6 highly nutritious vegetable oils for your skin
Feeling how a vegetable oil penetrates the skin with a gentle massage is very pleasant. But, beyond pure sensory pleasure, its richness in fatty acids nourishes the dermis in depth and helps keep it smooth and luminous.
Vegetable oils are more or less thick liquids, generally extracted from oilseeds by cold pressing. For the most part they are made up of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. In addition, they have vitamins A and E, as well as other components that justify their use in cosmetics.
Vegetable oils should not be confused with essential oils, which are obtained by steam distillation from aromatic plants and are highly concentrated substances that cannot be used directly on the skin. Precisely, vegetable oils, due to their penetration capacity, serve to dilute essential oils and apply them to the dermis.
Table of Contents
1. ARGAN OIL
Argan oil is extracted from the fruit of the “tree of life” ( Argania spinosa ), which grows on the southwest coast of Morocco. The fruits are collected from the ground and dried in the sun. The oil extraction process is carried out by women’s cooperatives following a laborious artisan process.
The ancient Berber tribes used it to care for and protect dry, wrinkled skin. It is also excellent for treating dry and brittle hair and for strengthening brittle nails.
2. ROSEHIP OIL
Rosehip oil is extracted from the seeds of Rosa moschata or Rosa rubiginosa, which grows in the Andes in the wild. Oily, transparent, with an orange-yellow color and characteristic odor, it has a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids.
It is very useful in the regeneration of damaged tissues. Its continued application prevents skin aging and helps to reduce scars, wrinkles and sun spots on the skin, neck and décolleté.
3. SWEET ALMOND OIL
Sweet almond oil is obtained from the fruit of the sweet almond ( Amygdalus comunis L. Var. Dulcis ). It has 95% unsaturated fatty acids in its composition, mainly linolenic and oleic. It favors the regulation and renewal of the fatty phase of the skin layer in all skin types, especially the most sensitive ones.
It is a good base for macerating plants and thus obtaining oil of calendula, chamomile, arnica, etc. Applied after showering, with damp skin, it helps prevent stretch marks.
4. EVENING PRIMROSE OIL
The primrose oil or primrose ( Oenothera biennis ) is obtained from the seeds of this plant subjected to a cold pressure process. It is very rich in unsaturated essential fatty acids, which improve the elasticity of the skin.
Applied to the skin or taken orally in pearls, it favors cell regeneration, improves skin dryness and regulates the secretion of the sebaceous glands, which is why it is often used to calm both inflammation and eczema and skin rashes.
5. HAZELNUT OIL
It is extracted from the seed of the hazelnut ( Corylus avellana ) and is rich in unsaturated fatty acids and vitamins A and E.
Regulates sebaceous secretion, making it suitable for treating oily and acne skin. It has very good penetration and cleanses the pores.
6. WHEAT GERM OIL
It is obtained from wheat ( Triticum ). With an intense orange color and strong odor, it constitutes a good source of essential fatty acids and vitamins, especially E.
It regenerates the tissues, and calms and relaxes the skin. It is used to treat eczema and hives or in anti-wrinkle products.