Coconut Oil: Nature's Suntan Lotion

Coconut oil is the original suntan/sunscreen lotion. Islanders have been using it for this purpose for generations. When sunscreen lotions were first sold commercially the main ingredient was coconut oil. Over time, however, coconut oil was replaced with chemical sun blocking agents.


Sunscreens are rated by their sun protection factor or SPF, which is a measure of how much UV radiation is blocked. SPF numbers usually range from 15 to 100. The higher the SPF number, the greater the effect. You might think that an SPF of 30 to be twice as good as an SPF of 15 and that an SPF of 60 is twice as good as SPF 30, and so on. But that is not how it works. An SPF of 15 blocks about 94 percent of the UV radiation, an SPF or 30 blocks 97 percent, and an SPF of 45 blocks about 98 percent. SPF values above this are really meaningless.

Coconut oil is a proven sunscreen that is still used by millions of people in the tropics as their sole source of protection from sunburn
and skin cancer. How does it compare to commercial lotions? In India the oil is a popular lotion used for this and other purposes. A group of Indian researchers set out to find the answer to this question. They measured and compared the ability of various edible oils in absorbing or blocking the transmission of UV radiation. The oils they tested included coconut, peanut, castor, sunflower, sesame, olive, cod liver, and neem seed oils. The oils that blocked the most UV radiation (40 percent or more) were neem seed, sunflower, sesame, and cod liver oils. Cod liver oil was the most effective, blocking up to 90 percent. In contrast, the other four oils blocked less than 40 percent. Next to castor oil, coconut oil allowed the greatest penetration, blocking only about 20 percent of the UV light.1

Judging from this study, the SPF of coconut oil would probably be rated very low. At least lower than most other oils and especially lower than sunscreen lotions. While at first glance this study seems to question the usefulness of coconut oil as an effective sunscreen lotion, but in reality it shows its superiority.

SPF essentially measures how much UV radiation is blocked. When you block these natural wavelengths you can cause more harm than good. Getting adequate natural sunlight is beneficial and healing. Sunlight helps balance hormones and is necessary for the production of vitamin D.

Vitamin D has been gaining a lot of attention in the scientific community in recent years and for good reason. Vitamin D is necessary for the formation of healthy, strong bones and for the prevention of osteoporosis, rickets, and osteomalacia. It is essential for proper immune function and is needed to help fight off infections, inhibit the development of autoimmune diseases (diabetes, lupus, MS, etc.), and block the formation of cancer. In addition, vitamin D helps regulate blood Sugar levels, moderate blood pressure, ease chronic inflammation, helps prevent dementia, and can even ease risks associated with exposure to radiation.

Unlike other vitamins, vitamin D is produced by the action of UV rays from sunlight interacting with cholesterol in our skin. There are very few good dietary sources of vitamin D. The best sources are organ meats, particularly liver. If you don't eat liver or fish liver oils then you must get your vitamin D from sunlight. Unless you regularly eat organ meats, it is impossible to get enough vitamin D from food alone. Dietary supplements are a poor substitute for natural sources of vitamin D, and usually do not provide an adequate amount to satisfy needs. Therefore, sunlight is your best option.

Consequently, most of us are vitamin D deficient. Many of the health problems people battle with nowadays are either caused by or at least intensified by a vitamin D deficiency. Simply getting more exposure to sunlight could make a very significant difference in many people's health.

Unfortunately, if you live at a latitude of 35 degrees or more, you do not get enough sunlight during the winter to produce the needed vitamin D. This includes anywhere in North America above of the state of Alabama, all of Europe, and everywhere south of New South Wales in Australia. Since vitamin D is fat soluble, it can be stored to some extent. So if you get enough sun exposure during the summer, it can last for most of the winter. However, during the summer months when you can get adequate vitamin D from the sun, most of us stay indoors, under the shade, or lather on a thick layer of sunscreen to block out the sun and prevent any useful vitamin D production. It's not surprising that vitamin D deficiency is a major health problem today.




This problem has been compounded by an obsessive fear of skin cancer which has been drilled into us by the medical community and sunscreen marketers. We are continually warned to avoid getting too much sun and always put on protection when we do. It is wise to avoid getting sunburned, but not to avoid the sun altogether as many people seem to do. If you put on sunscreen, you block out the UV rays needed for vitamin D formation. With sunscreen covering your body, you can bask in the sunshine for hours and produce little vitamin D.

Despite the awareness of the dangers of excessive sun exposure and the routine use of sunscreens, the incidence of skin cancer has been steadily rising over the past few decades. Some studies have suggested that the chemicals in sunscreen themselves can promote cancer. Zinc oxide and titanium oxide used in sunscreens to block ultraviolet rays can create free radicals in the presence of sunlight, leading to cell damage and increase the risk of skin cancer.

Coconut oil protects the body from sunburn and skin cancer without blocking the beneficial UV radiation. Coconut oil doesn't rely on blocking out the sun's rays, it works by preventing free-radical reactions which lead to all the consequences caused by overexposure to the sun. So the SPF number of coconut oil is meaningless.

I am very fare skinned and if I am in the bright sun for more than 15 minutes I burn. The only sun protection I ever use is coconut oil. With a thin coat of coconut oil on my skin I can stay out under the hot tropical sun for hours without any problem. I don't burn with coconut oil. All I get is a light tan.

In the above study, the oils that blocked the most UV radiation were highly polyunsaturated and the most vulnerable to creating free radicals when exposed to sunlight. The most protective, cod liver oil, is the most polyunsaturated and the most vulnerable to damage by the sun. These oils are the worse ones to use as a skin lotion or sunblock and will cause the greatest amount of skin damage.

One summer I went to Fiji and planned to spend some time on the beach in the sun. I had not taken any coconut oil from home with me, thinking I could buy it there. I found a bottle of coconut oil plus vitamin E. Vitamin E is a potent antioxidant that protects against free radicals, so I thought this product would make an excellent sunscreen lotion. When I spread it over my body I immediately knew something wasn't right. The oil didn't feel like coconut oil. It felt too greasy and did not absorb into my skin like coconut oil normally does. Regardless, I went out on the beach anyway. It wasn't long before the sun's rays started to burn my skin. At first I tried to ignore it thinking the oil would protect me as it always has. But after about 30 minutes my skin became so painful I had to take cover in the shade and there I stayed. My skin was already a dark red and the pain grew worse as time passed. I experienced one of the worst sunburns I have ever had in my entire life. Later, on investigation, I learned that the coconut oil with vitamin E I had used was mostly soybean oil. Soybean oil is often sold as vitamin E oil because it contains the vitamin. Soybean oil is a polyunsaturated oil that is very vulnerable to sunlight and easily oxidizes and produces free radicals. Even though it was supposed to contain vitamin E, the vitamin did nothing to protect me. In fact, I was like a piece of greased chicken in a frying pan. It was a horrible experience. Never use polyunsaturated vegetable oils as a sunblock!

If you live in a climate that is cool during the winter, you probably do not get much exposure to sunlight for a good part of the year. If you've been indoors for six months and immediately go out in your swimsuit on a sunny day, your skin will be very sensitive to the sun even if you put coconut oil on. You need to "season" your skin before spending too much time in the sun at the beginning of summer. The way you season your skin is to rub a thin layer of coconut oil over all your uncovered skin, go in to the sun for 15-30 minutes, just long enough for your skin to become faintly pink, but no longer. Repeat this process in the next day or two, staying out five or 10 minutes longer. Repeat again staying out a little longer each time. After about two weeks or so, your skin will be seasoned enough to stay outdoors for hours with a single coating of coconut oil.

Replacing all polyunsaturated vegetables oils in your diet with coconut oil will also help protect you from sunburn. The fats and oils in your diet find their way into your skin tissues. If you eat polyunsaturated oils, your skin will be enriched in these vulnerable oils making you much more sensitive to the sun. If coconut oil is the main fat in your diet, your skin will have an added layer of protection against sunburn. ■



Reference

1. Sobhana, T., et al. Ultraviolet transmission through a few edible oils in the context of changing solar insolation. J Ind Geophys Union 2004;8:267-271.

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