Sweet Almond Oil

Categories:
Antioxidants,
Emollients,
Plant Extracts

Sweet almond oil, scientifically known as Prunus dulcis, is produced by pressing the kernels of ripe seeds derived from the almond tree. Uses for sweet almond oil in skin care depend on the extract’s strong emollient properties. Its main constituents include glycerides, ceramides, and fatty acids such as oleic, linoleic, and palmitic acid. These compounds enable sweet almond oil skin benefits to greatly improve hydration levels. More specifically, ceramides play a role in the membrane fluidity of skin cells. By integrating into the skin’s membrane barrier, sweet almond oil can work to reinforce the skin’s structural integrity. Furthermore, topical application of sweet almond oil can work as an occlusive layer to reduce the amount of moisture loss from the surface, thus retaining more water content in the stratum corneum. As a result of increased water levels, sweet almond oil can lead to an overall improvement in skin quality and appearance. ¹

1. Almeida, I. F. et al. Moisturizing effect of oleogel/hydrogel mixtures. Pharmaceutical development and technology 13.6, 487-494 (2008)