Bird warns retailers to beware of what she calls «dodge - ball» ingredient listings — listings that are ambiguous, such as «
mild coconut oil base,» which could be anything as most detergents are derived initially from coconut oil but go through a number of chemical processes to become sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, or other detergents.
In this randomized, double - blind clinical trial, virgin
coconut oil was the clear winner: «among pediatric patients with
mild to moderate AD, topical application of virgin
coconut oil for eight weeks was superior to that of mineral
oil based on clinical (SCORAD) and instrumental (TEWL, skin capacitance) assessments.»