Think you have a coconut allergy? Keep reading to find out what you can do about it!
A couple of weeks ago I started to get itchy.
And before you starting thinking up some witty one-liner, I shower daily, often more than once.
And I use soap.
And shampoo.
And there-in lies the problem.
Apparently most “natural” bath & beauty and even cleaning and laundry products are filled with coconut derived ingredients. And I apparently am allergic to them – at least when they touch my skin thanks to a coconut allergy.
And so every day I would get rashes on my arms and legs that were incredibly itchy. An antihistamine would take the itch away for a couple of hours then the rash would return. Often in a new location but always on my arms & legs and nowhere else. Mostly concentrated around my wrists and ankles, but it certainly didn’t discriminate against other parts of my arms & legs.
It’s been a miserable few weeks. Thankfully my mom suggested the coconut possibility pretty early on and I systematically began to remove it from my routine, which was easier said than done.
I don’t have a great picture of the rash but it was small itchy bumps. They did not appear like hives do, they were smaller but still raised. They would appear in clumps and focus around my wrists and ankles but did appear in patches on my forearms, calves and knees.
Our switch to natural home and beauty products
Last year we began making a change in our household to eliminate chemicals from our household products. From laundry detergent to spray cleaners to shampoo and everything in between. We did a major overhaul and threw out everything that had something in it that we couldn’t identify as safe.
For our laundry, we used either Seventh Generation products or ECOS by Earth Friendly Products. I preferred the ECOS because it had fewer ingredients and I could get a huge bottle at Costco for like $14. It also made our laundry smell better than the Seventh Generation.
For most of the rest of my household cleaning, I had taken to using Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap. This amazing liquid soap is made from all-natural organic certified ingredients. I would mix it with water in a spray bottle and use it for our household cleaner. I made foaming hand soap with it. I even used it to shampoo my hair.
For my bath and body products, as I mentioned I was using Dr. Bronner’s as a shampoo but I also liked to use Everyday Coconut brand shampoo and conditioner for convenience. For soap, I would use either the Everyday Coconut body wash or a bar soap like Kiss My Face Olive Oil Bar Soap. Deodorant was a bit trickier to find one that worked well, but I stumbled across a little company called DeoDad Natural Deodorant. It worked great but the main ingredient was coconut much like most everything else I was using. Even my lip balm had coconut ingredients!
But coconut as an ingredient is not limited to natural products.
No ma’am.
Even the chemical filled products have ingredients that may have been derived from coconuts.
How Common is a Coconut Allergy
True coconut allergies are pretty rare. Despite ending with the letters NUT, a coconut is classified as a fruit, not a tree nut. So those with nut allergies, usually aren’t allergic to coconut.
And an allergy to eating coconut is quite different from a contact allergy. A contact allergy to coconut is more common and usually causes an itchy rash on the skin called contact dermatitis.
Contact Dermatitis
The Mayo Clinic describes contact dermatitis as such:
Contact dermatitis is a kind of skin inflammation that occurs when substances touching your skin cause irritation or an allergic reaction. The resulting red, itchy rash isn’t contagious or life-threatening, but it can be very uncomfortable.
Clearing up contact dermatitis can be as simple as removing the offending substance from use. Which sounds simple, but when it comes to coconut, it’s not that easy because it has become so widely used in products of all kinds. And once you do finally remove the substance from use, it can take weeks to see an improvement in the rash and subsequent itch.
WEEKS.
And it did.
Take weeks.
But I am finally seeing an improvement from this coconut allergy.
I can’t tell you how nice it is to not be itchy.
Ingredients to avoid if you have a coconut allergy
It’s hard to know for sure if an ingredient is, in fact, derived from coconut. Some will stand out for sure because it will say “coconut oil” or “coconut milk” or start with “coco” or “coca” but most are hidden under other names.
Below is a list of potential ingredients to look out for and avoid if you believe that you have a contact allergy to coconut. You may want to avoid palm based products as well as they are related.
- 1,2 Octanediol
- 2 Phenoxyethanol
- Ammonium Lauryl Sulphate
- Capryl Glycol
- Caprylic Acid
- Caprylic Glycol
- Caprylic/Capric
- Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides
- Caprylyl Glycol
- Ceteareth-20
- Cetearyl Alcohol
- Cetearyl Glucoside
- Ceteth-20 Phosphate
- Cetyl Alcohol
- Cetyl Esters
- Cocamide MEA
- Cocamidopropyl Betaine
- Cococaprylate/Caprate
- Coco Glucoside
- Cocomide DEA
- Coconut cream
- Coconut diethanolamide (CDFA)
- Coconut milk
- Cocos nucifera (another name for coconut oil)
- Coconut Oil
- Decyl Glucoside
- Disodium Cocamphodiprop
- Disodium cocoamphodiacetate
- Emusifying Wax
- Glyceryl Caprylate
- Glyceryl cocoate
- Hexyl Laurate
- Laureth-3
- Isopropyl Myristate
- Lauric Acid
- Lauryl Glucoside
- Lauryl Alcohol
- Lauramide DEA
- Myristic Acid
- Olefin Sulfonate
- Organic Sodium Cocoate
- PEG – 7 Glyceryl Cocoate
- PEG -100
- PEG – 100 Stearate
- Phenoxyethanol
- Polysorbate 20
- Sodium Cocoate
- Sodium Coco-Sulfate
- Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
- Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
- Sucrose Stearate
- Sodium Lauroamphoacetate
- Sodium Laureth Sulfate
- Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinat
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
- Sodium Myreth Sulfate
- Sodium Stearate
- Sorbitan Stearate
- Stearyl Alcohol
- Stearalkonium chloride
- Sucrose Cocoate
- TEA-Laureth Sulfate
- Vegetable Cetearyl Glucose
- Vegetable Glycerine
You really have to turn into a detective to find products that are free from allergens if you suspect a contact coconut allergy. I have taken to making my own cleaners and detergent and using bar soap and a mineral deodorant.
I was concerned that I would now be known as the stinky lady (a la what’s that smell?) but so far everything is cleaning pretty well.
All humor aside, it was that frustrating because I really didn’t know that it was working until one day I woke up and the rash was gone.
Overall I have been pleasantly surprised by how well simple household ingredients can clean. It’s amazing that most of the products on the shelves these days have so many ingredients when just a few can do just as good of a job – and not cause people to have an uncomfortable itchy rash.
What I Am Using
This blog is a great resource for products and information as well.
Do you have or suspect that you have a coconut allergy?
Coconut Allergy Printable
This free printable is great to take with you when you go shopping. It has that long list of ingredients to avoid and a spot where you can write down the products you find that don’t contain coconut based ingredients.
Click the image below and it will open a PDF file that you can print from your computer.
This was originally posted on Sep. 15, 2013 and recently updated with images and links on Jan. 14th, 2020.
Veronica says
December 28, 2019 at 8:46 pmI found out that Bath and Body Works’ Men’s 2-in-1 Hair and Body Wash does not contain coconut. I’ve been using that for a while. I know what you’re thinking, what woman would like to be smelling like a man all day, right? But hey, if it allows me to keep myself clean without putting myself in danger, I’ll take it!
Cassie says
November 18, 2019 at 2:20 pmHas anybody been able to find a shampoo/conditioner that doesn’t contain palm or coconut?
Wendy Jones says
November 5, 2019 at 10:49 amI just found out that my son is allergic to cocamidopropyl betaine and although having removed that, he is still having issues. Mostly it is around his eyes and some patches on his face. He is 17 years old and this just all began in the last few months. We will try Kiss my Face bar soap but am having a hard time finding a shampoo that he can use. Any recommendations?
730 Sage Street says
November 5, 2019 at 11:02 amGiven what you mentioned what about something like this http://bit.ly/2NiUyYT (no SLS, SLES, CAPB).
Wendy Jones says
November 5, 2019 at 12:00 pmI’m confused though, the top few ingredients on there are on your list of Ingredients to Avoid if you suspect a coconut allergy. He was trialing Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Shampoo that doesn’t contain any CAPB, however, he flared up even worse around his eyes, so given that it has Coconut Oil in it, I was concerned that he possibly has a coconut allergy too.
Cassie says
November 26, 2019 at 6:59 amFound a shampoo that I love! Hoping this can help others. There’s an online boutique called Elegant Rose Bohtique that carries coconut and palm free ahampoos, bar soaps, deodorants and more. I’m in love!
Amber Yee says
June 27, 2019 at 10:30 amCan you form a allergy to coconut oil? I have been using it for years.. however, the last two weeks I have had a rash, and the only consistent thing in my day is I put coconut oil on my arms and legs…
Kim says
July 1, 2019 at 9:00 amI think that you can develop an allergy at any age unfortunately.
Cassie says
November 10, 2019 at 1:55 pmYep! You can unfortunately develop a coconut (or any other allergy for that matter) at any time. I developed my own allergy to coconut shortly after having my daughter 5 years ago and a couple of years later it expanded into a palm allergy as well. Such a pain in the neck!
Dr. Marcie Fondale says
May 24, 2019 at 8:11 pmOH MY GOSH!!! I am currently going through this nearly impossible task of removing coconut from all products. It is a NIGHTMARE!!!! Thanks to your list, I was able to quickly see that the products I thought were safe are actually not. This explains why I am still on 7 different antihistamines AND injections for hives, yet I’m still MISERABLE!!! Thank you for the list & good luck to everyone with this problem. XO
Kim says
May 26, 2019 at 4:51 pmOh wow, that doesn’t sound like fun. I hope this helps you figure out what products you can use, and overcome being miserable. Good luck!
Cassie says
November 10, 2019 at 2:50 pmThank you SO much for this post! I’ve known about my own coconut allergy for about 4 years now, which expanded into a palm allergy about 2 years ago. Last weekend I ate a bar with palm oil in it and I’m still trying to get the darn itchy rash to go away. I’m encouraged by this article where Kim says that it can take WEEKS for the rash to subside! In the past mine has gone away in just a few days and the fact that it is still lingering has me worried!… and re-checking ALL of my household products to figure out if there might be another source of exposure that I hadn’t caught before.
I thought I would share some of my own knowledge in this area with hopes that it can help….
Because Coconut and Palm are so closely related I highly recommend keeping an eye on palm products if you feel like you’ve already gone completely coconut free and are still reacting… Like coconut, palm hides in many body care products and supplements (ascorbyl palmitate is in MANY supplements… companies are also starting to put MCTs in supplements so you have to watch for that also). Walnut and Hazelnuts can also be cross reactive foods with coconut. This is another area that I’m monitoring and wondering if perhaps my coconut allergy is now expanding into walnut/hazelnuts (WHAT! A! PAIN!).
I’m going to try your laundry soap recipe Kim! Thanks for sharing that! I tried to read through all of the comments but don’t have time to sift through too thoroughly right now. Did you mention if you’re still reacting to things like laundry soap, makeup? I use the same Costco Free and Clear detergent that you mentioned you had been using originally… In the past I was fine with this and the limited number of body products that probably contain some form of coconut (shampoo, conditioner)… but now with this current reaction I’m trying to figure out if I am now reacting to more products or if its just taking a while for that exposure to palm oil from last weekend to get out of my system.
Thanks for all your awesome info!
Cassie
negev79 says
May 19, 2019 at 1:23 pmHi there – just wanted to stop by and say thanks for the list, I have a contact dermatitis allergy to coconut oil and its derivatives, so finding skin care products has been, well you know. Quite an experience. Wanted to let people know that I found some Lush face cleansers don’t have coconut oil in them (they aren’t foaming of course, but work well – I use the Ultrabland oil cleanser and Aqua Marina clay cleanser) and Schmidt’s Natural Soaps (although bought by Unilever) also are palm oil based, no coconut oil in there that I can find, and no reaction so far. Good luck to all and may none of us get wrinkles or need glasses from squinting at labels so much, LOL.
Kim says
May 22, 2019 at 7:55 pmOh I know reading those labels is so hard sometimes. Thanks for those tips, I’m going to check those out.
Angela says
March 25, 2019 at 8:31 pmDo you have any tips for moisturizers? I used to get “mystery rashes” until I realized how many different coconut ingredients we’re in skin and haircare products. Thanks for the info!
Kim says
April 5, 2019 at 10:13 amSomething like this: https://goto.target.com/7Kmjr shea butter from Target. (affiliate link)
Christine says
March 21, 2019 at 11:01 pmHi There!
Thanks for the great article! I recently realized that practically everything for the home and beauty contains coconut oil!
After a couple of minor outbreaks from directly using coconut products, I realized, “So that’s why my throat itches from coconut smoothies! I’m allergic!”
I have a question…
It was to my surprise that Dr. Bronner’s uses coconut oil in their castile soaps. I was slowly trying to switch to olive oil castile. Dr. Bronner’s has not given me an issue, so I just gave it one more search and found your page. So you aren’t affected by the coconut oil in their soaps? Is it processed out? I’ve read that sometimes the protein will sink toward the bottom of the oil, and if they’re using the top of the oil, you might be fine. Thoughts?
Thanks so much!
Kim says
March 24, 2019 at 7:55 amHi, sorry you are suffering from this most annoying allergy. I was using Dr. Bronner’s prior to discovering my allergy. I was using it for EVERYTHING. Once I realized the problem, I had to switch to an olive oil soap and stop using the Dr. Bronner’s.
Serena Jones says
February 23, 2019 at 8:05 amThank you so much for this list. I was diagnosed with a severe coconut allergy almost 10 years ago. However, I never had any dermatological problems until recently. I have used products that contain coconuts in them for years but I guess my immune system cannot handle it anymore. Since more cosmetics companies are trying to use natural products I find coconut and coconut derivatives more common in products now than 10 years ago. In the last two weeks I had two contact allergic reactions on my face due to coconut derivatives. Fortunately I have a chemistry degree so I was able to quickly read the label as realize there were coconut derivatives in the products. But there are some other ingredients that can fool you even with a chemistry degree. Thank you so much for the list.
Kim says
February 23, 2019 at 12:02 pmIt’s crazy that it takes a chemistry degree to decipher a label! I’m glad the list helped you!
Rae says
February 23, 2019 at 5:07 amThe moment I read “I used to joke that I was going to have to live in a cave and wash my clothes on a rock in the stream ” I cried, not for you but because WE ARE THE SAME. I developed my allergy to coconut as a teenager and I’m allergic to Brazil nuts. I have many other life altering allergies like willow trees aka aspirin and artificial sweeteners. These few along with MCS multiple chemical sensitivity, asthma, airborne and contact allergies have made it impossible to work with other people like a normal human. Sometimes I just want to live in the woods by myself with clean air, clean water, clean food and I’ll be alright. Until then dr.bronners magic soap is amazing. Thank you for spreading the word about coconut allergies and overuse becomes over deforestation in another area.
Kim says
February 23, 2019 at 12:04 pmIt’s crazy all of the stuff that people have become allergic to. And very scary. For my kids’ sake, I’m still tempted to go live in that cave. I think a lot of things would be so much better.
Cassie says
November 10, 2019 at 1:58 pmI’m still confused about the Dr. Bonners Magic Soap. Doesn’t this contain coconut? I looked through all the Dr Bonners soaps and thought all of them contain coconut. Confused…
Mindy says
February 7, 2019 at 1:56 pmHi Kim! I have been aware of my. Own skin sensitivity to Lanolin oil, also known as Shea butter and most recently remarketed as Argon oil. This was difficult as a teenager who developed perioral dermatitis during my first week of high school. I am also allergic to mineral oil. Most recently after eliminating all of these I have developed an allergy to Coconut oil and derivatives. This is the most difficult to avoid!!
I have replaced my exfoliant with grapes. I use a Qtip to get some of the Juice and use it successfully! It is very gentle and practically free since I like to eat them too.
Also, I am using Aloe straight from the plant not bottled on my lips and dry skill patches. I simply Loofah rather than using lotion for my body but need the Aloe and grapes for my face. Sorry this is soooooo long but I thought I could help. Also She hand soap and spray is good for some of the line. I looove the smell. Best results with the dark green bottles.
Kim says
February 8, 2019 at 8:51 amThanks for the tips!
Jen says
January 3, 2019 at 5:01 pmHi Kim! I don’t even know where to start – Thank you for writing about this. I didn’t know it was a thing but I’ve suffered several times from flare ups of a condition called “Perioral Dermatitis” which is a fancy way of saying that somehow you broke your skin barrier. It wasn’t until this last time that I connected it to coconut oil. I’m a little different from you in that I don’t notice anything with the run of the mill shampoo and conditioner, soaps, etc. UNTIL I start adding coconut oil into my regimen. Then after about 2 months, it’s as though my skin says, “that’s enough!” and my face breaks out into an awful rash that only exacerbates with any treatment other than water. Super fun. This time, girded with an actual understanding, it has helped me to heal a little faster. All of that to say, I’m thankful for the above list as now I can be more careful especially since it seems my daughter has the same sensitivity. I’m like you in that so long as I don’t have the “overload” happening, my skin seems fine with the trace amounts in certain things, but if I’m still dealing with my outbreak, everything makes it worse.
I’m excited to make your laundry detergent and your hand soap. Do you think I could also use the hand soap version in the shower for hair and body wash? It is a sad chore that we have to do this because no one can make anything pure.
Thank you again!
Kim says
January 9, 2019 at 9:23 amOh no! Well, I’m glad I could help, even though it’s no fun at all to have this allergy. I do think you could use the hand soap in the shower, that’s actually a great idea. If you have thick long hair, it may require more of the soap, but worth a shot! Good luck!
Silke Weygoldt says
December 30, 2018 at 4:43 pmThank you so much for your post. I’m dealing with suspected coconut allergy for more than 18 months right now and it is just frustrating to read through all those labels thinking they are safe only to start itching again. who would have know PEG 100 is coconut ???
and being a massage therapist certainly does not help.
Do you have a list of products you use or know that are safe?
Kim says
January 9, 2019 at 9:29 amI know, it’s crazy! Honestly most products aren’t safe. I found some Shea Moisture products at Target that seem to be safe, and then bar soap like Kiss My Face brand. Good luck!
Kyra says
November 8, 2018 at 11:44 pmHahaha, newest challenge: I’m actually anaphylactic, turns out yeast infection medications are officially a problem. Anyone have any suggestions? ='(
Kim says
November 11, 2018 at 5:32 pmOh no! I hope you can find some solutions!
Jennifer says
September 14, 2018 at 12:03 amI think I have this too! Dang near impossible to find products without coconut derivatives. When we moved to a new company my hands started breaking out in red bumpy rashes. 2nd ingredient after water: cocomidolpropyl betaine. My face started breaking out too as I rest my face on my hand when I do computer work. I found kiss my face olive oil soap and I’m trying to make my own shampoo from soapnuts. I live in a dry climate so I do find the kiss my face soap quite drying. Looking for a good moisturizer now. And waiting to see an allergist. The weird thing is, I can eat coconut oil and milk with no apparent problem. The coco derivatives on the other hand, my skin seems to hate.
Kim says
September 14, 2018 at 7:33 amIt’s not fun at all! We found that bar soaps with coconut are fine, but liquid soaps are more problematic. I also found that once I detoxed from the coconut, I could go back to using laundry, shampoo and hand soap just fine. But if I start adding body wash and lotions and stuff, I have issues. I too can eat the coconut. I think it’s because these days everything has all that processed coconut oil derivatives, not just actual coconut oil. I buy the bar soap from Whole Foods that has coconut oil in it, but not any weird processed coconut and I do just fine. Good luck!
Kim says
September 3, 2018 at 8:54 amBlanche, thanks for the info, I will definitely check out that app. My mom and I also noticed liquid soaps are far worse than bar soaps for us. I don’t react to a bar soap with coconut oil, only to liquid soaps with other processed versions.
Blanche says
August 29, 2018 at 3:26 pmThank you, Kim, for this blog. I was recently diagnosed with allergies to Cocamide DEA, Cocamidopropyl Betaine (CAPB), Glyceryl Monothioglycolate, and Polysorbate 80. My symptoms date back to the past two to three years, and finally about three months ago a dermatologist performed patch tests on my back to discover the cause of the rashes, redness, and itching I’ve been experiencing on the calves of my legs, but moreso at old wound sites that have resurfaced after having healed 10 to 18 years ago (including redness and itching in an incision from breast cancer surgery in 2001). I was told by someone that when a body is overloaded with toxins that are not eliminated in a normal fashion, those toxins exit through old wound sites–and that is exactly what has been happening with me. Although my dermatologist provided me with a 113-page list of acceptable products, that list contains only dry shampoos, so I have been searching not only for shampoos, but also for all sorts of products that do not cause a reaction–cosmetics, personal care products, laundry products, etc. When I entered a question about the ingredients in a product sold by Amazon, an “angel” named Kristen responded and referred me to SkinSafeProducts.com (sponsored by Mayo Clinic); it has been a godsend in helping me select products that are “safe for me.” I’ve downloaded a SkinSafe app on my iPhone, which enables me to scan bar codes on products in stores; and although not all products are listed on the SkinSafe website, app users can submit scans of any products not yet listed, and they will be notified once the product is researched and added to their database.
Morgan says
July 15, 2018 at 6:13 amI’m so grateful to have come across your story. MY 1 year old has been suffering from allergies for almost her entire life. It’s so bad on her face that she scratches until it bleeds sometimes. I’m wondering if it because of coconuts. She has been tested and proven to be allergic but I didn’t know that basically everything she uses has coconut oil or it’s derivatives. I’m going to make this change for our household and hopefully it makes a difference. everything from all free and clear laundry detergent to all of the Vanicream products we’ve. been using. it’s in everything. What detergents have you found to be coconut free?
Thank you so much!
Kim says
July 17, 2018 at 1:12 pmOh wow, well I hope this helps! I had to make my own detergent: https://www.730sagestreet.com/easy-homemade-laundry-detergent/. There are a million and one recipes out there but that one is the simplest. Good luck!
Naomi Aitchison says
April 30, 2018 at 9:07 pmBeen feeling alone with this allergy for a long time and so glad to have found you guys! I just found shea moisture shampoo which is amazing, my rash is finally starting to get better after weeks. Now I’m researching a clinical strength deodrant that’s coconut free. About to order crystal, but definitely need more suggestions. Thanks!
Kim says
May 1, 2018 at 6:09 amI had to use the crystal, but I recently tried using one with coconut (Schmidt brand) where the only ingredient is actual coconut oil not one of this wacky processed coconut ingredients. I can use the lavender & sage scent without a problem. Some of the other scents bother me.
Morgan says
July 15, 2018 at 6:25 amWhich shea moisture product are you using? I have yet to find one hat does not have coconut mentioned looking for something to use on my daughters hair.
Thanks!
Kim says
July 17, 2018 at 1:09 pmOh I only use their lotion. It’s next to impossible to find any shampoo without coconut. I was just using the Kiss Your Face bar soap to wash my hair and using ACV as a rinse. Once I eliminated everything coconut I was able to add regular shampoo back in without a problem.
Dawn Fox says
September 13, 2017 at 12:48 pmWhat coconut free deodorant do you use?
Kim says
September 17, 2017 at 9:40 amIt’s called Crystal I think. It has a hard rock version and a liquid roll-on version. It’s ok but definitely needs to be re-applied during the day
Megan Aspenes says
October 29, 2015 at 7:04 amI’ve been struggling with a horrendous rash for the last 4 months. The doctor is convinced it’s my cats (they’re 7 years old and I’ve had them since kittens ). But I thought it was a detergent I bought to try for the first time from Costco. It’s ecos and it really irritated my skin. That’s when it started. But since eliminating the detergent and rewashing my entire wardrobe the rash has not improved! Constant questioning and investigating has brought me to searching allergic reaction to coconut based products. They’re in EVERY THING! I’m going to eliminate them and see what happens. Thank you for sharing your story. It sounds like mine! Trying to do the healthy thing and suffering with a burning itchy rash.Thank you thank you thank you!
Kimberly Grabinski says
November 1, 2015 at 7:37 amIt’s so hard to find stuff that doesn’t have coconut. I love the Shea Moisture body products but for detergent I’m just making my own with the olive oil soap. It works great.
Mary says
October 9, 2015 at 12:43 amI’m allergic to coconut oil too! It’s so difficult finding products that won’t make me break out in hives. What products do you use now for skincare and hair?
Kimberly Grabinski says
October 9, 2015 at 8:24 amI just use a shea butter soap to hair and skin. I use apple cider vinegar as conditioner.
Jen says
January 3, 2019 at 10:10 amI am going to leave a longer reply to this whole post but I wonder does the smell of the ACV diminish when you rinse your hair or is the smell still there?
Kim says
January 9, 2019 at 9:24 amOnce my hair dried, I could no longer smell it. I hope that helps!
Gail says
September 30, 2015 at 3:03 pmI found your article while searching to see if “caprylic/capric triglycerides” in cosmetics might be causing allergies. I usually use mineral powder foundation, but tried a sample of a ‘all natural’ cream foundation that has those ingredients and I get some intense itching and reddish patches when I use it. However, there are a couple of other ingredients, magnesium silicate and candelilla wax, that are also not in my usual foundations, so it could be a combo of ingredients.
I hope I don’t have a coconut allergy, but I’ve suspected that phenoxyethanol used as a preservative in some face cosmetics is a problems for me. (Parabens were not as far as I now, but now that those are unpopular, many ‘natural’ brands are using phenoxyethanol.)
I don’t have a problem with natural coconut oil, so maybe these derivatives have solvent-like properties and are penetrating the skin to a deeper layer and perhaps pulling along other ingredients that were benign when sitting on top of the skin?
I also have had problems with all the shampoos I have been trying for a few years – even ‘natural’ and sulfate-free shampoos. My hair was very dry even with the supposedly most gentle products, and conditioner was not helping a lot, especially with scalp itchiness and dryness.
However, when I tried a bar soap called Traveler’s Choice by a St. Louis company named Herbaria, I was surprised to find it soothing and left my hair and scalp in much better condition. (I also usually rinse with dilute cider vinegar.) I do comb in some leave-in conditioner since I have long hair, but my scalp feels great now and I don’t use any treatments or oils on it. (That never helped when I was using liquid shampoos, anyway!)
I noticed that Herbaria has a lye bar soap, too, so that must be working for a lot of people.
I can certainly relate to the challenge of identifying allergens and avoiding any common ingredients in personal care products and appreciate your post very much!
Gail says
September 30, 2015 at 3:09 pmThat should have been “as far as I know” rather than “as far as I now”.
Kimberly Grabinski says
October 1, 2015 at 9:25 amThanks so much for taking the time to comment! I don’t have an issue with pure coconut oil, it seems to be all of the derivatives like you mentioned. I have noticed I do have a tolerance for them now, I can use *some* on a regular basis, but I try to avoid as much as possible.
Good luck trying to figure out your problem!
Elaine says
May 28, 2015 at 6:07 pmFor the last 10 MONTHS my hands have been itchy. The skin blisters and breaks easily, and I often have tiny cuts. They do not *look* dry but the skin is tight. I stopped using alcohol hand sanitizer, switched to non-latex dish gloves, started applying lotion after every single hand washing, etc. (I talked to my family doc and he just said they’re dry and I need a new lotion. Umm, no; not it.) I have a suspicion, though, that I’m reacting to an ingredient in my daughter’s hair products. I did allergy testing over a year ago and the results showed no allergies to the common ones. I’m going to cut out coconut, which seems near impossible. My daughter is black and A LOT of the natural products for curly hair contain coconut. Sigh.
Thanks for these tips and links.
Kimberly Grabinski says
May 28, 2015 at 8:47 pmIt’s not easy! I found that when I remove ALL coconut based products (which means ALL detergent, shampoos, lotions, soaps, etc. I can now wash my daughter’s hair without a problem and even use a shampoo with coconut in it. So I think it builds up and because I only use a small amount now, it doesn’t bother me.
Good luck!
Sam says
July 9, 2014 at 10:41 amHave you found a good shampoo that is coconut free? I swear it is in every shampoo these days and the one I currently use without it leaves my hair pretty oily.
Kimberly Grabinski says
July 9, 2014 at 11:05 amNo. I have resorted to using lye bar soap. I actually made it into a liquid which worked ok, but I get lazy and just end up using the bar. I have long hair and it’s not too bad so long as you don’t get it in your nose – BURNS. I then rinse with apple cider vinegar.
It actually works well but took a few weeks for my hair to adjust and not be oily.
Stephanie says
March 22, 2018 at 7:05 pmCLean kids naturally shampoo does not have coconut!!
Kim says
March 24, 2018 at 9:12 amOh great, thanks for that information!
Diane says
June 22, 2014 at 6:19 pmhi — thanks so much for sharing! i am looking for a sunscreen for my children. looking at the ewg website, the ones that rate the best have coconut oil in them. do u have any suggestions? sincerely yours, diane
Kimberly Grabinski says
June 22, 2014 at 8:13 pmHi Diane, I bought Badger Baby Sunscreen Cream SPF 30. You practically have to send them out all covered in it – like so you can see it but there is no coconut oil.
Diane says
June 22, 2014 at 8:21 pmThank you! ! !
Sabrina says
July 26, 2014 at 12:28 amI believe the coppertone babies and the coppertone kids sunscreens don’t have derivatives of coconut (the lotions, not the spray)
Tricia says
April 28, 2014 at 10:46 pmCoconut derived products are in baby soap too! I got a rash on my face and neck and scalp from using it. I spent 30 minutes at Walmart looking for shampoo, body wash, bar soap and vagisil washes and could not find 1 without coconut. So frustrating. I seem to be fine with WEN hair shampoo and it doesn’t have any products that start with coco… But I didn’t realize the list was so extensive. My coconut allergy is getting worse over the years. Thanks for the list!
Kimberly Grabinski says
April 29, 2014 at 8:27 amWell it’s nice to know I am not alone, but this allergy really is life changing because most products have coconut derived ingredients.
I melted down a bar of lye soap and mixed it with water and made my own shampoo. It actually works fairly well, just is more of a hair gel than a lathering shampoo.
That’s good to know about WEN!
Jeanne says
April 16, 2014 at 6:35 pmHello Kim!
Thank you for sharing this very interesting post. I really appreciate the fact that you did share your story. Thank God I don’t have a coconut allergy. It is so nice to know that you are using organic products. As for me, I am also using organic products especially organic shampoo.
barbara barrie says
January 1, 2014 at 9:19 amhi…soooo glad you found the cause…i, too, have a coconut allergy…can u tell me what you are using to wash your hair…detergent for clothes? ty…sincerely, barbara
Kimberly Grabinski says
January 1, 2014 at 10:10 amBarbara, I actually make my own detergent: http://theysmell.com/easy-homemade-laundry-detergent/ and I use Kiss My Face or this site for bar soap: http://lyesoap.com/. I was washing my hair with bar soap but on a whim I decided to try one of the shampoos I had leftover from Nature’s Gate. I am fine with the shampoo now but it’s the ONLY product I use that has coconut in it. I condition with apple cider vinegar and water. The bar soap worked GREAT for my hair for the most part though.
Sara Parker says
October 9, 2013 at 3:29 pmI’m so glad I found this post – I was just diagnosed with contact dermatitis to coconut (and a host of other things) and it is in EVERYTHING! I had bumps all over my legs that looked just like the photo of your hand.
Kimberly Grabinski says
October 9, 2013 at 3:34 pmI haven’t been formally diagnosed, but because my mom went through it, we assumed it was the same and it appears to be. I plan to be tested soon though to rule out other things. It’s not at all fun. Did they tell you what else is related to coconut to stay away from? Did you have a skin test?
Sara Parker says
October 9, 2013 at 7:58 pmAn allergist did a patch test – the coconut product they tested was Coconut Diethanolamide. I am allergic to several other things, so they are entering everything into a national database, which will create a list of products I can use. I can share the additional information I receive pertaining to coconut if you like.
Kimberly Grabinski says
October 9, 2013 at 8:44 pmYes, I’d love to know. We have all sorts of crazy stuff going on with our insurance so it will be a bit before I get to allergist. If you want to email it’s [email protected]. I appreciate it!
Sara Phillips says
September 19, 2013 at 7:38 amI am so glad you found the cause!! I cannot believe that list of “other” names for coconut! That’s CRAZY!
Kimberly Grabinski says
September 19, 2013 at 9:18 amI know! It’s insane.
Nichol says
September 18, 2013 at 7:50 amSo glad you finally figured it out but so frustrating when you are trying to do the right thing and change to natural. I don’t have any known allergies but do feel something in these commercial shampoos bothers my scalp and because of that I am no longer going to be using store bought shampoo or conditioner. Here comes hot oil treatments with coconut oil and not sure about my shampoo yet, possible the olive oil bar like you are using.
Kimberly Grabinski says
September 18, 2013 at 10:26 amI just ordered the same olive oil bar with honey in it too. I do love the soap but it’s kind of a pain sometimes to only be able to use that bar soap. How do I wash my hands when I go other places?
Robin (Masshole Mommy) says
September 15, 2013 at 3:48 pmWow, I have never heard of that before, but I have sensitive skin as it is, so I usually buy products made for people like me.
Kimberly Grabinski says
September 16, 2013 at 9:49 amI never would have guessed had my mom not gone through the same thing a few months ago. She only had to change out her shampoo though because she wasn’t using the large amounts of coconut containing products as i was.
Denise Coon says
August 20, 2018 at 8:26 amLast December I started with the exact type of rash pictured but it’s gone on now for eight months. Finally, after four doctors it was identified as contact dermitis to coconut oil/cocamidopropyl betaine. I was using essential oils with coconut oil as a dilution. Everything I was using had coconut oil in it. Do you mind sharing what products you have found that doesn’t contain coconut oil/cocamidopropyl betaine? I’m having a lot of difficulty finding soaps. lotions, shampoo, hand soap, detergent…. This has been a horrible nightmare for the past eight months. The itching was so severe that I have permanent scarring from bleeding and breaking open the bumps. Thank you
Kim says
August 20, 2018 at 10:46 amIt’s pretty hard to find them. Kiss My Face olive oil soap works well. I have used it for hand soap, washed my hair with it and made detergent out of it. We read labels all the time, and it’s next to impossible to find products off the shelf that don’t have it.
https://www.730sagestreet.com/how-to-make-foaming-hand-soap/
https://www.730sagestreet.com/easy-homemade-laundry-detergent/
Good luck!