How Coconut Oil Betrayed Me

By Sierra

February of 2012 my 22nd birthday was approaching and all I wanted was to have clear skin. I grew depressed because of the turn my skin had taken. My mom took me to the dermatologist again and this time instead of being able to use a simple cream to treat my acne.

She prescribed pills: Solodyn. I had to take these pills once a day for sixty days. After about two weeks I noticed I wasn’t getting any new pimples and my skin was less red and inflamed. After about a month my skin was free of any new acne, and almost clear but now I had some hyper-pigmentation.

In pursuit of flawless skin I decided to purchase some make up. A close friend of mine that was also suffering from acne told me that she used Bare Minerals and she really liked the product and recommended I try it. I went to Bare Minerals and was color matched, and I learned how to apply the makeup.

I liked how simple it was to apply this powder foundation, and I really liked that the product was gentle enough for my sensitive skin. After two go rounds of taking Solodyn for sixty days my skin was almost back to normal. I didn’t wear the makeup daily but when I did I was very pleased with how natural it looked. I liked how my skin looked without makeup and once again started working on the scars. This time I tried a new oil; coconut.

I recently began to use it on my body and hair and I loved how soft it made everything. After researching benefits and different uses of coconut oil I thought it may be beneficial for my acne prone skin to start using it. I would apply a dime sized amount at night after I cleansed my face.

In the beginning I noticed my skin was softer and more supple. But after a few months of using the oil I noticed I was beginning to break out again. I decided to stop using the coconut oil and just continue using my aveeno positively brightening scrub.

It was very gentle and made my skin soft which I liked. At this point I was using lubriderm as my daily and nightly moisturizer. Overall I was very pleased with the appearance of my skin. But once again as the year turned and my next birthday was approaching I began to have trouble again. As I anticipated turning 23 in 2013 I also was wishing and working towards a clearer complexion.