Coconut oil reaction on skin - implications?

[cdamaden]

When I shifted to Paleo about 2 years ago, I started using a lot more coconut oil. When I learned about my E4/E4 status and rising lipid values, I shifted to rarely using coconut oil (mostly as a spray product on veggies, occasional treat). I've been having skin issues for a while with red patches on either side of my nose, dry-flaky skin under my beard, in my ears, and in my eyelashes. Usually I just use Lubriderm to treat it.
My wife suggested that I try coconut oil on my skin (Spectrum Organic Coconut Oil, expeller pressed) to see if that would help my skin because it works for her and my son. Nope - my skin reacted very poorly and became red in some areas that had been just dry before.

My question is - does a skin sensitivity to a product (e.g. coconut oil) mean that I'm also having a reaction internally when I eat it? Of note, I do think I have some leaky gut issues.

Has anyone else experienced a similar problem?

Thanks,
Chris

[Julie G]

I completely understand your concern, Chris. Have you consumed coconut oil in the past? Any weird reactions that you can recall? Given your external reaction, I'd be pretty hesitant about ingesting it.

[cdamaden]

Thanks Julie, I realized today that I had used another product that day too, which is a more likely culprit. I need to experiment some more!


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[jenniferthequeen]

Hey...sorry to butt in, but what's the problem with coconut oil for 4/4-ers? I would have assumed ingesting it would be good for us....help.


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[Julie G]

Hey Jennifer! The ketosis aspect of coconut oil could be VERY good for E4 carriers, but because coconut oil is so high in SFA it tends to have a negative effect on lipids. Whether or not that matters is wide open for debate.

Ah, good catch, Chris. Whenever I think I've only changed one thing, upon re-examination, I can usually find another confounder .

[cdamaden]

Thanks, Julie. Yes, the likely culprit is generic hand lotion at the gym that I applied to my face instead of the Lubriderm product that I use at home. Now that my skin has settled down again, I will try coconut oil again and see what the results are.

Jennifer - Julie has hit upon one of the mysteries we're each trying to sort out. Does plant based SFA in coconut oil negatively affect us, OR is it only SFA from animals, OR is it that SFA raise our lipid measurements but that is what it should be (i.e. not unhealthy). Do APOE4s actually have a protective response to SFAs (regardless of source) by raising these lipid measures (did ancestral humans really have a negative outcome by being carnivorous when it led to our increased brain size)? What's the link between SFA and cardiac disease for APOE4? I don't think any of these questions are resolved.