Eczema

Coconut Oil for Eczema

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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.

Maureen (CT) on 08/22/2024:
5 out of 5 stars

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.

boo (florida) on 09/14/2022:
5 out of 5 stars

coconut oil really works for soothing my eczema!

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Jmilicia (Austin, Texas) on 06/19/2011:
5 out of 5 stars

Coconut Oil for Scalp Eczema

My daughter has eczema on her scalp it gets really red, dry and flaky we had tried everything under the sun and nothing helped. About a year ago I read an article about Organic Coconut Oil and it did the trick, I take a good amount of Coconut Oil and rub it deeply into her scalp and she sleeps with it on over night and her scalp problems are solved for at least 3-4 weeks. I apply this at least once a month and not only does it help with the eczema but her hair looks shiny and healthy. Hope this helps.

Barbara (Aiken, South Carolina) on 06/03/2017:
5 out of 5 stars

Coconut Oil gave quick relief to Eczema:

I want to report quick relief for itchy eczema. There are clear, little bubbles between my fingers on the left hand only, so it could be a contact issue. Yesterday I increased my intake of organic apple cider vinegar, but last night I applied organic coconut oil to my left hand at bedtime. This morning the itch has stopped and healing is happening. I will be continuing both the ACV and the coconut oil.

Mil (Tx) on 02/16/2017:
5 out of 5 stars

For Eczema: Use extra virgin coconut oil for all your cooking/ for all salad dressings/for all oil needs for one month. Please do not use any other oil in this month. Watch the miracle with your own eyes.

My daughter who has severe eczema got healed within a few weeks. I shared this with another mom whose daughter has similar condition. She got healed too. Nothing you to loose. Please try it. Eczema made my daughter's life hell and our family's too. Coconut oil is a blessing for us.

Fungus Free (Atlanta, Ga) on 08/10/2016:
5 out of 5 stars

I've been using coconut oil for about 7 months to help cure my eczema and it actually worked. I had eczema on my wrist and around the inside of my legs, close to my knees. The eczema had turned my skin very dark patches, it would itch horribly, and left my skin feeling very hard /rough. I started using the oil and noticed that it alleviated the itching & the darkness started to cease; also, my skin was returning to its original state of softness. The eczema is completely gone now. However, I'm still using it, to see if it will continue lightening the darker spots on my legs.

I also have a nail fungus that I have been trying to get rid of for over 15 years and decided to use the oil on my nail. I've only been using the oil on my nails for around 2 weeks and I can see a huge difference already. I trimmed the nail down as much as I could and started applying the oil to the nail twice a day and I really would love for you all to see the difference in my nail bed. It was raised, which was very noticeable, and now the nail bed is much flatter. I have attached a before and after picture. I am very impressed with what coconut oil has done for me. I will continue to use it, because it's natural, it's great for the skin, it cures, and it has no side affects.

EC: Sorry, our image uploader only allows 1 photo per post. Please upload your other photo. We would love to see it!

Mia (Minneapolis, Mn) on 06/17/2016:
1 out of 5 stars

I have acute and chronic eczema. According to blood tests I am allergic to coconut, so folks, it's not a cure all. Be sure it works for YOUR body.

Greesh (Seattle, Wa) on 08/22/2013:
5 out of 5 stars

My 5 year old daughter had very bad eczema for three years. I tried all kinds of natural remedies but nothing seemed to help. I accidentally discovered that cooking with organic extra virgin coconut oil and eliminating all other oils from diet had a miraculous effect. My daughter skin got cleared within a month.

Engaginearth (Lubbock, Tx) on 02/23/2013:
5 out of 5 stars

Coconut Oil worked perfectly for me. I developed Eczema out of no where. I used other things that sorta worked and every time I used over the counter products the eczema always came back and not only that it came back worse. I had these rashes all over my arms and it was embarassing. So with a little research I heard about Coconut Oil so I figured I had nothing to lose. Needless to say it worked within days and not only that it never returned and best of all it's organic and no freaking steroids or harmful chemicals like all that other otc drugs and harmful prescriptions. I now use the oil just as an everyday lotion.

Mark (Devon, UK) on 01/28/2013:
4 out of 5 stars

Hi stonefieldsian, my son just applied it to his affected areas several times daily, maybe 2 -5 times or when he thought about it, he also ate it several times each day, no set schedule just as and when he remembered but probably a small dollop on a spoon 2 -4 times daily, he also started eating a little better including a few more apples, when I last saw him I noticed his skin is still very much better than it used to be but it is still a little red in some areas so not completely cured but def. Much better. I think he still eats too much junk and drinks too much beer! I hope this helps

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Mark (Newton Abbot, Devon Uk) on 11/26/2012:
5 out of 5 stars

Coconut oil has cleared my 24 year old son of eczema, he has been using it for around 3-4 weeks so far, I had not seen him much in this time, this weekend he came to visit and hardly a trace of eczema anywhere, needless to say he is extremely pleased, to date I have had him try tea tree oil, banana skin, olive oil salt water, apple diet, diet changes, and countless other natural remedies, one thing that may have helped him is that as I am an hypnotherapist a couple of months ago I finally got him to agree to a few sessions of stress/anxiety reduction along with visualisation of healing and positive preferred future outcomes, this so far along with the coconut oil has provided the most positive and beneficial results, he intends to use it permanently as his skin now looks so soft and healthy.

Help Me :( (Toronto, Ontario) on 12/15/2011:
1 out of 5 stars

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

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Brian (Pittsfield, Ma) on 10/17/2011:
5 out of 5 stars

Coconut Oil started helping after a couple days and has gotten better and better after almost 2 weeks.

Vania (Clarksville, Tennessee, Usa) on 03/03/2011:
4 out of 5 stars

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.

Vania (Clarksville, Tennessee, Usa) on 02/20/2011:
5 out of 5 stars

I was first diagnosed with Eczema when I was 9 years old, and it has truly been a plague. Over the years my mother took me to several doctors on a fruitless search for relief. I found one doctor who was successful, but it is inconvenient to see him regularly, because his office is an hour away from my home. My mother taught me to appreciate natural remedies, but we could not always afford them, and we never found anything natural that brought relief until now.

About 3 1/2 years ago, I was able to take my dream trip to Italy. However, right before my trip, I had a horrible outbreak of eczema on my arms (I'd never had it there before), due to some stress involved with making the trip. Nothing helped. When I returned home, I started researching "Home Remedies for Eczema" on the internet (Oh! I LOVE THE INTERNET SO MUCH!! ) and discovered Earth Clinic (I love you, too! ). Many people reported being relieved of Eczema through the ingestion of Coconut Oil. I was afraid it wouldn't help me (yeah, I'm a bit of a skeptic). After about 4 months of misery, I was desperate enough to check my local health food store. I chose one of the several (pricey) brands available and immediately starting taking 2-3 tablespoons per day. I began on Monday. On Wednesday of that week, it occurred to me that I would see greater benefits by putting it on the affected areas, as well. By Saturday, all of my Eczema was gone! ALL OF IT!

I work with the public, and every time I see Eczema, I get personal and tell the person about how it helped me (yeah, they think I'm weird, but I hope it helps someone, especially the poor babies. I see so many babies who have it.).

I'm pretty inconsistent in my use of it, so I do get flare-ups from time to time. And it doesn't seem to keep Eczema from my face, which is accustomed to years of Hydrocortisone. However, whenever I remember that the reason my arms are broken out again is lack of Coconut Oil, I get the same rapid results.

I am 41 years old, on the short slide to 42, and people are regularly shocked to learn my age, thinking that I am 10 or more years younger. This is in spite of several health problems, which cause me to be overweight, wheezy and to limp and creak at times. Thanks again, Earth Clinic, for useful information, provided freely. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Kelly (Denver, Co, Usa) on 08/30/2010:
5 out of 5 stars

I used virgin coconut oil on my face where I had eczema patches. In 2 days the eczema was completely gone. I tried everything, steroid cream, aloe vera, ACV, vaseline. Nothing seemed to really help, but the coconut oil worked within hours. Amazing.

Agnes (Seattle, Wa) on 06/22/2010:
1 out of 5 stars

I'm in my forties and have had eczema for about 10 years. I am in the midst of a bad flare up on my arms and face. I tried using virgin, organic coconut oil on my skin but it didn't help at all. I put on liberal amounts to the affected areas @five times a day for 2 straight days. I had to abandon it as the skin was getting worse and the flare up out of control. The coconut oil was just not enough moisture for my severely dried out, itchy skin. I would have liked to try it longer but could not let the flare up get any worse or I might lose my mind completely. I resorted back to more traditional treatments. I have concerns about these products but the flare up is getting better now.So nay for me on coconut oil as a treatment for eczema. (A small silver lining is that I did try using the coconut oil in my hair, leaving it in overnight and washing it out the next day, and it worked well as a deep conditioner.)

Tracy (Phoenix, Arizona) on 10/28/2009:
5 out of 5 stars

I developed eczema (atopic dermatitis) as a result of intense exposure to allergens roughly 2.5 years ago. Several dermatologists and allergists were unable to offer anything beyond antihistimines and steroids. At one point I was taking 5 different antihistamines a day. I was so itchy and miserable I could barely function. But since I was awake for hours at night, I used the time to search the internet for possible answers/cures. Here is what ultimately worked for me: topical use of coconut oil several times a day (I actually make my own blend of coconut and olive oils now as well as a body butter by adding beeswax) and oral use of 1 evening primrose oil capsule per day (EPO contains GLA, which is good for eczema). I also try to cook with coconut oil and use it whenever possible instead of butter or olive oil. (Makes great popcorn.) It took over two years to figure this all out, but my eczema has been gone for two months now and I feel like a new/normal person without taking a bunch of drugs.

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Bill (Cedar Hills, UT) on 06/20/2009:
5 out of 5 stars

Coconut Oil healed daughter's mild excema

Since moving from Houston to Utah, my 7 yr old daughter has had a few bouts of mild excema, where the skin on her hands turned red, then purple, and got very dry, then grainy and started to look like what we called "mummy skin." It was frightful to my touch.

When it first appeared, we tried some Coconut oil on it. We would apply usually once every evening before she went to bed. Her hands showed noticeable improvement after several days. There was no trace of her condition after two weeks.

Since then, to make sure it wasn't a fluke, we tried other lotions and petroleum jelly when it reappears about every 6 months. They did not work. So we've gone back to using coconut oil the last two times her hands started showing that now-familiar appearance. We now apply it twice a day when we remember, and as before, there is no trace within 2 weeks.

Mo (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) on 12/30/2008:
5 out of 5 stars

I read this post at the beginning of December and decided to try VCO on my 1 1/2 year old's face. She started getting what seems like eczema since she was 3 1/2 months. I did not want to use cortisone etc. but it was "weeping" and itchy. It took a while but got better. However when ever she is teething it would return. I became uncomfortable with constantly using these creams as she is still so young and I try to stay relatively healthy - so why do this to my child. When I read this post I thought it won't hurt to try. It has been almost 4 weeks now and I am happy to say that the eczema is gone although one cheek still looks a bit red. She is not itching and she look just fine. It did take a while to work and I almost gave up because it looked worse before getting better. i used it twice per day. I have also decided to put some on her food and I only cook with VCO.Thanks a lot for posting - if I did not see this post I probably would have gone for the more speedy but unhealthy option. Thanks again.

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Katie (Palm Harbor, FL) on 12/03/2008:
5 out of 5 stars

My daughter Ava is 2 1/2 and has been fighting eczema since she was 3 months old. The only thing that worked for us was steroid cream. This was only short term relief and a new patch of eczema pops up in another place daily. We started rubbing the coconut oil on two weeks ago. It did not clear up right away and seemed really dry but I was persistent and applied it 3 times a day. The patch on her face that recieved more applications is completely healed. Her skin is soft and smooth. She still has some discoloration but the eczema is gone. The patches on her body which are covered with clothes are still dry but she is not itchy and I am sure in a few weeks that will healed as well. Thank god we read this website.

Katie

Emma (South Island, New Zealand) on 07/24/2008:
0 out of 5 stars

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.

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Kim (Montreal, Canada) on 05/17/2008:
5 out of 5 stars

Eczema: During many months, I had suffered from what seemed to be an incurable rash. It got worse during winter when the air was cold and dry. At that point, I also had chapped skin. I tried various things, but they were proven to be ineffective. I had searched for a cure for a while, then I found about coconut oil. Following a few guidelines, I stopped eating things that might have triggered my eczema (yeast from bread and such), and started eating food accompanied with coconut oil. I also put it on the affected areas. Within a few weeks, it was completely gone! I was relieved my stigma, that didn't seem to want to go away for a very long time, suddenly disappeared. I highly recommend virgin coconut oil!

Kay (Toronto, Canada) on 11/30/2007:
1 out of 5 stars

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?

Bill (San Fernando, Philippines) on 11/19/2007:
5 out of 5 stars

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.

Katy (Portland, Oregon) on 10/02/2007:
5 out of 5 stars

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.

Liz (Nairobi, Kenya) on 09/18/2007:
5 out of 5 stars

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.

Patty (Pembroke, Virginia) on 08/09/2007:
5 out of 5 stars

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!

Janet (Morayfield, Queensland) on 05/19/2007:
5 out of 5 stars

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.

Marietta (Montpelier, Vermont) on 03/29/2007:
5 out of 5 stars

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!!!

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Coconut Oil for Eczema