Seed Oils - What's the harm?

Seed oils (insert eye roll here) - the topic that you can never escape. Whether going out to dinner or scrolling social media, lately everyone has an opinion about seed oils. What started as a micro fad about consumption of seed oils has now permeated the cosmetic industry. I decided to take some time and look for any conclusive research that backs up the negative effects of seed oils topically. Guess what? Couldn't find a single one...

Let's take a step back here

All oils have a “fatty acid profile”. These are the “fingerprint” of an individual oil. Many oils share the same fatty acids in different amounts. Some of these are Oleic Acid (Omega 9), Linoleic Acid (Omega 6), Linolenic Acid(Omega 3), Lauric Acid, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, etc. 

When you read “High Oleic” that means an oil is more than 75% Oleic Fatty Acids. This is a very stable poly-unsaturated oil. A saturated oil is more solid, like coconut or butter or shea butter. Sunflower Oil, Safflower Oil, and Camellia Oil are all examples of high oleic seed oils.

Please look at this chart below. Sunflower, a seed oil is in the first column and the fatty acids are listed by percent. If you compare sunflower to the 2 “fruit oil” fatty acids you can see there is very little variation in terms of the percents, especially of the Linolenic and Linoleic – these are the 2 fractions that “the internet” seems to go off on. Yet I never have found conclusive research that any seed oil is especially bad. Especially topically. 

Omegas are important to health and support nerves and brains. But - you are NOT getting your Omegas from the products you put on your skin. The concerns about PUFA overload and omega-6 imbalance are simply not transferable to skincare. 

Every oil has unique properties and they all bring something to skin care. With the proper antioxidants added to final products, there should be no concern about oxidation. Also, that is on the consumer at times. Couple of tips: It is best to buy oil products in dark or opaque bottles and make sure you seal them well after each use.

Be curious but be informed.... XOXO

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