The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Bill (San Fernando, Philippines) on 11/19/2007
★★★★★
re: Jock Itch and Candida: I had jock itch for years and years - tried everything and nothing worked. When I moved from UK to the Philippines I started researching this problem. Interestingly I found out that jock itch was a well known expression or symptom of Candida which worried me. So, I looked for natural remedies for Candida and came across the humble coconut. Much of the current research on coconut oil may be found on this site:
http://www.coconutoil.com/research.htm
So, the gist of this was that I started to take 3 tablespoons of coconut oil everyday. The results were astonishing. Not only did the jock itch disappear,my eczma disappeared, my bowel movements became more regular, I had less indigestion and I sleep more soundly now. I was so impressed, I now cook everything in virgin coconut oil - I think it is far more healthy than any processed vegetable oil on the market. I've since also learned that coconut oil has been used in baby food for the last 30 years and people in hospital with intestinal trauma have their food cooked in coconut oil as a matter of course. The only other natural remedy I take is Ted's Alkalizing Remedy (Lemon bicarb water) which is available elsewhere on this site.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Sara (The Beach) on 06/17/2016
Same here, but I can use Shea butter and it has given me great relief. Hope this helps.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Help Me :( (Toronto, Ontario) on 12/15/2011
★☆☆☆☆
I'm 16 years old going on 17 and I've had eczema my whole life. I've tried extra virgin coconut oil 100% natural and all. My eczema worsened by a lot!! I was so upset and depressed and this happened during my finals. I just don't understand how it worked for so many people but not for me. I feel like there's no hope. What's worse is that now I have keratosis pilaris all over my stomach and back.
I did this treatment for 1 month hoping and praying it will work. The result I got was eczema all over my body. I just wanted to die. Anyways, I'm just wondering where I went wrong. During that month I've applied Virgin Coconut Oil every day all the time and nothing else. It was actually really drying so I felt my skin was really dry even though I put Virgin Coconut Oil like 45 mins ago. Can I apply moisturiser after I apply vco? After my eczema 'magically disapears' do I continue applying Virgin Coconut Oil or stop?
Can someone please tell me exactly what they did and made it work? It will mean the world to me. Thanks
Coconut Oil
Posted by boo (florida) on 09/14/2022
★★★★★
coconut oil really works for soothing my eczema!
Coconut Oil
Posted by Patty (Pembroke, Virginia) on 08/09/2007
★★★★★
Hi, i wanted to let everyone know i have spent 9 years of my life going to the doctors for skin yeast on my legs, every cream, steroids, soaps , lotions, etc. and pure coconut oil has healed them in 2 weeks! i take 3 capsules a day , plus rub the oil on my legs. it is a wonder drug for yeast. i use it on my face and all over. i am 53 but look 43. it stops the itch -which will drive you insane. try it and good luck!
Coconut Oil
Posted by Bonnie (USA) on 03/01/2006
★★★★★
It is the only thing that gets rid of my daughter's eczema and mine. In fact mine was really bad when I was pregnant and it was the only relief I found. I used to take primrose oil internally -- that really helped, but it never offered any immediate relief. When she was about 2 months she got a bad flare up on her forehead and it cleared it within days. As a side note lice was going around the school and my boys came home with it. She never got it (I think it was the smell of coconut oil) & they always put their hats on her head.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Caitlin (Austin, Tx) on 01/12/2012
Hi, Help Me! Your thread really stayed on my mind. I have a young niece (20) who also has eczema ruining her skin since she was about 4 years old - about the time she started eating junk food, particularly her favorites, pizza and ice cream!
Recently she went on a cleansing type diet... No grains, milk, SUGAR, or plain & diet sodas (just water). She stuck to cooked meat & fish, raw fruits, veggie drinks, and cooked vegetables. She used meat oils; not butter or grain based vegetable oils. The differance in her skin in one week was astounding! Her eczema began clearing by the fourth day. In a week it was just small patches on her stomach and arms and behind her knees. She was soooo excited.
Then, on the 9th day, she went to a friend's birthday party and had pizza and beer. The next morning, the eczema was back, full force. She now believes food sensitivities are the culprit of her chronic eczema and tries to keep away from milk, grains, sugar and her eczema is minimal when she does not eat these foods regularily. But, it is very hard for her as all her friends are junk food junkies.
I relate this to you because you may be eating many things that are not good for your body to process; that keep your skin in a state of inflammation. And, unlike some young people, you may be more sensitive to certain, common foods. I wholly recommend that you find out what those foods are.
I must say, the most beautiful young girl I had ever seen was in a FuDr.. Cker's hamburger joint. I joke not when I say that this young lady had a healthy aura around her that glowed. Looking about 18, she had clear, beautiful skin, very clear blue eyes, & thick beautiful, shiny hair. I decided to watch what she ate. She sat down with a full hamburger and immediately discarded the bread. She wrapped the meat, tomatoes and onions in lettuce leaves and ate this makeshift sandwhich with a few french fries. She drank 2 glasses of water. Her boyfriend, who had medium acne on his cheeks, ate the full hamburger with fries and strawberry malt. Although young, this girl had figured it out - "we look what we eat. '
So I say to you , clean out your system and start over. Find the foods that keep you healthy and discard those that don't. It's simple but hard to do. Depends on how badly you want it. Peace out, & love! Cat
Coconut Oil
Posted by Cat (Tauranga, New Zealand) on 12/17/2011
Are you using the coconut oil topically or internally? As with most health problems these days, they are best cured from the inside - out. Rubbing it on your skin will help but it's best to keep up with the good oils in your diet, that's probably what you're missing. Try the oil pulling with the coconut oil also, it is the miracle treatment!
Coconut Oil
Posted by Katy (Portland, Oregon) on 10/02/2007
★★★★★
My friend used it on her 6 month old baby eczema and swears it is the best thing she has tried, and it is also food grade and is ok when he has his feet in his mouth. i have used it on my baby as an all over body oil and it helps keep her skin soft and smelling good. we both used it on babies for cradle cap. I also use it on myself as an all over body oil.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Jay (Chicago, IL) on 08/04/2006
★★★★★
1 TBS daily of oral supplementation has helped by facial eczema and atopic dermatitis. I have become immediately convinced that Coconut oil is nothing short of a miracle remedy for the skin and immune system. I was suffering from weekly eczema outbreaks on the face, and within 4 days of using 3 tablespoons daily and dabbing it with vitamin E oil, I noticed an almost immediate improvement. The itching and redness stopped, and the inflammation was way down. I would strongly urge ANYONE who suffers from this condition to try it, because in my opinion, there is nothing else like it on the planet.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Maya (Hawaii, US) on 03/26/2015
Does it have to be Virgin Coconut Oil? Can I use regular coconut oil?
Coconut Oil
Posted by Stonefieldsian (Auckland, New Zealand) on 11/27/2012
Can you be more detail..... how many spoons to take or just apply topical? Thanks.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Che (Roxas City, Philippines) on 07/26/2008
To Emma of New Zealand: The reaction that VCO has gotten to your face is just a natural reaction as VCO is known for its natural antibiotic. Physician's usually prescribes to use the antibiotic for 7 days. Allow a day for your face to rest by instead pitting an eggwhite on your skin and chin, then the next day continue your VCO and observe the reaction.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Kay (Toronto, Canada) on 11/30/2007
★☆☆☆☆
Hi everyone. I've been ingesting and using 100% pure organic coconut oil since October 2007. I have excema and keratosis pilaris. I've found that my keratosis has gotten better, practicaly non existent, but my excema has worsened. I find that it is drying on my skin and I would need to keep moisturizing constantly throughout the day which is no good. Not sure if that is just because of the cleansing properties of the coconut oil and the toxins are just making their way out of my system or not .. but my excema has definitely not improved. in fact, i've developed a whole new kind of rash. kind of a blistery raised looking rash. I had to switch back to using Aveeno on my skin and just ingesting the coconut oil. Has this happened to anyone else?? Should I be drinking more water? I only take a teaspoon of the oil a day and drink aloe vera juice as well, twice a day. should I just continue to take the oil and put it on my skin?
Coconut Oil
Posted by Jamie T (Ct) on 02/10/2016
Keratosis pillaris is directly linked to gluten sensitivity as well as eczema. Since you have both I would definitely look into removing it from your diet and see what happens. This info is only from a lot of experience and a best friend who suffered keratosis pillaris and was told by her dr to remove gluten. It took a few months to see results and you have to be all or nothing when it comes to dietary sensitivities or allergies, but it may be worth a shot! Best of luck.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Liz (Nairobi, Kenya) on 09/18/2007
★★★★★
My 8 month old son has had eczema since he was four months old. I have tried many prescription creams that did not seem to work or worked for only a few days. A friend asked me to try coconut oil. Its worked miracles. I got results in a day. There was no itching and the dry patches were gone. I now make sure to keep a bottle in the house all the time. I have also noticed that water and soap worsen eczema, so when he has it, I avoid them on the patches and use the oil instead.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Janet (Morayfield, Queensland) on 05/19/2007
★★★★★
I have suffered from skin ailments all my life. I had heard about coconut oil but it seemed too simple an idea to really work, and I had tried every remedy, scientific and natural, under the sun and nothing ever worked. So after reading all the latest hype about coconut oil I decided "why not?' Well, sometimes I wish wasn't such a sceptic and then I might have tried it years ago. How it works I don't know but after less than a week of applying it twice a day my rash had cleared up, the redness and itching was gone, and has stayed gone despite the fact that I have stopped using my usual prescription anti-inflammatory cream. The kind I use is the extra virgin pure coconut oil made without chemical processes. I'm now taking it orally too.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Kim (Wheaton, IL) on 02/26/2007
★☆☆☆☆
Coconut Oil and ACV did NOT help my son's eczema. He has had terrible eczema/dermatitis all of his life. He is 13 years old now and the older he gets the worse it gets...especially in winter. As I looked for alternative treatments, I read the feedbacks on this website and tried the coconut oil and ACV. Neither worked and the Coconut oil seemed to make it worse. It was the Organic virgin oil. I'm glad it worked for some people but did not help my son. Thanks.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Amy (Reeseville, WI) on 02/11/2006
★★★★★
I use coconut oil half and half with butter to make my cookies or if the recipe calls for shortening, I use all coconut oil. It also cleared up eczema for me and my son. You can add it to bath water just a tablespoon or two. It works great.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Caitlin (Austin, Tx) on 12/26/2011
Mornings: Clean your face with the coconut oil and a warm cotton pad. Then, make a loose paste with baking soda and water in your clean hands and GENTLY message all over the face; let it sit for 1-3 minutes or until dry; rinse with cold water. Gently pat dry.
Before Bed: Follow same procedure but when done, message a very small amount of Balmex over the face (never on eyes). This should alliviate your eczema problem as it did mine in 2 wks.. Be patient. Also, eliminate what can cause eczema in the first place. Prime culprits are wheat, milk, and sugar.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Leslie (New Castle, Pa) on 12/15/2011
Help Me :( from Toronto, Ontario,
Try Nixoderm. I am using it for perioral dermatitis (a suggestion from someone on this site) and it is working. I did some googling and I've read that eczema sufferers have found relief with it. I had to buy mine on ebay it came from the UK. It was cheap. I paid $1 for two small tins (you only need to use sparingly). The shipping was $6.00 since I live in the US. Nixoderm has been around for 40 years. If you go on acne.org and view the message boards there is positive feedback with using Nixoderm for eczema. Hope this helps. God bless.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Pam (Charlotte, Nc) on 12/15/2011
Not sure if you have heard much about Hydrogen Peroxide or not but I just started taking it this week for a rash that I have had on my hands for over two years. I had been to my doctor several times and was prescribed several creams but nothing worked. I have been taking the 35% food grade Hydro for only 4 days and my rash is completely dried up!! I would also purchase the book, The One- Minute Cure!! Hope this helps!!!
Coconut Oil
Posted by Jen (Bozeman, Mt, Us) on 12/15/2011
Are you sure that you have eczema and not something else? I was diagnosed with eczema when I was about 2 years old and treated for it for about 10 years. The treatments never worked and finally when I was about 12 or 13 I was told it wasn't eczema but psoriasis. That was when the treatments started working. Either way you need to make sure you are taking in enough fat like coconut oil internally first. Your body cannot produce the right amount of moisturizer if you are not eating the right fats.
Young girls especially tend to stay away from fats but that is a big mistake when you have skin issues. I would try 1 to 2 teaspoons of coconut oil on your toast or in you coffee (if you drink it). Then make sure you are getting enough omega 3's from either flax oil or fish oil capsules. The other thing you can try is D3 internally and externally. I take D3 capsules and then I apply a D3 oil to each patch of dry skin when I get break outs (which I haven't for many years now that I take all of the above internally).
I know how difficult it is to go through when you are so young. I remember wishing I had a much less obvious illness rather than one that everyone could see, unless I wore a turtleneck and pants all the time (I lived in Sunny California so not an option). Good luck.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Andi (Indonesia) on 01/11/2015
I'm wondering do you do the elimination diet or just drink the coconut oil?
Can you eat everything right now? Without having a flare again?
Coconut Oil
Posted by Eczema (Singapore) on 09/27/2011
I heard a lot about extra virgin coconut oil for eczema and I decided I wanted to try it myself. I've had eczema for nearly my whole life and I just want my suffering to end. I have a few questions. I'll be grateful if anyone can answer:
1. Does taking VCO orally cure eczema or do I have to apply it to the skin. Which way is faster?
2. How many weeks or days did it take for it to work for you?
3. Is there a certain diet I have to follow or can I just eat normally?
Thanks so much. Hope it works!!
Coconut Oil
Posted by Gretchen (Bothell, Wa / Usa) on 03/08/2012
Trying to find products to help with eczema for folks allergic to Coconut in any form is a nightmare! Would like to see companies list coconut on ingredient labels as simply "coconut" the 40 chemical names it's listed under is a real pain! Help for fellow sufferers your pharmacist can help decode labels if you ask them.
Coconut oil is in most every soap (cleaning product) on the market including laundry soap! I encourage folks with eczema to try a very small spot test before commiting to large quantities of it.
I recently spent time in an ER for having had my bedding laundried in Seventh Generation laundry soap. I woke looking like a cabbage patch doll!
Coconut Oil
Posted by Sara (Mesa, Az) on 12/30/2009
A few years ago I was diagnosed with eczema on my face. It would appear in patches or on my eyelids. When I finally got the proper diagnosis, the doc gave me some topical steroids (which I barely used cause it seemed a bit harsh) and told me to buy a bar of soap. I think it has zinc and some other ingredients in it. The bar saved my face!
The coconut oil might not be working because my doc explained the type of eczema like this: your face might be oily or dry, but either way there will be some oil on your skin. Your body might start producing more oil based on hormone changes. The excess oil clogs the pores and the cycle begins. It seems kind of counter intuitive, cause my face never seemed oily, just dry. The coconut oil might just be adding more oil to the problem.
One the other hand, coconut oil has saved my feet. I actually have another kind of eczema on my feet. Cocount oil is the only thing I've found so far that will keep it at bay.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Alinzer (Port Matilda, Pa) on 12/28/2009
Emma from New Zealand - The rash you are describing on your face could be a sign of Lupus - please see your doctor and take that into account if necessary. Best Wishes. Alinzer, a veterinary science writer
Coconut Oil
Posted by Emma (South Island, New Zealand) on 07/24/2008
I have using vco on my face as i have very sensitive skin around my chin and get acne there, although my spots are seeming at bay the rest of my skin on my face seems to be coming out in a kind of red rash with little itchy raised bumps around th bridge of my nose etc.and my skin seems so dry and flaky, i wonder if its cleansing properties are just too strong for regular use on my skin. has anyone else experienced this reaction? Have only been using for about 5 days morn and night.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Concerned (Canada) on 11/25/2015
Try using it with petroleum Jelly.This combination is working wonders for my two month old daughter with severe eczema.
Coconut Oil
Posted by J Ayers (USA) on 03/21/2006
★☆☆☆☆
well it has helped my hair from being so dry. tried it on my skin for eczema but it has not cleared it up. i use spectrum coconut oil -- maybe i need a different brand.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Liz (Boston, Massachusetts) on 09/28/2011
I wrote a post about a week ago regarding the trial/error and finally, success in treating my daughter's chronic eczema - eczema that in the course of ten years, no dermatologist could help clear up. (And the prescribed steroids offered only minimal and temporary results.)
Here's what worked:
- A container of yogurt (we used Dannon vanilla) every morning, followed by a fish oil capsule.
- Another fish oil capsule before bed.
If this method is going to work for you, you will notice a significant improvement within a week and 100% improvement in the weeks following.
My daughter's eczema has been completely *cured* with this method. She just turned eighteen and I haven't seen her skin look this clear and beautiful since she was a toddler! It's truly amazing. She is absolutely thrilled - no more wearing long sleeves in the summer due to embarrassment of her eczema-laden arms.
I have done a ton of research over the years and tried many different natural methods and combination of methods hoping to finally rid her of her eczema curse, and the method above did the trick! It's convenient. It's easy. And it works!
I hope it works as well for you. Please keep us posted, as I'm very curious (and excited) to see if it cures someone else. Good luck! :)
Coconut Oil
Posted by Merryanne (Orange City, Florida, Usa) on 06/09/2010 113 posts
Please check your childs foods by reading all lables and besure that none of them containe soy,,,research on your computer by google 'toxic soy research report' I would take the toddler off milk for 2 to 5 days and give fresh juice with half water for drinking, try to cook all your food you self using fresh or frozen vegtables and fresh fruit, make your own bread from whole grains flour,,,cook oat meal your self and serve with cinnamon and honey, this is part of a whole foods diet that will eliminate all or part of the chemicals and preservatives that are in all your quick fixes that you buy at the store, try baking some good sweet potatoes in the oven at 400 untill the skins are 1/2 inch drawn up,,take out an skin them, slice cross-wise let cool till only warm and cover lightly with fresh local honey, the baby might like it,,,eating honey will help your body over come some allergies. I do hope this will help and give you some heathful hints. I have grandkids that this has helped,,it is not easy,,but the fast food industry is making a lot of people sick with the chemicals in the food.
Merryanne
Coconut Oil
Posted by Perldark (Toano, Va, Usa) on 11/03/2011
Coconut Oil
Posted by Marietta (Montpelier, Vermont) on 03/29/2007
★★★★★
Virgin Coconut Oil: My teenage son had raw, red and cracked skin where the ear meets the head. I remembered reading somewhere that VCO cures eczema, so I spread some on the backs of his ears after he showered. Amazingly, the very next day (after only ONE application) they were completely healed; no raw, red, no cracks! We also eat it often, on popcorn, straight off the spoon and in stir-fries. Yum!!!
Coconut Oil
Posted by Kyle (Jacksonville, Florida) on 01/25/2009
Spectrum coconut oil sells both refined and unrefined. Regardless of brand, make sure you only buy the organic unrefined VCO.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Anon (Rancho Santa Margarita, California) on 09/05/2012
For those who did not benefit from coconut oil try taking it internally and applying Shea butter to your skin I recently experienced a great relief using Shea butter on my itching feet.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Kikifish (Hayward, Ca) on 06/08/2010
I tried having my 22 month old son take the ACV mix with apple juice, and it seems stop his eczema on his body, but he still have patches on his forehead and his scalp. I wonder if I can use the coconut oil as moisturizer? I am using vaseline right now, and it gets really greasy that he hates it. He has open two patch of broken skin last almost for 6 months now. It is really heart broken seeing his baby skin constantly looking red, watery and bloody. He scratches his face and scalp like the monkey in the zoo. Any suggestion anyone??
Coconut Oil
Posted by Maureen (CT) on 08/22/2024
★★★★★
I soaked a small piece of cotton flannel in coconut oil and used it to cover a patch of eczema on my hand. Then I put on two cotton gloves to keep the flannel in place and added a vinyl glove on top, which I only wore for some of the time. I kept it on for a 2-3 days for the majority of the day and night.
After a couple days, the top layer of skin started peeling. The skin underneath was softer and smoother, no longer eczema but still reddish and dry. It's been a few days since the peeling and my skin is healing and looking better every day.
Note: when it got itchy, I rubbed a little borax (dry) on it. This also seemed to help the peeling.
Coconut Oil
Posted by anna (london) on 10/18/2023
Hi Mil,
Which brand of coconut oil did you use?
Thank you
Coconut Oil
Posted by Vania (Clarksville, Tennessee, Usa) on 03/03/2011
★★★★☆
Harold, several months have passed since you posted about your experience with Oil Pulling for Eczema, so you may have discovered this remedy already. Have you tried Organic Coconut Oil?
I had a very bad case on my arms (I'd never had it there before) for several months. Several months before, I had searched the internet for home remedies for Eczema, hoping to find a treatment for my back. Coconut Oil was a recurring theme, but I really didn't expect it to help me. Finally, after my arms got really bad, in desperation I went to my local health food store to buy it. I bought it on a Monday (this was about 3 years ago), and ate a tablespoon of it that night. On Tuesday I ate three tablespoons. On Wednesday evening, it occurred to me that it might work even better if I put it on the affected areas, too. By Saturday, all of the eczema was gone. Really.
I still have eczema on my back, because I don't usually make the time to reach it well. And I'm inconsistent in my intake. I've lived with eczema nearly all my life, so I'm used to it, and my skin is scarred in several places because of it. But, whenever I get really sick of it, I know I can depend on Coconut Oil's healing powers.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Shaun (York, Uk) on 06/09/2010
Try gently rubbing in a 50/50 Milk of Magnesia mix. If that works you could also bath the baby in dilute Sodium Carbonate (Washing Soda). Try it on yourself first. I would suggest 2/3 cups of washing soda in an adult bath first. To neutralise the washing soda after bathing you could sprinkle a 50/50 ACV and water mix. After drying you could then rub in the coconut oil.
