Beautiful, healthy skin is ALL about the oils. What you put in your body and on your skin has everything to do with how it's going to look. Essential fatty acids (EFA)s are a MUST for skin health, which is why they are called 'essential'. Your body does not produce them naturally so you have to add them into your diet and skin care routine. If you were to take EFA's out of your life, your skin would be an absolute mess. There are some moisturizers that have no EFAs at all such as silicones, mineral oils and coconut oil. Yes, coconut oil. In fact, when scientists do testing on how EFA deficiency can affect the skin, they feed the subject coconut oil. The skin gets dry, irritated, stressed, red. When they reintroduce oils with EFAs, the skin goes back to normal. There are so many better options. In fact, most seed and nut oils have at least one EFAs. Check out the chart below to see what the most common fatty acids are, what they do, and which plants are high in them.
High = over 20%
* over 70%
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (liquid at room temperature)
LINOLEIC ACID (OMEGA 6) EFA
Healing, anti-inflammatory, and good for acne. Supports structure and barrier function of the skin. Penetration enhancer for antioxidants.
Oils high in linoleic acid
- Argan
- Borage
- Canola
- Safflower
- Pumpkin
- Sunflower*
- Rice Bran
- Rosehip
- Raspberry
- Sesame
- Wheatgerm
- Blueberry
- Cranberry
- Grapeseed
- Apricot Kernal
- Sweet Almond
- Evening Primrose*
- Hemp
- Hazelnut
- Blueberry
- Tamanu
- Sea Buckthorn
LINOLENIC ACID (OMEGA 3) EFA
Calms inflammation and protects skin from sun damage and premature aging.
Oils high in linolenic acid (omega 3)
- Raspberry
- Blueberry
- Cranberry
- Rosehip
- Flax
- Hemp
- Blueberry
- Sea Buckthorn
OLEIC ACID (OMEGA 9)
Mimics skin’s natural oils. Anti-inflammatory and wound healing. Very moisturizing. Penetration enhancer.
Oils high in Oleic Acid (omega 9)
- Argan
- Shea Butter
- Sweet Almond*
- Avocado*
- Apricot Kernal
- Green Tea Seed* (Camellia Sinesis or Japonica) 80%
- Kokum Butter
- Sunflower
- Cranberry
- Mango Butter
- Moringa*
- Blueberry
- Olive*
- Rice Bran
- Sesame
- Cocoa Butter
- Macadamia Nut
- Hazelnut
- Blueberry
- Tamanu
Unsaturated Fatty Acids (solid at room temperature)
STEARIC ACID
Creates an amazing barrier on skin that prevents transdermal water loss and protects it from pollutants.
Oils high in Stearic Acid
- Shea Butter
- Kokum Butter
- Oils high in Erucic Acid
- Broccoli Seed
- Mango Butter
- Cocoa Butter
LAURIC ACID
Great cleanser for skin. Anti-microbial attacks viruses and fungi. Fights acne (as a cleanser).
Oils high in lauric acid
- Coconut
- Babassu
PALMITIC ACID
Most prevalent saturated fat in the body’s lipids. Aging skin sees a 50% loss of this fatty acid.
Oils high in Palmitic Acid
- Cocoa Butter
Next time you are buying a moisturizer, whether it's a straight oil or a cream, check which oils have been added. Do they have the right combination of fatty acids for your skin? It's ideal if you get a combination of all these fatty acids so that you get a balanced formula that multitasks.