MEADOWFOAM SEED OIL: SKIN BENEFITS AND HAIR CARE USES

Meadowfoam Seed Oil is derived from the seeds of the Limnanthes alba plant, an herbaceous wildflower native to the waterways of the Pacific Northwest.Meadowfoam is a highly stable oil with a long shelf life making it ideal for a wide range of industrial and cosmetic applications.A very high concentration of unique long-chain fatty acids makes this oil beneficial for skin and hair and highly antioxidant and heat-stress resistant.As a base oil, Meadowfoam is intensely emollient and lightweight, making it suitable for all skin types.Meadowfoam seed oil is ideal for moisturizing and revitalizing skin care formulations, sun care and outdoor products, and conditioning hair care formulations to promote a smooth, silky texture.

HISTORY OF MEADOWFOAM SEED OIL 

Meadowfoam or Limnanthes alba is a small, soft herbaceous winter-spring annual herb native to grassy areas in northern California, southern Oregon, and along waterways on Vancouver Island. It is closely related to the Brassicaceae and other families within the Brassica order.Meadowfoam gets its name from the resemblance of its creamy white flowers to meerschaum, which adorns billowing waves when the wind sweeps through its inflorescences.Known to botanists since the early 1800s, Meadowfoam has long been cultivated as an ornamental plant, prized for its beautiful flowers and pleasant sweet smell.While a long pastoral history suggests that the wildflower's value spread by chance through quaint folk traditions, the story of meadowsweet seed oil becoming mainstream is more objective.Marked in the 1950s for its value as an agricultural crop, Meadowfoam gave the USDA hope as it sought a source of renewable raw materials for industrial applications.Commercial development of Meadowfoam for oil production began in the early 1980s after extensive research and development into the crop's potential continued throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Like oil, this development has been improving ever since.

The refined oil produced by Meadowfoam has similar properties to canola oil and competes directly with canola oil to operate in the industrial oilseed market.What sets Meadowfoam seed oil apart is its chemical composition of long-chain fatty acids, giving it excellent stability in a variety of applications.It is in great demand today as it is one of the most stable vegetable oils for industrial and cosmetic use.While research into the oil's industrial and biotechnological applications is ongoing, meadowsweet oil's skin benefits and hair care applications are well known and these have attracted a lot of attention in the beauty industry.

MEADOWFOAM SEED OIL BENEFITS

In natural cosmetics and body care, meadowsweet seed oil is known as an extremely powerful emollient.Emollients maintain hydration by locking moisture in the skin and hair.This helps maintain a soft look and feel.Spiraea seed oil is known to act similar to the sebum your skin naturally produces, which makes it especially effective at locking in moisture.It also helps balance skin's natural oil production for a more even-toned complexion.As an added bonus, Meadowfoam has a unique velvety texture that doesn't leave a greasy residue when compared to many oils.This makes it more versatile in topical application as it is suitable for all skin types and makes it a more popular cosmetic choice.It is further considered safe for daily use and in combination with other skin care oils and butters.Antioxidants and fatty acids are the stars of meadowfoam seed oil, making it a feast for the skin and hair, giving it rich moisturizing properties and a luxurious texture.This oil also contains glucosinolate derivatives, 3-methoxybenzyl isothiocyanate (MBITC) and 3-methoxyphenylacetonitrile, which have been shown to inhibit degradation in controlled laboratory studies Enzyme for skin collagen and helps counteract the effects of UVB light exposure.This makes meadowfoam oil a popular ingredient in rejuvenating beauty formulas and protective sunscreens.

In addition to its rich softening properties, meadowsweet seed oil's skin benefits include helping to reduce the appearance of stretch marks, scars, fine lines and wrinkles, thereby promoting a vibrant and rejuvenated appearance. Used in hair care, this oil is known to help control brittleness, tangles, dullness and frizz, promoting a silky-smooth texture and lively shine.The highly stable nature of meadowsweet seed oil makes it an even more attractive ingredient in body care products.Spiraea contains the highest concentration (approximately 98%) of the long-chain fatty acids docosenoic and docosadienoic acids among other commercial vegetable oils, which are rare in vegetable oils and are Most resistant to rancidity in heat.This gives the oil a long shelf life without compromising its effectiveness.