconut oil is a nourishing and versatile product that is natural, chemical free, cheap and easy to use. However, its benefits for the use on sunburned skin are limited. It may be a good product when your sunburned skin has cooled down and is feeling irritated and itchy. However, I do not recommend using coconut oil on hot sunburn.
The bottom line is coconut oil does not heal sunburned skin. It could possibly make the sunburn less uncomfortable once cooled down.
Information on the use of coconut oil for sunburn is not complete and therefore not reliable. If you do use coconut oil for your sunburn, remember to only use unrefined/virgin coconut oil.
Click here to buy unrefined coconut oil now.
I hope you have found this guide to using coconut oil on sunburn interesting and helpful.
Learn more about using coconut oil on skin here and baby’s skin here. Find all my guides to natural living here.
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