Replied By Rainman (Central, Vt, Usa) on 06/02/2010

I have Keratosis Pilaris Rubra and have been using VCO for the past few weeks. However, I have not applied it nearly as much as you. What I have found that works really well with my skin condition is to not use soap on the affected areas. No soap at all! I know there are really good organic/natural soaps out there. But, I have simply replaced soap with apple cider vinegar for these bad skin areas.

This is what I do: Before I get in the shower, I spray a 50/50 solution of ACV and filtered water all over my skin and pat it dry with a CLEAN towel (if needed). Once my skin is completely dry, I apply a thick layer of VCO and really rub it in. Of course, this is really oily looking, so I jump in the shower and continue to work it in with the warm water. After I get out of the shower I use another clean towel to pat myself dry. It doesn't take much toweling because the oil makes the water beed right off. I have only done this a few times so far about every 3 days. So far... my skin is really starting to look better than it has in years (since as long as I can remember). The bumps are smoothing out and the redness is fading. Suprisingly, I do not have the body odor I used to have when I was constantly using soap.

I have read that a lot if not most of these skin conditions are somehow related to stuff you eat.... In many cases, it comes down to gluten and dairy as the main culprits. My wife has suffered with psoriasis for years and we are just now starting to realize all of the possible poisons we have been feeding ourselves. So, possibly take a look at your diet to see if you can improve it. For instance, starting next week... I am going to try an experiment. I am only going to eat RAW food (especially no gluten/dairy) for a few weeks and see how I feel. I have an idea that it's probably going to be a life changing experience. But, we'll see. :)

Replied By Jimjim (Central Alabama) on 10/06/2014

Replied By Sonam (New York, Ny) on 04/12/2015

I have eczema (I've had it since I was a baby), and I recently had a flare-up after consuming too much dairy and gluten for a period of 2+ months. I started using coconut oil on my eczema patches, and I had the same experience as you -- my skin got worse (a lot worse, actually, because it literally looked like it was peeling and getting even more inflamed than before). But the main thing to realize is that this is SUPPOSED to happen when you use a natural substance like VCO. It works by drawing out toxins through your elimination organs, and for a lot of people - especially those with prior skin abnormalities - the way those toxins come out is through the skin. Hence the temporary worsening of symptoms. My skin got way worse for a little over a week, as my skin condition was pretty severe, so the healing took longer than it would for most people. But once that week passed, it was clear as day. No redness, no dryness, no itching. I noticed it recently started to get worse again, but that's because I've been lenient with my diet over the past 2 weeks, so I plan to get back on my strict dairy-free, gluten-free, sugar-free meal plan.

Anyway, the main point is that yes, it's normal, and even encouraged, for your condition to get worse before it gets better, as this is a sign that deeper internal cleansing is occurring. Good luck!

Replied By Peg F. (Virginia) on 02/16/2023

In any case, it may actually be a good sign although it is very unpleasant. In fact, I came to this site today to look for a way to flush out lymph. I'm going to try coconut oil internally and externally and see what happens.