Sunburn is too harsh for the skin. It damages your delicate skin and makes your skin look aged faster.
Obviously, you would love to keep your sensitive skin protected from the harmful rays of the sun.
Does coconut oil help sunburn? Is coconut oil good for sunburn? These are questions that come up in our minds spontaneously as we have already heard a lot about several benefits of coconut oil for skin, hair, and health.
This oil is famous all over the world as a skin moisturizer and massage oil.
People living in tropical parts of the world lavishly use this oil for various hair and skin treatments besides using it for cooking.
Using coconut oil treatment for sunburn works exceedingly well because of the particular natural skincare properties inherent in this oil. Most importantly, this oil is all-natural and free of harmful chemicals and can protect your skin from the harsh rays of the scorching sun.
What Makes Coconut Oil For Sunburn Effective?
Continuous exposure to the UVA and UVB rays of the sun is harmful to the skin; you need protection from both kinds of rays. Â The symptoms of damage caused by UV rays on the skin include red and inflamed skin, dry red skin with itching, skin irritation with pain and rashes, blisters, skin peeling, scars, and wrinkles.
Over time, the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) light damages the fibers in the skin. Almost all skin cancers (about 99% of non-melanoma skin cancers and 95% of melanoma) are the result of excessive exposure to UV radiation from the sun.
The benefits of coconut oil for the skin originate from the various healthy ingredients contained in it.
Saturated Fats
Medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil keep the skin moisture for a long time both internally and externally. When applied externally, it forms a protective cover over the skin. Coconut Oil has an SPF of 4-7, which blocks 75% of UV radiation for about 45 minutes of sun exposure.
Vitamin-E
Coconut oil contains about 0.20mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams. It helps in the healthy growth and repair of skin tissues. Vitamin E is essential for keeping your skin supple and young.
Capric, Caprylic, Lauric Acids
These fatty acids in coconut oil have potent antimicrobial properties. This helps to protect the skin from microbial infections and inflammation that could occur from blisters caused by sunburn.
Does Coconut Oil Help Sunburn And Scarlet?
Is coconut oil good for sunburn?  The definite answer to this question is ‘YES.’
Let us have a look at some of the innate beneficial qualities of coconut oil on a sunburn:
- Protects the skin from UV rays of the sun with natural SPF factors present in this oil
- Fatty acids in coconut oil heal sunburn and prevent inflammation
- Hydrates the burned and dehydrated skin with moisture; makes the skin soft and smooth
- Prevents peeling of the skin caused by dryness of skin produced by UV rays
- Prevents and recuperates the damages to the skin such as tanning, discoloration, wrinkles, and blisters caused by UV rays
- Coconut oil has natural antioxidants that prevent inflammation caused by sunburn
- Vitamin E, protein, and other micronutrients in this oil help in the growth and repair of skin tissues
- The antifungal and antibacterial properties in this oil heal the burn caused by the UV rays
- The medium-chain fatty acid in coconut oil is easily absorbed by the skin and retains moisture for many hours.
Ways To Use Coconut Oil For Managing Sunburn
The use of chemical-rich OTC sunburn creams and lotions is harmful to the skin as they cause side effects on the skin in the long run. Using natural remedies like coconut oil is both safe and efficient in healing sunburn.
Here are 7 effective coconut oil sunburn remedies that are proven to work effectively.
1. Virgin Coconut Oil Skin Treatment
Before you go out in the sun or have sunbathed, apply virgin coconut oil all over your skin. This helps to protect the skin from the UV rays of the sun.
Similarly, if you have already got the burned skin, apply the oil to the affected areas of the skin (after cooling down the body), you can leave the oil on the skin overnight or wash it off after an hour or two.
2. Coconut Oil And Castor Oil Blend
Castor oil rejuvenates and repairs skin, especially burns and blisters on the skin. A blend of coconut oil and castor oil with other essential oils helps in healing and relieving the blisters, peeling of skin, cracks, and burns on the skin.
Ingredients:
- Coconut oil – 2 oz
- Castor oil – 1 oz
- Aloe Vera Juice – 1 oz
- Apple Cider Vinegar – 1 0z
- Tea Tree Oil – 10 drops
- Neem Tree Oil – 10 drops
Usage: Make a mixture of the above ingredients and apply the oil mixture to the sunburned area of the skin. If your skin is severely sunburned, do a cold compress with apple cider vinegar before using the oil mixture.
Castor and coconut oil mixture alone could also be used effectively without other ingredients.
3. Coconut Oil And Apple Cider Vinegar
Applying coconut oil on sunburn after the ACV cold compress is highly effective.
Ingredients:
- Apple Cider Vinegar – ¼ cup
- Coconut Oil
Usage: Add ¼ cup ACV in 2 cups of cold water; soak a clean cotton towel in the ACV water and do a compress on the sunburned skin for 5 – 10 minutes. After the ACV compress, dry the skin with another towel and apply the virgin coconut oil to the skin. Let the oil stay on the skin for a few hours. You can repeat the process twice a day till the burned skin is completely healed.
4. Coconut Oil And Lavender Oil Blend
Lavender is a highly recommended essential oil to use for all kinds of burns. Lavender oil contains antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties which are good for healing burns. A mixture of lavender oil, coconut oil, and aloe vera extract is a powerful remedy for sunburn.
Ingredients:
- Lavender Oil – 10 drops
- Coconut oil – 4 oz
- Aloe Vera Juice 1 oz
Usage: Blend the three ingredients and apply the lotion on the sunburned area of the skin by gently massaging. Repeat the treatment twice daily till the burned skin is fully healed.
5. Coconut Oil With Honey And Sea Buckthorn
Honey is one of the oldest known natural remedies for all types of burns. It is soothing, antiseptic, and healing.
Similarly, sea buckthorn oil can also help heal burns, cuts, wounds, sunburns, rashes, and other types of skin damage. According to some of the studies, daily usage of sea buckthorn oil help to slow down aging by nourishing the skin tissues.
Ingredients:
- Honey – 2 oz
- Beeswax – 1 teaspoon
- Virgin Coconut Oil – 2 oz
- Sea Buckthorn – 1 tablespoon
Usage: Heat the beeswax in stainless steel mug, when the beeswax is fully melted add the coconut oil, raw honey, and sea buckthorn oil to the melted beeswax and stir for 1 minute to blend the mixture properly; stop heating.
Allow the mixture to cool down (use the refrigerator for faster cooling) and then add 1 teaspoon of aloe vera juice to the mixture. Apply the oil mixture to sunburned skin and repeat the treatment twice a day till the burned skin is fully recuperated.
6. Coconut Oil And Shea Butter
Coconut oil and Shea Butter mixture are some of the best natural skincare lotions to prevent sunburn. You can make this lotion even more powerful by adding a few drops of other oils that are known to protect the skin. This mixture will work just like the regular OTC sunscreen lotion.
Ingredients:
- Coconut Oil – 2 tablespoons
- Shea Butter – 1 tablespoon
- Avocado Oil – 1 tablespoon
- Aloe Vera gel – ½ teaspoon
- Carrot Seed Oil – 30 drops
Usage: Blend the ingredients in a glass jar and then apply this lotion on the skin before you go out in the sun. This lotion can also be used regularly as a skin moisturizer and sunscreen to guard against the UV rays of the sun.
7. Coconut Oil And Camphor
Camphor essential oil can be a panacea for skin-related issues. This oil has properties such as antiseptic, anesthetic, sedative, and anti-inflammatory which are very beneficial for curing sunburned skin.
Ingredients:
- Coconut Oil – 2 oz.
- Camphor Oil – 2 teaspoons
Usage: Mix the camphor oil with coconut oil in a glass bowl and blend them thoroughly. Gently apply the oil mixture to the sunburned area of the skin and wash away the application after 1 hour or later. For best results, apply the oil twice a day till the burned skin is fully rejuvenated.
Tips For Getting Best Results
Here are a few important tips that must be observed by you to get the best results from coconut oil treatment:
- Use unrefined virgin coconut oil
- Include coconut oil in your daily diet for the nourishment of the skin
- Do not apply the coconut oil immediately after the sunburn for it will trap the heat inside the body and the burn becomes worse; use only after the body is cooled down
- Make sure that you drink a lot of water to ensure faster recovery from sunburn
- Coconut oil is not allergic to most people, but some of the other ingredients used along with it can be allergic; so do a patch test before the application for treatment
- Prevent sunburn by using coconut oil as a sunscreen lotion
- Severe sunburn incidents do require immediate medical help, instead of relying on simple home remedies, especially when the burn is very deep on the skin.
The Bottom Line
The question ‘Does coconut oil help sunburn?’ will become fully clear to you when you test some of the natural remedies with coconut oil for sunburn we have just discussed.
Undoubtedly, it is really worth using coconut oil in your diet and including it in your daily skincare regimen. The natural goodness and no side effects make this one of the best natural skincare solutions.
If you know of any more proven remedies with coconut oil for sunburn, share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Other Benefits of Coconut Oil:
- Benefits of Coconut Oil For Skin
- Tips On Using Coconut Oil For Hair Growth
- Does Coconut Oil Help In Weight Loss