The most common and accepted use of lauric acid is in products designed to cleanse the skin and hair, such as facial cleansers, body washes, shower gels and shampoos. If lauric acid is mixed with sodium hydroxide or lye, it forms sodium laurate, one of the most common types of bar soaps.
Lauric acid is sometimes recommended for the treatment of cold sores and fever blisters on the lips and is included in some topical products designed to treat outbreaks of these conditions. Cold sores and fever blisters are caused by viruses, which do not respond to antibiotics. Studies suggest that lauric acid breaks down the oily cellular membranes of viral cells similarly to the way the fatty acid disrupts the shape of oil molecules on the skin or scalp. The breakdown of the viral cells results in their death, allowing cold sores and fever blisters to heal more quickly.
Studies have also found that lauric acid may have the ability to destroy other microbes that have oily components in their cellular makeup. Evidence suggests that lauric acid may make an effective treatment for ringworm, a circular, itchy skin rash caused by an overgrowth of fungus. The fatty acid may also be beneficial for skin rashes on the underarms, groin and feet that are caused by yeast.
A newer potential use for lauric acid involves addressing blemish prone skin. Questions as to whether or not the ingredient could be useful for controlling acne breakouts were first raised by a study completed in 2009, which found that the substance had the potential to destroy a type of bacteria known as P. acnes.
Acne blemishes often arise due to the colonization of P. acnes bacteria in the pores, which leads to infections and inflammation. If lauric acid truly can eliminate P. acnes, the fatty acid could be a beneficial alternative to topical antibiotics. - Source.
