Fixed oils, i.e. carrier or vegetable oils, are known as ‘lipids’ which are natural chemical compounds found in plants and animals (including us!) and are made up of ‘fatty acids’. These fatty acids have two parts, one of which is fatty and the other is acid, hence the name ‘fatty acids’, and they are vital for survival, health and well being, because, among other things, they provide insulation and shock absorption, are a source of vitamins and energy
and, we also need them for healthy cell growth.
Fatty acids are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms, and there are different types of depending on how those atoms are bound together. These are known as saturated, unsaturated, monounsaturated, duounsaturated, and polyunsaturated.
In addition to that, some fatty acids are called ‘essential fatty acids’ because our body does not produce them, but it needs them for survival, so we have to get them from the external environment, i.e. through the things we eat and drink and put on our skin.
Omega 3 & 6 are essential fatty acids.
Fatty Acids
Omega 3, 6 & 9
Omega 3
Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fat (like omega-6), considered an essential fatty acid because the body cannot manufacture it. When applied topically to the skin, they have an anti-inflammatory effect just as if taken internally for the body, making it excellent for allergy-prone skin. Kiwi, Perilla, Baobab, and Chia seed oils contain over 50% of this fatty acid type.
Omega 6
Omega-6 fatty acid is also a polyunsaturated fat, LA or linolenic acid is an unsaturated omega-6 fatty acid. Again, it is considered an essential fatty acid because the body cannot manufacture it. This fatty acid has been known to have an anti-inflammatory benefit to the skin when applied topically and helps to maintain the health of skin
cell membranes. Oils rich in this type of fatty acids include Acai, Watermelon, Borage, Blackcurrant, and Pumpkin seed oil. High linolenic oils have been known to work best for skin that suffers from acne/clogged pores and have a balancing effect on sebum levels.
Omega 9
Omega-9 fatty acids are from a family of unsaturated fats commonly found in vegetable and animal fats. These fatty acids are also known as oleic acids or monounsaturated fats, and they help balance drier skin types. This acid has more of a nourishing effect on the skin and serves to lock in moisture. It can often be found in the
following plant oils such as Sunflower, Olive, Avocado, Almond, Sea Buckthorn and Macadamia nut oil.
Saturated
Palmitic Acid C16
Palmitic acid is a C16 saturated fatty acid and therefore very stable; it only has single bonds, won’t break down, is slow to go rancid, and has a long shelf life. It creates an occlusive layer on the skin that acts as a protection against weathering, the outside world, the environment and damage. Occlusives also help to keep the skin hydrated by reducing trans-epidermal water loss.
Pumpkin seed (12%), argan (12%), avocado (7-22%), carrot tissue (16%), rice bran (16%), olive (11%), and borage oil (9-11%) are examples of oils with high quantities of palmitic acid (relatively speaking).
Stearic Acid C18
Stearic acid is a C18 saturated fatty acid, which means that there are no double bonds that can be broken, i.e. a long-lasting oil that takes a long time to go rancid. It improves the skin barrier function, and its repaired mechanisms increase suppleness and flexibility and increase moisture retention. You can buy stearic acid and use it in your products to create a thicker body/consistency and an oil-free emollient quality; used to great effect in lotion, shower, shampoo, and conditioner bars.
It is found in cocoa butter, mango butter, and shea butter (10%)
Monounsaturated
Oleic Acid C18:1
Oleic acid (C18:1) is also found in our body’s own oil, sebum. Oils high in oleic acid are absorbed easily, have a moisturizing effect on the skin and offer skin cell regeneration and anti-inflammatory properties. Very useful for dry, chapped, damaged, and sensitive skin with some good anti-ageing qualities.
Oils high in oleic acid are olive oil (78%) and high oleic sunflower oil (74%).
Palmitoleic Acid C16:1
Palmitic acid (C16:1) is an unsaturated fatty acid and therefore less stable, goes rancid faster because it is easier to break down due to it having one double bond. A double bond in chemistry is considered a weakness, i.e. a kink in the chain is more likely to occur. It has good protective qualities preventing burns, wounds, and skin scratches from forming and combatting infected skin due to its antimicrobial qualities.
Sea Buckthorn (32%) and macadamia nut oil (18-22%) are examples of oils high in palmitoleic acid.
Duo-unsaturated
Linoleic Acid C18:2
Linoleic acid (C18:2) is an essential fatty acid vital for skin barrier function and repair, reducing transepidermal water loss and retaining moisture. It helps to reduce or prevent scaling of the skin, dry skin and hair, poor wound healing, and as an anti-inflammatory. It also alleviates irritated skin such as eczema and psoriasis acne, dry skin, itch, and rashes.
Grape seed (58-80%), hemp seed (55-77%), rice bran (36%), sesame seed (40%), sunflower (55-70%), argan (37-40%), carrot tissue (60%), evening primrose (70-75%), pumpkin seed (35-50%), raspberry seed (50-62%), rosehip (44-48%), thistle (70-81%) and walnut (50-65%) oils are good examples of oils with high content of linoleic acid.
Ricinoleic Acid C18:2
Ricinoleic acid (C18:2) is a humectant with antibacterial, anti-fungal, and analgesic qualities that easily penetrate the skin due to low molecular weight and is soluble in alcohol.
Castor oil is very high in ricinoleic acid.
Polyunsaturated
(Alpha) Linolenic Acid C18:3
When (alpha) linoleic acid (C18:3) is metabolized it forms a wide range of omega 3 fatty acids that help lower blood cholesterol levels, reduce blood pressure and clotting and strengthen the walls of the arteries. In skincare, it prevents trans-epidermal water loss and improves the skin’s barrier repair function and in fact, much better than linolenic acid.
Calendula (64%), cranberry (20-40%), kiwi seed (60-65%), kukui nut (29%), raspberry seed (21-29%) and rosehip (25-36%) are good examples.
Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA) C18:3
Gamma-linolenic acid (C18:3) is an essential fatty acid (omega 6) that will oxidize quickly because it has 3 double bonds, i.e. 3 potential kinks in the chain. Hence, it is advisable to use other oils rich in antioxidants or add vitamin E to prolong the shelf life. GLA helps to speed up cell regeneration, promote healthy growth, improve the skin’s barrier repair function and alleviate inflammation. It is also an emollient that helps to soften, smooth and moisturize the skin.
GLA is also used to boost and improve poor circulation, prevent the clotting of blood, delay
the signs of ageing and alleviate abdominal discomfort - related to digestion and menstruation.
GLA is produced by breaking down linoleic acid, but an Evening Primrose Oil (8-11%) and Hemp Seed Oil (20-25%) already have it, which, separates them from all other vegetable oils. It is their USP (unique selling point)!
Punicic Acid C18:3
Punicic acid, also known as alpha omega 5, is a polyunsaturated fatty acid. This lesser-known, recently discovered fatty acid is known for its powerful anti-inflammatory benefits on the skin due to its calming and soothing virtues.
Found only in Pomegranate seed oil or its cO2 variety, punicic acid also aids in cellular regeneration of the skin.
Phytonutrients (also known as phytochemicals)
Carotenoids (e.g. Beta Carotene & Alpha-carotene)
Carotenoids are plant pigments. These plant pigments are responsible for the bright red, orange, or yellow hue found in fruits and vegetables. Carrots are well known to contain them in this instance. These plant pigments are known as phytonutrients. The carotenoid beta-carotene has been shown to protect the skin against environmental damage and toxins due to its antioxidant properties.
Carrot tissue/root oil is an excellent example of this.
Betalains
Betalains are a class of red and yellow pigments found in plants, fruit and vegetables such as beetroot and most cactus plants. Betalains acts as a free radical scavenger on the skin and serves as a powerful antioxidant compound for this reason. An example of this is Prickly Pear seed oil which contains betalains. Betalains provide a unique abundance of free-radical inhibitors helping skin to be protected from environmental toxins.
Sulforaphane
Sulforaphane is a phytochemical found in leafy green vegetables that belong to the cruciferous family such as Broccoli, Spinach, Kale, and cabbage. Scientists have also found that topically applied sulforaphane has the ability to help protect the skin against the visible signs of sun damage, reduce skin irritations and reduce skin inflammation.
The broccoli seed oil contains a wealth of this potent plant compound.
Ferulic Acid
An anti-inflammatory agent and a strong antioxidant (even more so that vitamin E) which means it alleviates inflamed and irritated skin, softens and smoothes the texture, increases the skins barrier repair function, is fantastic at healing burns (sun & radiation), alleviates itchy skin, moisturizes and hydrates and delays the signs of ageing.
Coconut oil and rice bran oil are good examples of where ferulic acid is present.
Polyphenols
Flavonoids, lignans, and tannins are polyphenols, and they are the key ingredient to antioxidants found in plants.
They help to soften and smooth the skin, increase moisture and hydration, fight free radicals that speed up the ageing process, and in the case of tannins (tannic acid), they are astringents. This means that they can benefit all skin types; moisturizing and hydrating but also offering some dryness and encouraging good skin tone.
Camellia oil, jojoba oil, hazelnut oil, and grape seed oil are examples of where tannins are found.
Procyanidins
Procyanidins are a class of polyphenols found in a variety of plants. Plant polyphenols can be found in such plant oils as Acai pulp oil, Cranberry, Blackcurrant and Green tea oil. This type of plant polyphenols helps the skin exposed to pro-oxidant environmental stress from several sources, including air pollutants, ultraviolet solar light, and chemical oxidants. This antioxidant works to strengthen blood vessels and stabilize elastin and collagen.
Flavones
Flavones are substances found in fruits, flowers and vegetables which give them their yellow colouring. Flavones are antioxidants that are beneficial to the skin due to their antioxidant activity. They also happen to be another subclass of flavonoids. This antioxidant works also to strengthen blood vessels and stabilize elastin and collagen and fight against free radical damage on the skin.
Horsetail, Licorice, Cumin seed oil, and Soy are very high in flavones.
Phytosterols
Phytosterols improve the skin's barrier repair function, helping combat weathering and damage resulting from the external environment (pollution, wind, sun, cold and hot weather). They help reduce the drying of the skin by reducing trans-epidermal water loss. They easily penetrate the layers of the skin rather than forming a thin layer (occlusive layer) on the skin's surface. This helps to nourish the skin, feed it and combat any inflammation or irritation. It also helps cholesterol absorb better when applied, which is a good thing because our skin consists of approximately 25% cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Improves collagen density, skin elasticity, tone, texture, lines & wrinkles, smoothes skin surface.
The primary benefit of vitamin A and its derivatives in cosmetics is their ability to normalize keratinization (horny layers) by regulating skin cell growth and differentiation. This resulted in decreased roughness and decreased facial wrinkling. Therefore, vitamin A is often called the “skin normalizer” or “rejuvenating agent” (Somerset Cosmetic Company, The Essential Role of Vitamins in Cosmetics).
Rosehip Oil is a good example of an oil high in vitamin A
ProVitamin B5 (D-Panthenol)
Attracts water to hair & skin, so it has a moisturizing, regenerating & softening effect. Enhances the regeneration of the skin.
Vitamin C
Protects from oxidant damages, skin-lightening, anti-inflammatory effects, improves elasticity.
Vitamin D
Protective and rejuvenating effect on ageing skin. Vitamin D contributes to skin cell growth, repair and metabolism.
It mobilizes the skin’s immune system and helps destroy free radicals that can cause premature ageing.
Avocado oil and sweet almond oil are good examples.
Vitamin E
Antioxidant, therefore, protects the skin from free radical damage—stimulation of cell formation. Clinical improvement in skin ageing's visible signs has been documented with a significant decrease in skin wrinkling. Moisture retention capacity of the skin is improved.
Avocado oil, sunflower oil, and hazelnut oil are good examples.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants protect the cells from damage by molecules called ‘free radicals’ which initiate the deterioration of your skin’s structural support and decrease its elasticity, resilience, and suppleness. Free radicals damage the connective tissue cells such as elastin and collagen, which causes wrinkles. Applying oils and products rich in antioxidants can help prevent such damage. External toxins such as cigarette smoke, pollution, alcohol, stress and
UV light is free radical generator.
To know what are Carrier Oils, please click here.
The above-provided information is purely based on my own research and study through different sources and hope this is a useful resource for you!
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