How to Use Coconut Oil as a Makeup Remover

Looking for a gentle and natural alternative to your regular makeup remover? Then you might be looking for coconut oil.

It’s no secret that coconut oil is the swiss army knife of natural beauty products. Between its antimicrobial cleansing properties and oil-rich emollients, this so-called miracle oil could replace just about anything in your medicine cabinet, from your lip balm to your anti-dandruff shampoo. And believe it or not, it even makes for a pretty stellar makeup remover.

Here’s how—and why—you might consider using coconut oil the next time you have to take your face off.

The Benefits of Using Coconut Oil as a Makeup Remover

First, let’s answer the important question:

Why coconut oil? 

For one thing, the oil itself attracts dirt and makeup. This means that coconut oil is not only an effective makeup remover, but it’s also remarkably gentle. Try it once and you’ll see what we mean. When you massage coconut oil into your skin, it effectively “melts” your makeup, separating the gunk from your skin without the need for abrasive scrubbing.

It’s also gentle on the eyes. You can really work at that heavy eye makeup—mascara and eyeliner included—without worrying about keeping the oil away from your peepers. If you do get a little in your eyes, it doesn’t hurt. Just gently rinse and move on.

Finally, when you use coconut oil as a makeup remover, you also get all the other benefits that come from applying this vitamin-rich oil to your skin. Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid, which means it contains microbial properties that fight acne. Your new favorite makeup remover also contains emollients to moisturize your skin. No more worrying that your end-of-day routine might dry out your skin with harsh soaps and hot water.

That said, none of these benefits mean anything if you’re using the wrong type of coconut oil. Which brings us to...

Selecting the Right Coconut Oil

Not all coconut oils are created equal. If you choose the wrong coconut oil to serve as your makeup remover, you could ultimately do more harm than good.

You always want to look for organic, unrefined, cold-pressed coconut oil. In other words, go for the high-quality stuff. 

Low-quality coconut oil could be contaminated. This is because the usual methods for oil extraction involve chemicals that bind to lipids in the oil. This leads to you rubbing coconut oil laced with chemicals on your face, which is likely to cause breakouts. Not to mention, the number one rule of beauty is to stay away from chemicals.

The cold-press process, on the other hand, involves no toxins whatsoever.

So now you’re excited about the benefits of using coconut oil as a makeup remover and you’ve got your jar of organic, cold-pressed oil right there in your hand. Now what?

How to Remove Makeup Using Coconut Oil

The process for removing makeup with coconut oil is super simple.

1. Scoop a pea-sized amount of oil into your hands. If the oil is in a solid state, allow the heat of your hands to liquify it.
2. Rub coconut oil into your skin using a circular motion. Watch in awe and wonder as the makeup melts away from your face. Don’t be alarmed if you wind up smearing smoky eye everywhere. It comes right off when you:
3. Rinse with warm water.
4. Pat your face dry.

That’s it! Now you can follow with a natural cleanser and the rest of your daily beauty routine.

Does Coconut Oil Clog Pores?

Now for the most common question about coconut oil. Will this oil clog your pores and cause skin problems?

The answer is complicated.

Coconut oil is comedogenic, which means it can be pore-clogging. Most people who have dry, normal, or combination skin experience more benefits than problems when they use coconut oil to remove makeup. Enough of the oil leaves their skin through rinsing that they don’t have to worry about clogged pores, while the moisturizing and antibacterial properties of coconut oil do take effect and leave them with softer, younger-looking skin.

However, if you struggle with oily skin, you may prefer to get the benefits of coconut oil through facial soaps that use this dream ingredient but are formulated to keep your skin in balance. We recommend checking out the selection of natural and organic soaps at Le Lores.

Whether or not using coconut oil as a makeup remover turns out to be the right call for you, one thing is undeniable: 

Your skin loves coconut oil. You may need to find the right balance for your skin type, but coconut oil cleanses, moisturizes, and heals. And that goes for your face, your body, and even your scalp.