Coconut oil has long been considered a “cure-all,” and is a great beauty staple that can be used for myriad things—including skin- and hair-care treatments. The truth is, it’s a wonderfully moisturizing ingredient used in plenty of beauty products and skin care routines, and also works really well on its own.
New York City-based board-certified dermatologist, Robert Finney, M.D., who tells Allure US that “Given its composition, coconut oil serves as a great moisturizer, plus some of the fatty acids contained in it, like lauric acid, have antimicrobial effects that can help fight bacterial, viral, and fungal pathogens.”
And there’s another reason coconut oil makes such a good moisturizer, according to cosmetic chemist Kelly Dobos. “Coconut oil is solid just below room temperature, which we chemists define as 77 degrees, but melts easily when warmed with hands and easily melts into skin with massaging,” she explains. Dobos says that it’s less messy to apply when it’s in a semisolid state, so if you’re looking to use straight coconut oil for skin care, it’s best to store it away from heat. Click here to read the full article.
