Sunflower Oil, which has been used by Native Americans for centuries for both culinary and medicinal purposes, is now used in a wide variety of cosmetic products, although often in very small concentrations. But is Sunflower Oil one of those natural ingredients that look good on the label but do nothing, or does it actually provide some benefits to the skin? Let’s find out:
What is Sunflower Oil?
Sunflower Oil (Helianthus annuus) is an oil, clear to pale gold in color, extracted from the seeds of the sunflower. It is made up mostly of Linoleic Acid (48-74%), Oleic Acid (14-40%), Palmitic Acid (4-9%) and Stearic Acid (1-7%). Several types of this oil are produced, such as high linoleic, high oleic (it contains at least 82% oleic acid) and mid oleic (it has at least 69% linoleic acid). The variations in these unsaturated fatty acids profiles are due to both the climate and the genetics of the plant. But they all contain a very high amount of Vitamin E.
Benefits of Sunflower Oil
Sunflower Oil is used in cosmetics because of its moisturizing properties. This oil forms a barrier on the skin that retains moisture but still allows skin to breathe, keeping it soft and hydrated. It helps improve the appearance of dry skin and is suitable for those with sensitive skin as well. A 2005 study has also discovered that Sunflower Oil lowers the rate of infections in low-birth-weight premature infants, performing better than Aquaphor, a petrolatum based product. The skin of premature babies is underdeveloped and thus more prone to infections. Sunflower Oil is able to reduce this risk because of its ability to create a protective barrier on the skin. In addition to help strengthen the skin’s protective barrier, Sunflower Oil has antimicrobial properties (J. Appl. Microbiol. 2001;90:279-84) and is sometimes used to treat psoriasis (Phytother. Res. 2003;17:987-1000).
Have you ever used Sunflower Oil?
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve used it as a salad dressing before and it was delicious. Sunflower seed oil is in a lot of skincare products and surprisingly, I recognize the scientific name more than its common name as a skincare ingredient
Dao´s last [type] ..Hands and Feet
Dao, I don’t use it much for cooking, which is a shame cos it’s delicious indeed.
I used to use organic sunflower oil as my makeup remover. It wasn’t particularly good at it and a lot of tugging was involved, but my skin was smoother, more firm and it gave me such a nice glow. It was definitely worth the hassle. I recently ran out and will repurchase, but I won’t use it as a makeup remover anymore.
Kat, what a shame it didn’t work well as a makeup remover for you. I think Sunflower Oil is a wonderful moisturizer that makes skin really soft and smooth, but to remove makeup I prefer olive oil.
Tried the olive oil too but it broke me out
I’m going to try my luck with safflower oil next time.
Kat, oh no, that’s too bad! Safflower oil works well too.
Oils are the only thing that keep my body skin hydrated during the winter!!
Jamilla´s last [type] ..Blogger Love from Honolulu and Vancouver, B.C. and Seattle Haul
Jamilla, they’re wonderful, aren’t they? They are so moisturizing.
Sunflower oil is on my shopping list as I recently ran across an article about the oil cleansing method for your skin that I wanted to try out. It recomended 25% Castor oil to 75% Sunflower oil. I thought I would try mix up a bit of it and if it doesn’t work for me then I can always use the sunflower oil on salad!
Genevieve, I love the oil cleansing method, it’s very effective. That’s a nice combination to try too. I usually mix castor oil with olive oil but I think it would work well with sunflower oil as well.
Had no idea that sunflower oil has antimicrobial properties! I’ve never used it on my skin, but I really like sunflower seeds in my salad. Which is different hahah
Love these informative posts.
Makeup Morsels´s last [type] ..Is Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturizer ‘The One?’
Makeup Morsels, I’m glad you like them. I like to cook with sunflower oil and seeds too and should really do that more often. And if you ever want to try a natural and effective moisturizer, Sunflower Oil would be a great option.
I never used sunflower oil alone. Usually, it is one of the signature ingredients in my skincare products. With all the benefits you list, it can probably be a hidden gem! It’s rare that I hear people rave about it. Don’t know why.
Amanda´s last [type] ..Natural Ingredients for a Busy Beauty Life
Amanda, I find that weird too. It’s a very used ingredients yet it’s not much talked about and a lot of people don’t know what it does. Shame, cos it’s a wonderful oil.
I use sunflower oil when I make sunblock. It has a very subtle smell and light feel on the skin. I am a big fan!
Kourtney, I’m glad you like it too. It’s a wonderful oil, isn’t it?
The first time I heard the existence of sunflower oil (and actually remembered it) was on a bag of chips haha. I’ve seen sunflower oil in my lotions and I haven’t used pure sunflower oil either.
My wheat bread I love has sunflower seeds on top (random I know).
Janessa, don’t you just love multi-tasking products?