How Cold Pressed Coconut Oil Healed My Scars

As a teenager I had pretty bad acne and tried everything on the market that I could get my hands on to make it all just go away. Unfortunately nothing worked. In fact some of the products were quite harsh; drying out my skin, some even irritating my skin further, causing more breakouts. I was also guilty of squeezing and popping pimples; a big no- no. To try and cover it all up I would pile on foundation and makeup. This actually drew more attention to my face and my skin continued to suffer. I endured this all throughout high school and in cycles into my adult years. Finally things settled down and in my 30s’ I found myself acne free for good!

After the acne had cleared I was left with some scaring and this was almost as depressing as the blemishes. My face was pock marked mostly on the cheek bone area and embarrassing to say the least. I mean I wasn’t a young kid anymore but acne certainly isn’t limited to youth. I still wore makeup, not the layers that I hid behind as a kid, but leaving the house without foundation was not an option for me as the scaring was not faint. I felt like people still looked my face over when engaged in conversation and I can tell you that I have encountered multiple occasions when I was asked what happened to my face . I have also been told in the past that I would be so pretty if it weren’t for the “Stuff” on my face. I found myself depressed often and hated to look anyone in the eyes when I spoke for fear of the scrutiny that always broke me out in a sweat. Needless to say I had a fair amount of social anxiety as well; always keeping my head down to avoid the gawking from strangers.

I was 40 years old doing an online search about oil pulling when I came across an article for cold pressed coconut oil. At that particular time I was trying to find a good alternative to the store brand mouthwash. I was tired of the strong medicine aftertaste and wanted a natural alternative. I had heard about oil pulling briefly from a friend but wanted more information so I put in a google search and came up with plenty of reading material. The coconut oil was a highly recommended choice since the taste is pleasant unlike others such as sesame oil, for example. Basically swooshing with cold pressed coconut oil draws out the bacteria from the mouth into the oil where it dissolves. Following by brushing the teeth ensures that all of the bacteria are released. I found the information interesting and decided to give it a go. While I was doing my research the term “Cold pressed coconut oil” also came up as a recommendation for skin care. This caught my eye so I read on. The healing journey of my face had begun.

When I first started using cold pressed coconut oil I was fearful that using oil would aggravate my skin and set me back to my breakout days. My research, however, recommended the oil as a first step in a process called double cleansing. I used a small amount, about a ¼ teaspoon and massaged it into my skin for 2 minutes. I followed by rinsing in warm water then lathering again with a gentle cleanser to repeat the process. Water alone does not remove the oil (comedogenic) but by repeating with a cleanser, the oil washes away. I would complete the process with a light moisturizer. I began to see noticeable results about one month after beginning my nightly cold pressed coconut oil routine. My face was no longer ruddy in appearance. At this point I saw no difference in the scars but my face wasn’t red and irritated anymore; drawing less attention to the pockmarks. I decided to continue on as the oil was not negatively affecting my face. With time and patience; about 6 months later, I saw a huge improvement. My face was smoother and my scaring wasn’t as pronounced. At this time I stopped using foundation and switched to B.B. cream. I also stepped up my double cleansing to twice a day. I was determined to go all the way with this and after one year I met my goal. This was not a quick fix yet rather a gradual healing process but it WORKED! One year of sticking to a routine paid off for me because I got to the point of absolutely no foundation, creams, cover ups or powders; just my natural bare skin.

It has been 9 years since I began my healing journey as I just turned 49 this month. Before I discovered cold pressed coconut oil I spent years wasting money on tons of makeup, ointments, scrubs, astringents etc. Sure I got rid of the acne but the scars were a battle for me. I am still amazed to this day how a product that can be found in the supermarket helped me recover clear skin that I last saw my freshman year in high school. One theory behind the magic is that cold pressed coconut oil contains MCFA’s (medium chain fatty acids) and when applied topically to the skin is absorbed by cells, converting to energy which heals blemishes and irritation. I took this theory and my physical evidence of results and began expanding its usage. I am pleased to share that I have had favorable outcomes using coconut oil as a shaving cream, massage oil, after bath moisturizer, and lip conditioner. My original finding for oil pulling is something I still incorporate and I feel like it whitens my teeth as well as being an ideal alternative to mouthwash. I have psoriasis on my elbows and cold pressed coconut oil helps manage the rapidly flaking skin and tone down the bright red spots. This natural product is part of my deep hair conditioning treatments which I find extremely beneficial to my dyed tresses. My most recent discovery has been that my eye area reaps the benefit as an anti-aging effect from dabbing oil on before bedtime. I am always eager to find more uses for my miracle in a jar and with all of the money saved by reducing products I have no issue spending an average of $10 for something I will continue to use for years to come. My favorite brand is Nutiva and I always look for the words “raw”, “virgin” or “unrefined” on the label.