Benefits of Coconut Oil for Skin Rash and How to Use It

Here's how to use coconut oil as a natural treatment to get some relief from your rash.

Skin rashes can be persistent and seriously unpleasant, distracting you from your day with uncomfortable burning, itching sensations. While there are various drugstore medications available to treat rashes, you can also use coconut oil as a natural treatment to get some relief from your rash. Keep reading to find out more about the causes of skin rashes, and how to treat rashes with coconut oil!

What causes skin rashes

• Reactions to harsh chemicals

When sensitive skin comes into contact with certain chemicals (especially synthetic fragrances and detergents), it can break out into a rash. If you can’t figure out what’s causing your skin rash, ask yourself if you’ve recently used any new skin care products, soaps, or laundry detergents. Consider switching out conventional products for gentle, natural alternatives.

• Allergic reactions to food

Food allergies and sensitivities can also cause skin rashes. Try keeping track of what you’ve eaten on the days you get rashes in a journal in order to discover what might be causing the reaction. Some common culprits include eggs, gluten, nuts, dairy, sesame, and seafood.

• High histamine diet

Some people may experience skin rashes because their immune systems can’t cope with the amount of high histamine foods they eat. If you’re not sure what’s causing your skin rash, consider trying a low histamine diet to see if it eliminates your symptoms.

• Fungal infections

In some cases, skin rashes may be caused by fungal skin infections. If you think this might be the case, make sure to seek medical advice in order to avoid spreading or worsening the infection.

In addition to these common types of skin rashes, there are chronic skin rashes such as eczema (known as atopic dermatitis) which can affect people throughout their lives. We recommend consulting a dermatologist about chronic skin conditions in order to get the best possible course of treatment. If you’re interested in using natural and home remedies, you can ask your dermatologist which ones might be appropriate for your skin type.

Benefits of coconut oil for skin rashes

Coconut oil is a beloved ingredient in cooking, baking, and DIY skin care. But how can it help to treat your skin rash?

• Anti-fungal properties

Coconut has anti-fungal properties, which can help your skin to fight off fungal infections.

• Anti-inflammatory properties

Virgin coconut oil also has anti-inflammatory properties that can help to soothe irritated skin. Coconut oil can help to tone down the redness, puffiness, itchiness, and pain associated with skin rashes.

• Moisturizing properties

As a powerful moisturizer that’s rich in Omega-3 fatty acid, coconut oil can help to strengthen your skin’s defenses at the cellular level. Omega-3 fats help to strengthen your cell membranes, making it harder for irritants to compromise your skin’s health.

The soothing properties of coconut oil are powerful enough to relieve some eczema symptoms, when it’s used properly. If you’re not sure if coconut oil is the right treatment for your skin, we recommend consulting a dermatologist.

How to use coconut oil for skin rashes

You can safely treat most types of skin rashes with our DIY coconut oil rash healing balm. This balm combines the soothing properties of coconut oil with three other rash-busting ingredients:

• Cocoa butter

The polyphenols in cocoa butter have been shown to fight skin conditions, promoting healthy skin.

• Aloe vera

Aloe vera will help to relieve itchiness and redness while healing your skin.

• Tea tree oil (optional)

Tea tree oil will help to eliminate harmful fungi.

When selecting your ingredients, try to opt for cold-pressed, high-quality, organic products in order to ensure that they make the maximum impact for your skin. When you’re shopping for coconut oil or any of the other ingredients on this list, steer clear of products that contain excessive filler ingredients, especially artificial dyes and fragrances. They might further irritate your skin.

To make our DIY healing balm, combine 1 teaspoon of coconut oil, 1 tablespoon of cocoa butter, and ½ tablespoon of aloe vera gel. Add 2-4 drops of tea tree oil, and stir the ingredients together until they’re evenly combined. Store your DIY balm in a sterilized jar. You can keep it in the refrigerator for about two weeks.

To use our healing balm, first rinse your skin with warm water and pat it completely dry. When you have a rash, it’s important to keep your skin as dry as possible, especially if there’s a chance that the rash is due to a fungal infection. Apply about a teaspoon of the balm to the affected area, or enough to lightly cover the rash without making your skin too moist. Gently dab the balm into your skin, and blot away any excess if you’ve applied too much. Allow the balm to sink into your skin under open air for at least 20 minutes. Then cover the affected area with clothing. We recommend using this balm once per day to see the best results.

Precautions for different skin types

• Sensitive skin

If you have sensitive skin, we recommend skipping the tea tree oil. Tea tree oil is an effective treatment for fungus, but it can irritate sensitive skin, and may even cause rashes to worsen.

• Oily skin

As miraculous as coconut oil may be, it does have an unfortunate potential to clog our pores. This makes coconut oil bad news for people with oily, acne-prone skin, for whom clogged pores may already be an issue. If you have oily or acne-prone skin, we recommend swapping out the coconut oil in our DIY balm for a soothing, non-comedogenic oil. Jojoba oil or olive oil are good options.

Coconut oil can help to soothe and heal some skin rashes, but it may not be the perfect natural remedy for everyone. To help your body recover from your rash, you could also try drinking apple cider vinegar with warm water each morning, eating plenty of garlic, and getting the right amount of vitamin C. If your skin rash persists for more than a couple of days, we recommend consulting a dermatologist or another medical professional in order to get to the root cause.