When it comes to keeping your beautiful skin as healthy as possible—both physically and what you see when you look in the mirror, the number of options available to help you achieve this goal might feel seemingly endless.

We already tackled body oil vs. lotion in our last blog, so now let’s break down the ingredients.

Coconut oil and shea butter are two options available for healthy skin. To make sure we’re all on the same page with these two skincare powerhouses, let’s do a quick run-through starting with what they are and how they help your skin.

Coconut Oil: Is it good for your skin?

Before we go coco-nuts with details, what exactly is coconut oil? Coconut oil is extracted from…you guessed it…coconuts, either from raw coconuts or from dried coconut kernels. It’s a highly saturated fat that is solid at room temperature but can be softened or turned into liquid when heated. It’s a popular oil for cooking and for hair and skincare.

Click here to read more about how coconut oil can help your hair too →

Coconut oil has many benefits for your skin, making it essential in your skincare routine:

• • Act as a sealant, trapping moisture and hydration into your skin to keep it looking beautiful year-round.
  • Can reduce inflammation, which can help protect your skin against the environment and skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis.
  • Help keep your skin looking young and healthy.
  • Condition, soothe, and smooth your skin.

Looking for products with shea butter and coconut oil? Click here to shop our line of washes →

Shea Butter: Is it good for skin?

Shea butter is a creamy fat found in shea tree nuts, and like coconut oil, it’s solid at room temperature, but your body heat melts it when it’s applied to your skin. Since shea butter is loaded with fatty acids and vitamins (mainly vitamins E and A), it’s been used in cosmetic products for centuries. Shea butter has a mild, nutty fragrance.

Click here to shop our line of probiotic lotions created with shea butter

Benefits of Shea Butter on skin:

While coconut oil and shea butter do have many similarities as far as how they can benefit your skin, shea butter does offer some additional benefits:

• • Can be used on all skin types, and even though it’s made from a nut, it’s considered hypoallergenic.
  • Does not clog pores.
  • Can help minimize scarring.
  • Won’t cause oiliness or the “look” of oily skin, which can happen if too much of any oil is applied to the skin.
  • Can help relieve sunburn pain or pain from other types of first-degree burns.

Want the best of both worlds? Click here to read more about our favorite skincare ritual: lotion + body oil →

WHAT BENEFITS DO COCONUT OIL AND SHEA BUTTER OFFER MY SKIN?

Coconut oil and shea butter do offer many of the same benefits (including the ones we already listed above), and while these benefits might be achieved in slightly different ways, they are something to celebrate! So here’s some more:

• • Can help boost collagen production, which can reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and plump up your skin.
  • Help prevent dull looking skin.
  • Might reduce the look of stretch marks.
  • Can offer some sun protection (but still apply sunscreen first!)
  • Might help soothe arthritis pain and muscle soreness.

Click here to read more about how these ingredients can help boost your skincare routine →

Click here to shop our line of Concreta created with BOTH shea butter and coconut oil →

WHAT’S BETTER? COCONUT OIL OR SHEA BUTTER?

The honest answer to this question is…you don’t have to choose! Both can benefit your skin in the amazing ways we’ve shared. The most important things to keep in mind when choosing any skincare product are your skin type (oily, combo, dry, sensitive, and so on), what you want your skincare products to do for you, and any skin issues you might have. And while using coconut oil and shea butter separately can definitely benefit your skin, combining the two can actually supercharge your skincare routine, offering your beautiful skin the benefits of both—at the same time!

As you can probably guess, we’re coconut oil and shea butter fans, and we love to include both in our products.

When it comes to coconut oil and shea butter, both are winners when it comes to caring for your beautiful skin, so there’s no need to ever pick a side. Use them separately or as a skincare powerhouse combo to give your skin the love it needs 24/7/365.