"I Like That Product" Health Reviews

Treatment of Acne

Coconut Oil and Jojoba Oil have been recommended by a lot of articles on treatment of Acne. Just below is a lay man’s analysis why this is the fact of the matter.

Coconut oil has healthy attributes derived from the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid and its antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal  out of so many other properties it posseses. Lauric acid is converted into monolaurin which is claimed to fight viruses and bacteria that cause diseases.

Coconut Oil consists of saturated fats and traces of unsaturated fatty acids such as monounsaturated fatty acids polyunsaturated fatty acids.

• The Saturated Fatty Acids (92%) consists of Lauric acid, (40%), Capric Acid, Caprylic Acid, Myristic and Palmitic Acids making up 60% of the total Saturated Fatty Acids.
• The Poly unsaturated Fatty Acids (2%) is mainly Linoleic Acid
• The Monounsaturated Fatty Acids (6%)mainly consists of Oleic Acid
• Poly-phenols – compounds which are beneficial, especially to the cardiovascular system. Gallic acid, a phenolic acid is believed to be responsible for the fragrance and the taste of the Coconut Oil. Virgin Coconut Oil is particularly rich in these poly-phenols.
• Derivates of other fatty acids are also found in Coconut Oil including Vitamins E and K.

The benefits of Coconut Oil to skin care, in combating wrinkles and the sagging of the skin, treatment of various skin conditions, makes it a necessity in formulating skin care products

Despite the high content of the saturated fatty acids which are not good for the heart, Coconut Oil is rich in lauric acid which helps in reducing cholesterol, atherosclerosis and high blood pressure.

Jojoba Oil

Pronounced ho-ho-ba, Jojoba oil is extracted from the seeds of the jojoba plant. The plat thrives in semi-arid regions of North and South America and is also grown for commercial purposes in parts of Australia and Africa.

The structure of the jojoba oil closely resembles that of sebum, no wonder on application, the skin assumes sufficient levels of the sebum oil on the skin and stops further production from the gland. Unlike sebum, the jojoba oil has attributes that will unplug and unblock all the clogged pores of the skin and mix readily with the sebum and skin without any adverse effects. It therefore is able to maintain a balance of moisture for periods of up to 8 hours or more.

Jojoba Oil also contains Myristic Acid which has anti-inflammatory attributes. It also has antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.

Jojoba Oil is used widely  in the cosmetic industry largely because of the beneficial properties found in the Oil. Both Jojoba Oil and the Coconut Oil are not too greasy when applied to the skin.

The Propionibacterium acnes also known as “P acnes” is a comensal bacteria that lives on fatty acids and can be found in skin pores and gastrointestinal tract. When a pore is blocked this anaerobic bacterium overgrows and secretes chemicals that will destroy the walls of the pore spreading bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus into the skin causing acne lesions.

PH values of the Skin

This is sometimes known as the acid mantle of our skin and plays an important role in protecting our bodies. The more our bodies are acidic the less we are susceptible to attacks from viruses, bacteria and fungi. Conditions such as heat and dry skin will stimulate both the Sweat gland and the Sebaceous Gland to work. There has to be a balance at the end of the day, and this is achieved when the pH value is about 5.5. Sebum levels can be affected by the secretion of sex hormones with adolescents having the more oily skins and more hair follicles than any other generation. The pH value of children is about 7, that is less acidic, (nearly neutral) and therefore more prone to diseases. As we grow old the skin firmness and elasticity will diminish and automatically the skin becomes more neutral.

While it is a known fact that the P acnes requires that the pores have to be clogged, we can see from the above, that prevalence of a wrong pH value on your skin could be the possible reason and contributing factor why you are prone to diseases like acne.

Most soaps whether mild or strong have an alkaline base and therefore will alter this pH balance quite drastically, even to values like 10 or 11. There won’t be a more conducive environment for the P acnes bacteria to attack than this. The Jojoba Oil as well as the Coconut Oil both have an “acidic base” as can be seen from their properties and antimicrobial attributes above. Coupled with the right pH value, this is probably why they and other such products are effective in the treatment of acne and other related diseases.

One needs to have just the right combinations of products in your arsenal to win this fight. Maybe it’s the diet.

Shabambo!