Almond Oil has become a staple component in the commercial industry. These natural products range from the beauty world, the culinary world, and most predominately, in aromatherapy. Ranging from cosmetics such as skincare to hair care, soaps to massage balms, almond oil is used as the perfect carrier to combine with essential extracts such as lavender, sweet orange, and lemongrass. It is the ideal nutty source to plump up your skin complexion and boost your hair volume. Due to its high volume of Vitamin E, this raw material is highly moisturising, covering your skin from head to toe. This nutty source is one of the finest raw materials there is. With its extensive range of benefits, it is no wonder why you can find it in most aromatherapy and beauty recipes. Let’s get to the root of this tree by learning the history and value of one of the most prized possessions in the natural world – almond oil.
What Is A Carrier Extract?
A carrier extract is a perfect partner for an essential extract that eliminates the intensity of the essential source when mixed together. You can normally find them in plants, seeds, and nuts. The significant difference between the two extracts is that carriers are fixed raw materials meaning they cannot dissipate. Coconut, rosehip, grapeseed, and of course, almond oil are all examples of these kinds of natural ingredients that, when added to an essential extract, can make magic. It is vital, especially for people with sensitive skin, to combine the carrier and essential sources. This is due to the fact that essential extracts are highly potent, which can lead to skin irritation when applied. Carrier extracts are beneficial when added due to their neutral scent, not overwhelming the power of the essential extracts. Almond oil is an excellent example of this which has been used as a core ingredient in a lot of recipes – food or beauty-wise.
What is Almond Oil?
Almond oil is a widespread carrier extract that is highly used in aromatherapy and beauty concoctions. Its light-yellow hue and slightly nutty and delicately sweet fragrance give essential extracts a boost in their scent. It is popular in many skincare products. This is because this raw ingredient is highly moisturising, it is jampacked with Vitamin E, D, and other proteins, which is beneficial for the skin. Almond oil works to improve the skin by reducing the appearance of wrinkles and dark circles underneath your eyes. It is beneficial in smoothing out dry and brittle hair. Due to all these benefits, this nutty source is used in various aromatherapy and beauty products ranging from moisturisers, soaps, massage treatments, and many more.
What is The History Behind Almond Oil?
Almond Oil originates from Israel and surrounding areas in the Middle East from a tree called ‘Prunus Dulcis’. Despite the belief that it is a nut source, it is the seed of fruit in the tree. With all its highly beneficial ingredients, it has been found in the history books to be cultivated in Egypt with evidence of the fruit appearing in Tutankhamun’s tomb. It has also been noted several times in the Bible as the best of all the fruits. This natural material began to cultivate in the Mediterranean and Europe, with trees cultivated across these areas. The seed turns into a waxy substance through cold pressing to create Almond oil. The nut has been used for centuries in cooking, used as an added ingredient to a variety of recipes to alternative flour and milk. It has become a key ingredient in a variety of commercial beauty products, with a history of it used in natural beauty regimes for years.
What Are The Differences Between The Sweet and Bitter Versions?
There are two different versions of almond oil – one that is sweet and one that is bitter. The best way to tell whether it is sweet or bitter is the colour of the flowers in the tree. If pink, it is bitter, and if white, it is sweet. Sweet almond oil is used as a carrier extract because bitter almond oil creates a dangerous ingredient when processed. Prior to domestication and cultivation, this nut was originally leached or roasted to get rid of its toxicity to be eaten. In the early years of the 20th century, sweet almond oil was used in medicine; however, it was the bitter version that was not to be consumed due to its toxic components.
The bitter version is wider but smaller in length than the sweet nut. In comparison to the sweet version, bitter almond oil contains hydrogen cyanide, otherwise known as prussic acid. If used for consumption, a small dose could be toxic; therefore, people got rid of the prussic acid prior to eating. Sweet almond oil, in turn, has a genetic mutation that does not have a trace of prussic acid, making it readily available to eat and use.
What Can Almond Oil Be Used For?
Almond Oil has many uses, primarily in skin care and hair care, to improve skin complexion and add bounce to your hair. As noted in this article, it has a standing power that other skincare ingredients do not have due to its slow skin absorption rate. It, therefore, has a protective layer on the body, making the skin soft and smooth. Because of this, it is highly moisturising and nourishing properties, it is the perfect addition to any skincare product. Skincare products that incorporate the product include soap, lotions, cleaners, and many more. Almond Oil is predominately used as an ingredient for hair care as it evens brittle, damaged, and dry hair. You can use it as a hair treatment before your wash routine, giving your hair an extra boost.
What Are The Benefits?
Protective layer for the skin barrier
Almond oil has a long history of being used in medicine to aid wounds and bruises. Because of its properties of Vitamin E and D, for instance, this keeps the skin from sagging, reducing wrinkles, dark circles, and scars. Due to its high-fat content, this oil, when applied, creates a protective barrier on the skin from the sun and slows trans-epidermal water loss, keeping the skin moist. It has been even sought after as a remedy for skin problems ranging from atopic dermatitis, psoriasis to acne. It is crucial to remember that although there are claims of its highly beneficial properties for skin, you should do a patch test prior to use to see if your skin can tolerate it.
Sun, sunglow away!
As noted previously, almond oil can help secure your skin from the damage created by sun exposure. Because of this, it has incredible anti-ageing properties design delays the appearance of premature wrinkles and ageing spots. This can make your skin appear youthful and fresh, with a glow that radiates just like the sun making it a great beauty ingredient. In this way, it also keeps your hair from frizzing up the place, turning dry and brittle hair into moisturised and nourished hair.