I have been going to the dermatologist every winter for skin cancer screening for years, since my parents have both had skin cancers removed and a fellow instructor at my gym died from melanoma at age 35.
I am fair skinned with freckles, blue eyes, a bottle blonde with naturally auburn hair. I have never really had a tan. My usual outdoor MO was slather on ridiculous amounts of sunscreen with as high an SPF as possible, wear a hat/visor, and hope stuff didn’t dribble down into my eyes from sweat or that I didn’t rub my eyes inadvertently. Always burned no matter what. At least one bad burn a year IN SPITE of this stupidly RIGID regimen (with very expensive Neutragena sunscreen I might add).
Last spring I was researching coconut oil as a replacement for skin moisturizer. I had been using almond oil for years with great results, my skin looks much younger than 38. With my new ideas of removing seed and nut oils and replacing with coconut oil or butter, I thought, “hmmmm, I’m absorbing Omega 6 via my skin, maybe I should cut that out too….. can I use coconut oil on my skin like I did with almond oil? Hmmm”. Curiouser and curiouser…
The answer is yes, and it’s great on my skin. (I actually think it is better than the almond oil. ) I began using it just like I did with the almond oil, using all over after bathing and showering, and in the evening for my face. As I mentioned in a previous post, I even use it as a deep conditioning treatment for my hair.
I put on way too much one morning, was working in the garden for supposedly only a few minutes, and before I knew it, I was out there all morning. NO SUNBURN. Hmmmmm, did a little more research, bought some books…. I read that in Polynesian islands, natives put coconut oil all over to protect from the sun, as well as skin, hair etc. Got me to thinkin’ and more readin’.
Simultaneously I had extreme Vit D deficiency. I was around 20, and the normal level is 32 or above. I was *supposed* to be taking supplements, but wasn’t. (Now I know that all my sunscreen use was BLOCKING MY VITAMIN D uptake from the sun. Ay yi yi…)
Anyway, decided to do a little experiment. I would do a weekend with no sunscreen, just coconut oil. I did not burn, I turned a light pink-brown. (I wish I had pictures! I will this summer) It’s not like I was bronze, just that I am so WHITE! I was hooked. I continued to put sunscreen on my daughter, because OMG what if I was letting her get skin cancer because of my dopey lil experiment?
I spent many days hiking and FULL days at the beach swimming and NO BURNS. Now, yes, I got pink, but no painful burns and the best part is that they all mellowed the next day into the slightest brown. For a white girl, that was just unbelievable!!!!!
End of August ’09, I had loads of bloodwork, and was in a mild panic as knowing that I hadn’t taken the Vit D prescription and thought, ugh, the doc is gonna be able to see that with the results. (My levels had gone from 20 in March ’09 to 22 in early June ’09.) My bloodwork came back and Vit D level was 45!!!!! after 7 weeks in the sun, no sunscreen.
As of November, my D was down to 35- wah! (So I started supplementing)
AND I went to the dermatologist for my screening…..Nothing. (And the nay-sayers will say “Nothing YET”) We’ll see about that. I am fully confident that my lifestyle (not just my eating) will keep me healthy and keep cancer genes from being expressed.
In years past I have had things removed and biopsied, not every year, but enough to freak me out. I was a little scared doing this experiment at first, because we are hammered with SUNSCREEN!! SLATHER it on or Die!!! Avoid the sun!! And “you’re a bad mommy if your kid has a sunburn. ” There is nothing more shameful than a glare or a tsk-tsk from someone who mumbles something about you “letting” your child get a sunburn. (But that’s another post.) Point is, we are constantly misled by the “experts” and then made to feel bad when we fail. Where else have we been misled by that kind of advice…. “Avoid fat! Eat healthy whole grains!! And you’re a bad mommy if your kid is fat!”
By the end of summer I felt it was unethical to keep putting sunscreen on Nina, she would still burn if she was in the ocean too long, the sunscreen would wash off, (the coconut oil doesn’t) so I started to put it on her too. This year, we started sunning ourselves in brief periods back in April, and so far we are browning up nicely. My Vit D levels are 60, as of May, and I stopped supplementing with D in April.
I am convinced that sunscreen’s benefits DO NOT OUTWEIGH the risks. It blocks VIT D absorption, and the chemicals that are in it are questionable to say the least. Just like we are now finding out that saturated fat is GOOD for you and the link between sat fat and cholesterol to heart disease is poor, (to say the least) I have the feeling that one day sunscreen use will be linked to cancer, maybe not directly from the ingredients, but indirectly as Vit D ( a hormone) is necessary in cancer prevention.
Just my two cents. Do your reading, do your research, make informed decisions about your health. You’re already going against the grain (aw, what a bad pun) by eating paleo, so take it a step further and examine other parts of your life- you may find plenty of areas where you’ve been duped!
“Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Comments (37) »
You know, I’ve been using coconut oil on my skin (as well as to cook with) for about 7 years now. It is the only thing I use. No soap, no lotions or potions. I use the oil cleansing method at night, and rub some oil on my bare skin in the morning if it feels dry. I just turned 40 and I don’t have any lines or wrinkles on my face. When other women find out how old I am the first thing they ask me is “What do you use on your skin?”
We just returned from a vacation to Florida. We were out in the sun for hours every day for 2 weeks and I didn’t use any sunscreen, just coconut oil. I got a nice tan, a little pinkish the first day, but never burned.
Pony – Herm finally tried this experiment On Monday – no burn! I’ll let him comment in detail. My oldest is very blonde – an oddity for being 3/4 latina. My poor baby has been a slave to spf 50 since she was a baby with me having to pull her out of any outside activity every 15-20 minutes for more lotion. No more!
Where do you get your coconut oil? Do you use a specific kind or brand? I have had a malignant melanoma removed 2 years ago and get regular check ups from my dermatologist. I rarely burn, but would love to use something that is better for my skin than sunscreen if it still protects me.
wow…can’t wait to try. the question is do you just use the same coconut oil you cook with or something different?
And do you put it on thicker when you are using it for sun, as opposed to a skin regimine???
Thanks!!
wow! yes please tell us what to buy. i use the coconut oil in a jar from whole foods, the 365 brand to cook with. never even thought about using it on skin!!!!!
there is a great site called tropical traditions they have great offers sometimes too i buy it by the gallon!!
Its great after your shower, i have only been putting it on my face on the weekends since you do look oily!!lol but at night is a great suggestion and ill be starting tonight!!
@Beth how do you use it for soap do you have to buy it already made or do you know the trick?
Great post!!
Great post! Thank you for your little experiment. I already use it as a moisturizer for my face and body after my showers. Now, I can’t wait to try coconut oil sunscreen on myself and my kids.
I buy mine by the gallon here, best prices I’ve found so far:
http://www.nutiva.com/products/10_coconut.php
I’m intrigued by this, thanks Pony. Now I just have to figure out where/what kind to buy…
I’m glad this has struck a chord!
I use extra virgin coconut oil, the same as I use for cooking. I use NSI brand from http://www.vitacost.com I like their products, especially the NSI line, their customer service is great and prices as well.
I don’t think I put it on any thicker for sun exposure than I do for moisturizing. It’s also great for after sun too. I’ve used it on burns, scratches, abrasions, all kinds of skin applications.
I put it on my calloused palms after workouts, I sand my palms down with a foot callous tool LOL and then put on Coconut oil. It helped speed up the healing after I ripped my palms a few weeks ago, I was back on the bar in a little over a week, and anyone who has had a rip knows that is quick!
On FaceBook this weekend I will put up some pics of a grass-fed leg of lamb that I roasted with coconut oil (among other things) If you’re not a fan of PaleoChix on FB, becom one today.
(And then mind Patty’s post and don’t spend too much time there LOL)
I use coconut oil for everything… IDK if it can prevent sun damage, but it’s certainly good for skin health and repair. I love it as a mouthwash too… I know that sounds bizarre… but it makes my teeth feel squeaky clean and is very soothing for the gums.
This is really fascinating! I am going to look into it further. Just ordered another batch of coconut oil! Thank you for the suggestions!
Hmm,I agree about the possibility of skin cancer and lack of vitamin D. Interesting stuff!
Just rubbed some on my blonde hair blue eyed duo taking them to the pool right now and its bright and sunny 100 degrees in Phoenix, my 4 year old asked if I was going to cook her with it???
I’m so excited to hear of this added benefit of coconut oil! I’ve read all of Dr. Bruce Fife’s books and was unaware that it had UV protection… Amazing!
I have just come on board as a Director of Business Development of Azukar Organics. We manufacture premium coconut products, including Virgin Coconut Oil and Coconut Flour. As a believer of the Paleo lifestyle, it has been a delight to learn of about coconuts, the tree of life.
Check us out http://www.azukarorganics. com
Gosh I think we’re going to spark a boom in Coconut oil sales! I have to say I would much prefer to use something natural rather than slather on more chemical stuff since the skin is our biggest organ and we know we absorb whatever we put on.. it’d be cool to find some research on skin cancer rates in countries where people DON”T put on layers of sunscreen.
[...] Coconut oil vs. Sunscreen. This makes my head spin. I am THAT person who slathers on sunscreen like it’s my job. Perhaps it’s time to invest in some coconut oil… [...]
I did my own sunscreen vs coconut experiment today. On my head and right arm, I used only organic EV coconut oil. Everywhere else I used 50 SPF Coppertone kids. I guess I won’t really know for sure until
tomorrow, but right now it looks like I got a little cooked in the CO areas only. I’ll chime in again tomorrow…
Hubby & I spend most weekends in the backyard pool, so I tried coconut oil instead of sunscreen. I am a medium skin toned freckler, and it usually takes a series of weekends with sunscreen for me to show a tan, but this weekend, I burned. It’s not as severe as if I hadn’t worn any protection, but I seemed to bake in the coconut oil. But… my hair and skin are so soft. I will definitely use it as a moisturizer, but I don’t quite trust it yet for Houston sun exposure.
Hey Karyn- ouch! Thank you for trying this out. Maybe you needed to ease into this as well? Dunno. Hope its better by now.
Did you put the CO on afterwards to help soothe? Maybe your big ole Texas sun is hotter than my Jersey Sun :0
Wonderful post! This one caused me to go out and do a little homework of my own. I found that CO seems to work better as a sunscreen if you ingest it as well as apply topically. Suggested amount was 2-3 T per day. I just started using it instead of olive oil for cooking. Also very interesting for me was its use as a cleanser for acne prone skin. It was a little scary to put CO on my already oily, broken out face but I am already seeing improvements after just 4 days. I am using the oil cleansing method 2 times per day. The blackheads are disappearing and the pimples are clearing up. I am a pretty strict paleo eater and my skin was looking really good(no makeup good) for a number of months, then BAM, whacky again. I am not sure what is going on there, but the coconut oil is doing wonders. I have also been using it as an all over body moisturizer after showering and love it. No reactions and really soft skin. This is my new miracle in a bottle! Thank you so much for this very informative post and all of the work that you ladies put into this blog.
Carrie, That’s so interesting about the acne and CO. I too have acne (somewhat) and in the summer an oily skin. I worried about CO causing me to break out even more! What is the oil cleansing method?
[...] up” when they’re playing outside (i.e. running, swimming). One of which I found was coconut oil (not only is it marvelous in cooking, you can use it for your skin and hair care!), although [...]
[...] up” when they’re playing outside (i.e. running, swimming). One of which I found was coconut oil (not only is it marvelous in cooking, you can use it for your skin and hair care!), although [...]
I decided to put the coconut oil to the test and well…I’m sunburned
I also have very fair skin and always use SPF and now even stay out of the sun most of the time.
[...] some time in the sun daily and have been testing out Coconut Oil as sunscreen. I would suggest reading this article about using coconut oil as sunscreen. I spent many days hiking and FULL days at the beach swimming [...]
[...] some time in the sun daily and have been testing out Coconut Oil as sunscreen. I would suggest reading this article about using coconut oil as sunscreen. I spent many days hiking and FULL days at the beach swimming [...]
[...] some time in the sun daily and have been testing out Coconut Oil as sunscreen. I would suggest reading this article about using coconut oil as sunscreen. I spent many days hiking and FULL days at the beach swimming [...]
have you tried taking astaaanthin as a help as a sunscreen . I have lupus and this really helps .also you should take vitamin d3 . cathy
astaxanthin. see above post
I just started using CO and I love the feeling of it. I’m cooking with it and using it on my skin. Have not tried it in the sun since I don’t get out much. But I saw this article just this summer. I think you will def find it interesting. It’s about sunscreen causing cancer. I believe this could be true, but everyone should make their own judgments.
http://www.naturalnews.com/001264.html
Excellent article. I use coconut oil for EVERYTHING and love it! I even eat it by the spoon full! thanks!
Aileen, this is a fantastic article and makes fascinating reading.
Just wanted to tell you about my experience with using coconut oil as a sunscreen. I have known about its properties for a few years and convinced my family to ditch the traditional sunscreen products in favour of this wonderful oil.
For the last couple of years we have holidayed in the South of France. During the two weeks we were there both years it was very hot (40 degrees) and sunny all the time. We used nothing but coconut oil as a sunscreen and at the end of both holidays we were all sporting a beautiful deep golden brown tan. None of us got burnt at all either.
We use it as a moisturiser at home too and have found that it not only prolongs a tan, but makes it appear deeper. I will never go back to using a traditional sunscreen after this, and my family are converts too!
Caroline Platt (United Kingdom)
I don’t know if you’ve read these yet, but Dr. Mike Eades has written a few on the topic, and they are quite informative and interesting.
http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/supplements/sunshine-superman/
http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/supplements/heliophobe-madness/
I was so excited to read that coconut oil was a “Natural Sunscreen”, no more chemicals on this body… then 2 hours at the beach here in California my sunburn started to appear before I was even ready to leave the beach…. I love the coconut oil for conditioning my skin after showering, but noway does it protect from the sun……
to those of you above who tried CO as a sunscreen for the first time in the middle of the summer and got burned, I’m willing to bet you have to ease into it.
I, like several others, would like to know what “the oil cleansing method” is…can anyone enlighten us?
Hi folks,
I’ve been reading this thread with a great deal of interest as there seems to be so much confusion around sun exposure. I am a licensed skincare therapist and have been fielding these types of questions from customers for years.
There is no magic bullet for safe sun exposure. What works for one person, will not necessarily work for another because of so many varying factors between us like skin color, geographic location, air quality (humid vs dry), lifestyle (i.e. smoking habits, overall diet) and method of sun exposure (consistent periods of exposure over extended periods of time like someone living in the tropics receives vs. intensive exposure over a brief period of time like a week’s vacation to the tropics), thickness/type of skin, medication use, etc.
So you see, its complicated. But here is one fact: Whether for reasons of preventing burning or premature aging, all skin must be protected from OVEREXPOSURE to the sun. Now what constitutes OVEREXPOSURE, that’s the hard part, and the answer is individual to all of us. (See above).
So, for instance, using coconut oil for island natives may make sense for them because their skin is already acclimated to the sun in ways that someone from Canada’s will not be. In other words, if you don’t live in the tropics or some other consistently warm, humid locale, coconut oil (or any other vegetable/nut oil) will not be your best sunscreening choice. Because even ‘pink’ skin or skin tanned without burning, is DAMAGED SKIN. Sorry.
Because there is sooooo much confusion around this issue, I am creating a website,sunblokshop.com, that will provide extensive, accurate, up-to-the-minute information about sun exposure, sunscreen, sunblocks, etc and will also offer for sale thoroughly research, natural and organic sunblocks. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at michelle [at] skinorganix [dot] com. Thanks.
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