Coconut Oil Will Kill Acne Bacteria
50% of coconut oil consists of lauric acid, a medium chain fatty acid. Lauric acid has very potent anti-bacterial activity against the acne-causing bacteria propionbacterium acnes (P. acnes). Propionbacterium acnes plays a substantial role in the pathogenesis of acne. The bacteria P. acnes takes residence in the sebaceous glands of the facial skin and feeds on sebum that is secreted by the sebaceous glands. Propionbacterium acnes cause an inflammatory response, resulting in the production of many pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL1-alpha, and lead to chronic, inflammatory acne.
Lauric acid has exhibited very strong anti-microbial activity against propionbacterium acnes. Lauric acid inhibits P. acnes bacterial growth and is 15 times more potent at killing propionbacterium acnes than benzoyl peroxide. Many acne sufferers use benzoyl peroxide to treat acne but experience substantial negative side effects such as redness and dry skin due to the toxicity of benzoyl peroxide. Lauric acid does not have any toxic side effects and will not cause redness or dry skin. In addition, topical application of lauric acid, has been shown to decrease P. acnes bacterial growth and reduce swelling and inflammation. Since coconut oil is 50% lauric acid, topical application of coconut oil has enormous therapeutic potential for the treatment of acne by killing the acne-promoting bacteria, propionbacterium acnes, therefore, terminating the inflammatory response that propagates chronic inflammatory acne.
Coconut Oil: Hormonal Acne Cures
Coconut oil inhibits the production of androgens, which are a major cause of hormonal acne. 5-alpha-dihydrotestosterone (5-alpha-DHT) is a potent androgen that regulates the production of sebum, a mixture of lipids in the sebaceous glands of the facial skin. Testosterone is converted into 5-alpha-dihydrotestosterone (5-alpha-DHT) by the enzyme 5-alpha reductase. 5-alpha-dihydrotestosterone stimulates sebum production, providing an ideal environment for propionbacterium acnes to grow and proliferate. Androgens, specifically, 5-alpha-DHT, also regulate follicular hyperkeratinization seen in acne. Hyperkeratinization means there is an overabundance of keratin being produced in the skin. This results in adherence of dead skin cells together, which, consequently, do not detach from the skin’s surface normally. This leads to clogging of the skin’s pores and instigates the formation of a comedone (acne lesion). There is substantial evidence that the activity of the 5-alpha reductase enzyme is considerably higher in acne-prone areas compared to non acne-prone areas.
Several studies provide evidence that lauric acid inhibits 5-alpha reductase activity, and blocks the conversion of testosterone into 5-alpha-dihydrotestosterone. Another study found that lauric acid inhibited the activity of 5-alpha reductase by 50%. Since lauric acid is an effective inhibitor of 5-alpha reductase, it has natural anti-androgenic activity and can be used therapeautically to treat hormonal acne. Inhibition of 5-alpha reductase with coconut oil would result in less androgen production, dramatically reduced sebum production, decreased propionbacterium acnes proliferation, decreased inflammation, and a reduction in keratinocyte proliferation, all of which are implicated as major causes of acne.
For a complete reference list click here: Coconut Oil Acne Cure
| List Price: |
$14.50 USD |
| New From: |
$14.50 In Stock |
|
|
|
| List Price: |
$25.00 USD |
| New From: |
$19.00 In Stock |
|
|
|
| List Price: |
$10.99 USD |
| New From: |
$9.12 In Stock |
|
|
|
Tagged as:
5-alpha reductase,
5-alpha-DHT,
5-alpha-dihydrotestosterone,
acne,
androgens,
coconut oil,
hormonal acne,
lauric acid,
propionbacterium acnes
