Almond oil

In Europe, the almond tree has been known for many thousands of years. It is one of the few plants that stretch delicate blossoms towards the light even before the final onset of spring. The edible fruits of the almond tree, the almonds, are used as food and in cosmetics. Almond oil or Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil is of particular importance. It is extracted from ripe almonds by cold pressing. First the almonds are crushed, followed by a gentle process of cold pressing and filtering until clear almond oil or Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil is obtained. Thanks to this gentle process, all the nutrients remain in the oil. Although extracted and refined almond oil is also available on the market, many nutrients are lost due to the heat required for production.

The properties and effects of almond oil

Almond oil is particularly rich in valuable ingredients. The most important components are saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. By far the largest proportion of unsaturated fatty acids is oleic acid. Due to its very special chemical structure, it is able to penetrate into deeper skin layers, where it can unfold its positive effect particularly well.

But sweet almond oil also contains plenty of linoleic acid, which accounts for about 20 percent. Linoleic acid ensures that sufficient moisture remains in the skin, but also increases UV protection and counteracts skin irritations. With long-term use, the skin can build up a very stable resistance to infections.

Almond oil also contains about five percent palmitic acid. This saturated fatty acid strengthens the acid mantle of the skin and thus forms an important barrier against harmful external influences.

But it is not only the fatty acids that make almond oil so incredibly valuable. The oil also contains numerous vitamins, including vitamin A, the main player in our skin renewal, and vitamin E, which protects the cells from free radicals and thus has an antioxidant effect. Vitamins from the B family also provide indispensable services as accompanying vitamins. They support the absorption of the other vitamins from the almond oil, so that the effect of vitamin E, for example, is significantly enhanced.

Finally, almond oil also contains a whole range of minerals, including potassium, magnesium, and calcium. They also fulfil important functions by, among other things, stabilising the cell walls, smoothing the skin’s appearance and keeping minor inflammations at bay.

Use of almond oil

All in all, almond oil is an incredibly rich natural substance that is also very kind to the skin. The oil is contained pure or in combination with other valuable ingredients in many cosmetic products (eye and day creams, cleansing milk, lipsticks, hand cream) and unfolds its positive effect not only on the skin. Dry hair, for example, becomes much smoother and softer with almond oil.

But the oil also plays a role in cooking and medicine. It stimulates the appetite and digestion, actively lowers cholesterol levels and strengthens the cardiovascular system. In the kitchen, it is used as an aromatic and nutty cooking oil.

In general, almond oil can be produced from both sweet almonds (maximum oil content 46 percent) and bitter almonds (maximum oil content 36 percent). However, only sweet almond oil is important for cooking and cosmetics, because bitter almond oil contains the harmful prussic acid and must be specially labelled.

What are the physicochemical properties of almond oil?

Almond oil is a vegetable oil obtained from almonds by pressing or extraction. It has a light yellow to brown colour and a mild, pleasant odour. The physicochemical properties of almond oil include:

1. density: the density of almond oil is about 0.91 g/cm³ at 25°C.
2. refractive index: the refractive index of almond oil is in the range of 1.462-1.466 at 20°C.
3. viscosity: The viscosity of almond oil is about 45-65 cP at 25°C.
4. acid value: the acid value of almond oil is between 0.2 and 2.0 mg KOH/g.
5. iodine value: the iodine value of almond oil is about 100-120 g I₂/100 g.
6. saponification value: The saponification value of almond oil is in the range of 188-197 mg KOH/g.
7. melting point: the melting point of almond oil is in the range of -10°C to -18°C.

Solubility: Almond oil is soluble in organic solvents such as ether, benzene, and chloroform, but poorly soluble in water.

Almond oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids such as oleic acid and linoleic acid, as well as vitamin E and other antioxidants. It is often used in the cosmetics industry as a moisturising and skin nourishing oil. It can also be used in the food industry as a flavouring agent and in the pharmaceutical industry as a carrier oil for active ingredients.

We enjoy working with these almond oil-based raw materials:

Almond oil: a gift from Mother Nature

Almond oil is an enormously valuable ingredient that is primarily suitable for the care of dry skin, but can also help the hair to become more supple. Due to its many ingredients, almond oil is almost a miracle oil.

Feel free to ask us if we can develop a cosmetic product with almond oil for you.

Literature:

Anti-Inflammatory and Skin Barrier Repair Effects of Topical Application of Some Plant Oils.

Lin TK, Zhong L, Santiago JL.Int J Mol Sci. 2017 Dec 27;19(1):7

Evaluation of Marketed Almond Oils [Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A. Webb] in Terms of European Pharmacopoeia Criteria.

Berkkan A, Dede Türk BN, Pekacar S, Ulutaş OK, Deliorman Orhan D.Turk J Pharm Sci. 2022 Jun 27;19(3):322-329