Choosing the Right Plant Oil for Hair and Skin Benefits

This article serves as a primer (or a refresh) describing the compositions of popular oils for hair and skin benefits. It also explains how these structures impact properties such as melting point, viscosity, penetration and oxidative stability.
This article serves as a primer (or a refresh) describing the compositions of popular oils for hair and skin benefits. It also explains how these structures impact properties such as melting point, viscosity, penetration and oxidative stability.

Civilizations for centuries have used plant oils to enhance their beauty. In ancient East Asia, seeds from the Camellia oleifera plant were crushed and pressed to release an oil that was a treasured commodity, especially in China. In Japan, geishas and their apprentices applied the camellia seed oil to maintain their skin’s perfection. Ancient Greeks and Egyptians both used olive oil for moisturizing skin and hair, and in India, the 5,000-year-old science of ayurveda used coconut oil in the ritual of hair oiling. All were harnessing the regenerative power of natural oils for hair, scalp and skin moisture and nourishment. Today, the same oils are used across the beauty industry. In 2022, one quarter of skin care launches and half of hair care launches in North America contained at least one plant oil or butter.1 Figure 1 shows the top five oils in 2022 for both hair and skin launches in North America. 

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