Quick answer
No clinical trial has tested coconut oil on hemorrhoids, so there is no proof it shrinks them or stops bleeding. In dry-skin and eczema trials, virgin coconut oil moisturized as well as mineral oil or better. A thin layer on dry, chafed outside skin is low risk. Do not mix it with tea tree oil or use it inside.
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Key takeaways
- A PubMed search for coconut oil and hemorrhoids returns no clinical trials. Claims that it shrinks hemorrhoids have no study behind them.
- In a 2-week trial of 34 adults with dry skin, virgin coconut oil moisturized as well as mineral oil, with no skin reactions.
- In 117 children with eczema, virgin coconut oil lowered eczema scores by 68 percent over 8 weeks, against 38 percent with mineral oil.
- Fiber has trial evidence for hemorrhoid bleeding. Coconut oil, at best, is a plain moisturizer for the outside skin.
On this page
Coconut oil for hemorrhoids shows up in countless home remedy lists, often next to claims that it shrinks swelling, kills germs and heals tears. None of that has been tested on hemorrhoids. A PubMed search for coconut oil and hemorrhoids, run in October 2026, returned no clinical trials at all.
What the research does have is a handful of skin trials. They show virgin coconut oil works as a moisturizer for dry, irritated skin. That is a modest job, and for the dry, chafed skin around a flare it may be a useful one. This page explains what those trials found, how to use coconut oil without making things worse, and what to put first. Every natural option is graded side by side in natural remedies for hemorrhoids.
Does coconut oil help hemorrhoids?
There is no direct evidence either way. The question is what coconut oil can reasonably do, based on the studies that exist.
| Claim you will see online | What the research shows |
|---|---|
| Shrinks hemorrhoids | No study |
| Stops bleeding | No study |
| Moisturizes dry, sore skin | Yes, in dry-skin and eczema trials |
| Kills bacteria on skin | Fewer staph bacteria on eczema skin in one small trial |
| Safe on sensitive skin | No skin reactions in two small trials |
The American Gastroenterological Association’s expert review of hemorrhoid care says there is little data that the topical products people use actually work 4. Coconut oil has even less than most, because no one has studied it on hemorrhoids at all.
What the skin trials found
Dry skin
In a double-blind trial comparing virgin coconut oil with mineral oil, 34 adults with dry, itchy skin on their legs applied one of the two oils twice a day for 2 weeks 1. Both oils raised skin moisture and surface oils by similar amounts. Neither changed how much water the skin lost or its acidity, and no one had a skin reaction 1. Itch and roughness trended a little better with coconut oil, without reaching statistical significance 1.
Eczema
In a trial of virgin coconut oil in 117 children with eczema, eczema scores fell by 68 percent with coconut oil over 8 weeks and by 38 percent with mineral oil 2. The coconut oil group also lost less water through the skin by the end, a sign of a better skin barrier 2.
A smaller trial in 26 adults with eczema compared virgin coconut oil with virgin olive oil 3. After 4 weeks, staph bacteria remained on the skin of 1 of the 20 coconut oil users who had them at the start, against 6 of the 12 olive oil users who had them 3. Two of those three trials came from the same research group in the Philippines 13.
Where coconut oil might help
Hemorrhoid flares often come with dry, raw skin from frequent wiping, wet wipes and soap. A plain oil can sit on that skin and reduce friction. That is the only job the research supports for coconut oil, and it is a comfort job.
It will not help the parts that cause most hemorrhoid trouble: hard stools, straining, and swollen vessels inside the anal canal. For those, fiber is the remedy with trial evidence. In seven trials, fiber cut the risk of bleeding by half 7. How to build it up is in the hemorrhoid diet.
How to use coconut oil on hemorrhoids
- Use plain virgin coconut oil with nothing added. The trials used virgin oil 12.
- Rinse the area with water after a bowel movement and pat it dry. Do not rub.
- Warm a pea-sized amount between your fingers until it melts.
- Smooth a thin layer over the outside skin only.
- Repeat after bowel movements and at bedtime if it feels good.
- Stop if the skin gets red, itchy or bumpy, and see a clinician if a flare has not settled after a week 10.
Wear old underwear for the first few nights, because melted oil stains fabric.
What not to do with coconut oil
Do not mix in tea tree oil
Many online recipes add tea tree oil to coconut oil. A review of tea tree oil contact allergy found it has been linked to more published allergic skin reactions than other essential oils, and most of those reactions came from putting undiluted oil on skin 5. Old or oxidized oil is more likely to cause a reaction 56. Inflamed anal skin is a bad place to find out you are sensitive. The only hemorrhoid trial with tea tree oil tested a commercial gel, and it is covered in tea tree oil for hemorrhoids.
Do not use it inside
Nobody has studied coconut oil inside the anal canal, and internal hemorrhoids rarely hurt. If something inside is bleeding or prolapsing, the right next step is a clinician, not a deeper application.
Do not use it in place of a check
Coconut oil can make skin feel better while a fissure, an infection or a thrombosed hemorrhoid carries on underneath. If you are not sure what you have, start with hemorrhoid symptoms and what each one means.
What works better than coconut oil
- Fiber and water every day, the step with the strongest evidence 7.
- A warm sitz bath. Warm water at 40°C lowered anal sphincter pressure in a lab study, which eases spasm pain 8. NIDDK suggests warm soaks several times a day 9.
- A barrier ointment made for this area, if raw skin is the main problem.
- A short course of a medicated cream for itching or pain, following the label.
Products made to protect sore anal skin are compared on the best hemorrhoid ointments.
Raw, itchy skin from frequent wiping or loose stools
Pregnancy and postpartum soreness when you want a non-medicated option
Other kitchen remedies with bigger claims, like apple cider vinegar and garlic, are checked in apple cider vinegar and other viral hemorrhoid remedies. Aloe, another popular gel, has a small trial behind it, covered in aloe vera for hemorrhoids.
When to see a doctor
MedlinePlus says to check in with a clinician if a week of home care has not helped, and to have rectal bleeding looked at because it has causes other than hemorrhoids 10. Colon cancer screening starts at age 45 for adults at average risk 11.
Frequently asked questions
Can coconut oil shrink hemorrhoids?
There is no evidence that it can. No trial has measured hemorrhoid size, bleeding or swelling after coconut oil. The skin trials only show that it moisturizes dry skin. Softer stools and less straining are what help hemorrhoids settle.
Can I put coconut oil inside my anus for internal hemorrhoids?
We would not. Nobody has tested coconut oil inside the anal canal, and internal hemorrhoids usually do not hurt. If an internal hemorrhoid is bleeding, fiber and a check with a clinician come first.
Is coconut oil better than Vaseline for hemorrhoids?
No trial has compared them on hemorrhoids. In a dry-skin trial, coconut oil worked about as well as mineral oil, which is a cousin of petroleum jelly. Either can act as a simple barrier on sore outside skin.
Can I mix coconut oil with tea tree oil or witch hazel?
Skip the tea tree oil. Pure tea tree oil is a well-known cause of allergic skin rashes, and sore anal skin reacts easily. Witch hazel pads used separately are fine for most people for about a week.
Is coconut oil safe for hemorrhoids during pregnancy?
There are no pregnancy studies of coconut oil on hemorrhoids. Plain coconut oil is a food fat with a long record as a skin moisturizer, so a thin layer outside is unlikely to cause harm. Mention it to your obstetric provider, and lean on fiber, fluids and soaks.
Sources
- 1. Agero AL, Verallo-Rowell VM A randomized double-blind controlled trial comparing extra virgin coconut oil with mineral oil as a moisturizer for mild to moderate xerosis . Dermatitis , 2004 ; 15(3):109-16 . doi:10.2310/6620.2004.04006 Clinical trial
- 2. Evangelista MT, Abad-Casintahan F, Lopez-Villafuerte L The effect of topical virgin coconut oil on SCORAD index, transepidermal water loss, and skin capacitance in mild to moderate pediatric atopic dermatitis: a randomized, double-blind, clinical trial . Int J Dermatol , 2014 ; 53(1):100-8 . doi:10.1111/ijd.12339 Clinical trial
- 3. Verallo-Rowell VM, Dillague KM, Syah-Tjundawan BS Novel antibacterial and emollient effects of coconut and virgin olive oils in adult atopic dermatitis . Dermatitis , 2008 ; 19(6):308-15 . Clinical trial
- 4. Qureshi W, Hoang S, Frye J, et al. AGA Clinical Practice Update on Diagnosis and Treatment of Hemorrhoids: Expert Review . Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol , 2026 ; 24(7):1773-1781 . doi:10.1016/j.cgh.2026.04.008 Guideline
- 5. de Groot AC, Schmidt E Tea tree oil: contact allergy and chemical composition . Contact Dermatitis , 2016 ; 75(3):129-43 . doi:10.1111/cod.12591 Review
- 6. Tea Tree Oil: Usefulness and Safety . National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH) , 2025 . Government
- 7. Alonso-Coello P, Mills E, Heels-Ansdell D, et al. Fiber for the treatment of hemorrhoids complications: a systematic review and meta-analysis . Am J Gastroenterol , 2006 ; 101(1):181-188 . doi:10.1111/j.1572-0241.2005.00359.x Review
- 8. Dodi G, Bogoni F, Infantino A, et al. Hot or cold in anal pain? A study of the changes in internal anal sphincter pressure profiles . Dis Colon Rectum , 1986 ; 29(4):248-251 . doi:10.1007/BF02553028 Study
- 9. Treatment of Hemorrhoids . National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) . Government
- 10. Hemorrhoids . MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine . Government
- 11. US Preventive Services Task Force Screening for Colorectal Cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement . JAMA , 2021 ; 325(19):1965-1977 . doi:10.1001/jama.2021.6238 Guideline
