Looking for carrier oils high in oleic acid for your skin? Here they are!
Oleic acid is a monosaturated omega 9 fatty acid. It naturally occurs in many animal and plant oils. It is an odorless and colorless oil though in commercial samples, it may appear yellowish.
Where does the term ‘oleic’ come from? Well, it is said to mean related to or derived from olive oil, which has high concentrations of oleic acid.
Health & Beauty Benefits of Oleic Acid
Oleic acid is a unique fatty acid that has lots of health and beauty benefits. In the skin care world, in particular, oleic acid plays a very important role.
Carrier oils high in oleic acid tend to be very moisturizing. They also aid in skin cell regeneration and offer strong anti-inflammatory properties. Oils rich in oleic acid such as olive oil closely resemble our skin’s natural sebum, making them perfect skin care oils.
Another beauty benefit of carrier oils high in oleic acid is that they tend to be absorbed very well into the skin. This makes them good emollients & moisturizers plus gives them nice skin softening qualities.
If you have dry, flaky and itchy skin, carrier oils rich in oleic acid are for you! Eczema and psoriasis affected skin is also greatly soothed, moisturized and healed using these oils.
Oleic acid-rich oils also last longer. They don’t get rancid easily as compared to oils high in linoleic or linolenic acid. This makes them great to use in DIY skin or hair care formulations that you want to have a long shelf life!
To read more about the beauty benefits of oleic acid, please visit: 15 Health & Beauty Benefits of Oleic Acid
Top 8 Carrier Oils High in Oleic Acid
Below are the top 8 carrier oils high in oleic acid!
1. Olive Oil
- Oleic acid content: 78%
Olive oil (where to get it) is a common household staple! It is mega rich in oleic acid. So if you have dry itchy and flaky skin and you’re looking for a quick remedy at home, try extra virgin cold pressed olive oil! As mentioned above, the very term ‘oleic’ means related to or derived from olive oil so this oil is truly one of the top carrier oils high in oleic acid.
2. Avocado Oil
- Oleic acid content: 75 – 80%
Avocado oil (where to get it) is another heavy weight when it comes to oils with a high oleic acid content. It has a nice thick and smooth consistency that provides deep lubrication of skin cells. Those with dry skin, eczema and psoriasis should make use of this lovely oil! It does have a shorter shelf life compared to other oils high in oleic acid, so make sure to refrigerate it when you purchase it. Check out 15 Beauty Benefits of Avocado Oil for Skin, Hair & More
3. Camellia Seed Oil
- Oleic acid content: 77 – 83%
Camellia seed oil (where to get it) was the favorite of Japanese noble women and geishas. They used it for that die-for flawless skin! It is incredibly moisturizing with its high oleic acid content.
4. Shea Nut Oil
- Oleic acid content: 57%
You’ve heard of shea butter but do you know shea nut oil (where to get it)? They both come from the same source – shea nuts, but their extraction processes are slightly different which makes them come in two different forms. If you want to read more about it please go here: What is Shea Nut Oil? Shea butter is a creamy plant butter while shea nut oil is a luxurious creamy oil! I love shea nut oil for its long lasting moisturization!
5. Hazelnut Oil
- Oleic acid content: 73%
Hazelnuts are yummy, aren’t they?! Hazelnut oil extracted from hazelnuts (where to get it) is nourishing! It feeds dry thirsty skin with its high oleic acid content. It’s less heard of for beauty purposes, but it is a lovely skin care oil! I’ve written about it here: Discover 20 Beauty Benefits of Hazelnut Oil
6. Apricot Kernel Oil
- Oleic acid content: 64.2%
Now apricot kernel oil (where to get it) is a light-weight oil with a thin consistency but lo and behold! It has a high oleic acid content! So it can be used for those with dry skin and combination skin as well! Read more of its fantastic beauty benefits here: 12 Beauty Benefits of Apricot Kernel Oil
7. Sweet Almond Oil
- Oleic acid content: 61%
Sweet almond oil (where to get it) has a somewhat light consistency so you wouldn’t expect it to have a high oleic acid content since it’s not thick like avocado or shea nut oils! But it’s one of the oils rich in oleic acid. It’s usually for moisturizing combination skin or skin that’s just a tad dry without all the flakiness and itchiness severe dry skin comes with!
8. Macadamia Nut Oil
- Oleic acid content: 60%
Macadamia nut oil (where to get it) is also amazing for your skin! I wrote about the Benefits of Macadamia Nut Oil for Skin some time back. It has a smooth consistency and smells slightly of macadamia nuts but is gorgeous to use as a skin (and hair!) care oil! Please take a look at its beauty benefits through the link I’ve shared!
References
- http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.ug/2009/11/oleic-acid.html
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oleic_acid
Which of these carrier oils high in oleic acid are you interested in using? Share below!
Good GOD please do not just reach into your pantry and slather on Cisco olive oil! Why on earth would you recommend this? First off, anything that isn’t cold pressed won’t have any therapeutic benefit, and it’s unlikely that you happen to have cold pressed olive oil. Secondly and more importantly, studies have shown that over 2/3 of “extra virgin olive oil” sold in the US is adulterated with vegetable oil. That’s a wonderful way to make your skin angry and break out. There are plenty of higher end, cold-pressed organic olive oil brands that will genuinely do wonders for your skin.
You’ve got it backwards, unfortunately, at least in terms of what works for eczema. Oils high in oleic acid can break down the skin barrier. Olive oil, in particular, has been shown to do this as well as cause redness in some people. An oil higher in linoleic acid, such as sunflower oil, is better for eczema as it helps preserve skin barrier function.
With seborrheic dermatitis, eczema, ect. you want to avoid oleic acids, sugar (like sugar scrubs), fatty oils, and butters.