Marcie Mom from EczemaBlues.com interviews Laura, CEO of VMV Hypoallergenics, to find out more about product claims and why they’re important when choosing your skin care…particularly if you and/or your child have eczema.
I read with interest that your products contain certified organic virgin coconut oil and monolaurin (derived from coconut oil) as, among other things, a substitute for parabens. Do all products containing coconut oil have the same antibacterial, antiviral and disinfectant properties that your products have? Could the “wrong” coconut oil be bad for your skin?
A: Let me tackle all that one by one…
Yes, most of our products contain certified organic virgin coconut oil (VCO) and coconut-derived monolaurin…
Yes, in part as a substitute for preservatives, not just parabens. I should also point out that our proprietary preservative system that replaces preservatives is not just monolaurin. It’s a delicately balanced mix of a few ingredients. It’s a lot of work, I won’t lie — saving the world’s skin isn’t easy but it’s what we do, and we love the challenge 🙂
And you’re right, some of the other reasons they’re there is because they provide clinically-proven antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal benefits without the common side effects like increased tolerance to treatment or dryness. Yet other reasons they’re there include as anti-inflammatories because eczema is an inflammatory condition, and to protect the skin’s important barrier layer (which tends to be damaged in conditions like eczema). They also feel phenomenal on the skin and are wonderful moisturizers.
Does Any Product With Coconut Oil Provide Antimicrobial Protection?
Coconut oil in any product should provide some antimicrobial benefits, but how much depends on the type of coconut oil. Virgin coconut oil is definitely better but not the end game. Many “VCOs” are extracted or processed with heat (one used to be able to tell this quickly by smelling the oil…but now masking fragrances are added to mimic the purer oil which has less of an odor), which can lessen these benefits. Which brings us to the answer to your last question…
The Type of VCO Matters
Not all VCOs are created equal. VCOs are sometimes extracted with heat or allergenic chemicals, or stored in containers also used to store or move other products with allergens. This explains why the only reactions to coconut oil reported medical literature are to RBD (Refined, Bleached, Deodorized) coconut oil. Certified organic VCO is a better bet, for sure, as it is not an allergen and will have been checked to confirm organicity and lack of additives. But we of course can only vouch for the one we produce because we control it from seed to bottle, and it is the oil with which all our published clinical studies are done.
In summary, we use virgin coconut oil so much for skin with eczema because the skin’s barrier layer becomes compromised in eczematous skin. VCO provides barrier repair like virgin coconut oil. Daily use of VCO can help prevent flare-ups. VCO can also help skin quickly after a flare. Early on, apply virgin coconut oil (VCO) to soften the crust as it forms (the crust makes the skin dry, hard and itchy). Keep applying the oil for occlusion, giving skin a secondary barrier against water loss. We have an allergen-free collection of multitasking Mom & Baby care that can help. This post on a regimen for kids with eczema is a great read, as is Top Recommendations For Patients With Eczema. And don’t forget to follow your doctor’s advice!
This article was originally published in eczemablues.com as one of a multi-part series focused on understanding and using products for sensitive skin. Inspired by her daughter Marcie who had eczema from two weeks old, Mei (aka MarcieMom) started EczemaBlues.com with the mission to turn eczema blues to bliss. In this series of interviews, MarcieMom interviews Laura, CEO of VMV Hypoallergenics, to learn more about product claims when choosing products to care for skin with eczema.
