Coconut Oil?

Q: Have you come across the use of coconut oil for people with eczema, and do you have any positive thoughts on that?

A: Yes, and I do like coconut oil as it is both antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. I like sunflower seed oil even more, however, as it has gamma linoleic acids that can really help the skin rebuild the barrier. There was a wonderful study using sunflower seed oil on the skin of premature babies; that oil was amazing in helping the skin build a barrier and the babies had fewer infections than a control group using a petroleum-based moisturizer (to read an abstract of the study posted by the National Health Institute’s US National Library of Medicine, go to http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=20428367 Both seem safe, but it is important to note that some folks are allergic to these oils, so they must be used with caution.