What vitamins are in sweet almond oil?

Sweet almond oil is almost always used in scientific studies, given its safety. It has a nutty smell with a light sweetness.

But if you want to go for sweet almond oil, you need to choose the unrefined version. It is also called cold-pressed oil, and it usually has better nutritive properties than the refined variants. Cold-pressed oils do not undergo chemical or heat treatments. Unrefined almond oil is made by pressing raw almonds without using chemical agents or high temperatures. This process retains most of its nutrients. It is the best choice and has no preservatives.

What Are The Health Benefits Of Almond Oil?

1. May Promote Skin Health

Almond oil can rejuvenate the skin and improve your complexion. These properties might help reduce acne scars .

The oil is replete with vitamin E that works wonders on your skin. It can treat acne and reduce inflammation. It achieves this by preventing lipid peroxidation that is caused by acne-causing bacteria. However, we need a better understanding of this vitamin to evaluate its effectiveness on skin health.

Topical vitamin E was also found to protect the skin from photoaging and skin cancer in mice studies. Anecdotal evidence suggests that almond oil works for all skin types, and it helps soften and recondition the skin.

The vitamin E in almond oil may also reduce dark circles. Research is limited, but anecdotal evidence shows that it helps. Here’s how you can use it. Cleanse your face and massage a small amount of almond oil under your eyes. This massage boosts blood circulation. You can do this at night and wash your eyes in the morning. Following this regularly may also give you beautiful skin.

The oil works for sunburns too. Mice studies show that topical almond oil can prevent the structural damage caused by UV irradiation. Gentle application of the oil to the affected areas might help.

Almond oil also helps in reducing stretch marks, although bitter almond oil was found to be effective in this aspect. A 15-minute gentle massage with bitter almond oil during pregnancy may reduce the development of stretch marks (medically called striae gravidarum). But we suggest you use almond oil only after consulting your doctor as it may lead to preterm birth.

Regular application of and massage with almond oil may also reduce wrinkles, under-eye bags, and dark circles. You can also apply almond oil for treating dark or chapped lips. But there is no scientific research to prove these benefits.

2. May Improve Hair And Scalp Health

Many people have sworn by the efficacy of almond oil in boosting hair and scalp health. But sufficient research is absent.

Using almond oil on your hair may make it softer to touch. You might even find it easy to comb and style through your hair.

Almond oil contains vitamin E. This nutrient can reduce the oxidative stress in the scalp, cut down the risk of alopecia, and boost hair growth. Almond oil may achieve the same, given its high vitamin E content.

3. May Protect Your Heart

The monounsaturated fats in the oil lower LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) and elevate HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol). Thus, almond oil may reduce the risk of heart disease.A diet high in monounsaturated fatty acids can also lower blood pressure levels, more so in obese individual Almond oil contains a combination of mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids. These two greatly contribute to cardiovascular health .

Monounsaturated fatty acids also prevent arteriosclerosis, a condition characterized by the hardening of the arterial walls.

4. May Promote Rectal And Digestive Health

Almond oil has quite a number of uses in boosting digestive health.

One of them is almond oil injections that treat rectal prolapse in children. Rectal prolapse is a rare condition in which a part of the large intestine slips outside the anus.

In a study, almond oil could treat idiopathic pruritis (unexplained irritation in the anal region) in adult patients. The oil could treat 93% of the patients in the first trial itself, while the remaining saw complete cure after a second treatment .

The oil also improves bowel transit. This eventually reduces the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.

The fatty acids in almond seeds may also work as prebiotics. This promotes the health of the human gut bacteria . However, it is unclear if similar results could be expected with almond oil.