Ingredient glossary
Coconut Oil
On your shelf ✓What Coconut Oil does for your skin, who it suits, and what to watch for.
INCI: Cocos Nucifera Oil
In short: Coconut Oil delivers barrier support and softening, suits dry skin best, and the evidence behind it is moderate. One thing to know: may clog acne-prone skin.
- What it does
- Barrier support, softening
- Best for
- Dry skin
- Watch out
- May clog acne-prone skin
- Evidence
- Moderate
The Glow take
One of the ingredients I trust most.
When your goal is repairing a stressed moisture barrier, Coconut Oil delivers, with a solid amount of evidence behind it. If you break out easily, keep half an eye on how your skin takes to it.
— Maya
What it does
- barrier support
- softening
- antimicrobial
moderate evidenceLiterature on lauric-acid-rich coconut oil shows strong moisturizing and antimicrobial effects but also high comedogenicity on facial skin.
On a label: usually effective at 2-20%.
Who it's for, and who should skip it
Tends to suit
- very dry
- body
- hair
Approach with care
- acne prone
- oily
- fungal acne prone
- Irritation riskLow
How it fits each skin type
- DrySuits
- CombinationNeutral
- OilyTake care
- SensitiveNeutral
Often chosen for body, hair. Take extra care if any of these apply to you: acne prone, fungal acne prone.
Where it fits in your routine
Plays well with
- humectants
- occlusives
Coconut Oil, answered
Is Coconut Oil safe during pregnancy?
Yes. Coconut Oil is considered safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding. As with anything, if you are unsure it is worth a quick word with your doctor or midwife.
Who should avoid Coconut Oil?
Approach Coconut Oil with care if any of these apply to you: acne prone, oily, and fungal acne prone. It carries a high risk of clogging pores, so acne-prone skin should go carefully.
What concentration of Coconut Oil actually works?
Coconut Oil tends to do its job in the 2 to 20% range. Much lower and it is likely underdosed.
Does it clog pores?
Famously pore-clogging for many faces in leave-on products.
- This rating comes from old lab tests on the isolated ingredient, not the finished product.
- The full formula, how much is used, and your own skin all matter more than one number.
- If you are acne-prone it is worth noticing, not a reason to avoid it on sight.
Checking a whole product? Paste its list into the pore-clogging checker →
This, for every label you own
One ingredient is easy. A full label is where it gets confusing. The Ingredient Decoder reads any product and tells you the honest truth, ingredient by ingredient.