Is It Safe to Use Seed Oils in Skincare?
If you've heard that seed oils are bad for you, you may see “Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil” (jojoba oil) on an ingredient list for your favorite skincare product and wondered if it's okay to use! Here's why cold-pressed plant oils are not the same as industrial seed oils and why they're so beneficial for your skin.
What are Industrial Seed Oils?
Highly processed oils, including canola, corn, cottonseed, soybean, sunflower, safflower, rice bran, and grapeseed. They were introduced into the American diet in the early 1900s, becoming more widespread after Crisco (cottonseed oil) came out in 1911. Prior to these seed oils, the most common cooking oils were lard, butter, tallow, and other animal fats.
What Are The Concerns With Seed Oils?
Industrial seed oils are primarily made up of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which have many double bonds. These double bonds are unstable and cause oils to go rancid (oxide) quickly. Saturated fats (like tallow), on the other hand, are made up of single bonds, which are much more resistant to the breakdown of oxidation.
When industrial seed oils are processed, they are heated to very high temperatures, which also accelerates the oxidation process. Then, a petroleum-based solvent like hexane is used to extract the oil from the seeds, and chemicals are used to deodorize and change the oil’s color.
When oils oxide, they create free radicals. Rancid oils tend to be high in Omega-6 fatty acids, which throws off the balance of Omega-3 to Omega-6, triggering the body to produce pro-inflammatory chemicals.
Finally, seed oils are usually derived from GMO crops, can contain harmful additives (like the hexane often used to extract them), and have no nutrients left after processing.
Impact of Omega-3 to Omega-6 ratio on health:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3335257/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12442909/
Is It Safe to Use Seed Oils on Your Skin?
If you look at the ingredient lists of many skincare products, you’ll notice names like “Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil” (jojoba oil), “Ricinus Communis Seed Oil” (castor oil), or “Rosa Canina Seed Oil” (rosehip seed oil). Let’s cover the differences between these seed oils and the industrial seed oils.
First, the processing is much different. If you are buying a quality skincare product, these oils will be cold-pressed and hexane-free (not solvent extract). This means that the oils are not going through that oxidation accelerator of being heated to high temperatures. Since they are not rancid, they maintain their balance of Omega-3 to Omega-6. They also don’t come from heavily genetically modified plants.
Many of these cold-pressed seed oils have been used for centuries for their restorative benefits. They preserve the many nutrients and beneficial properties that God has created in the plants - vitamins, fatty acids, and antioxidants. By utilizing oils that are as close to their natural state as possible, we can care for our skin without turning to a concoction of synthetic ingredients.