
Organic sweet almond oil has been a celebrated hero ingredient at SL Towers, and across the skincare industry, for years. Used widely in India, sweet almond oil can help to soothe sensitive skin and was a memorable part of our founder Sofia’s skin care routine growing up. Packed with skin-loving vitamins and fatty acids and intensely hydrating, sweet almond oil is a key ingredient in our signature Face Oil and is sure to help you nourish and maintain your skin to its best health.
The Sweet Skincare Solution
There are two types of almond oil: sweet almond oil (Prunus dulcis var. amygdalus) and bitter almond oil (Prunus dulcis var. amara). The former is extracted from edible almonds and is packed full of nutritional benefits for the skin and body, including high protein content, vitamins and minerals that repair the skin and bring it back to its best health. For the best quality oil, sweet almonds are cold-pressed so that the oil retains its maximum nutritional benefit.
Alternatively, bitter almond oil is extracted from almonds of a different variety. Historically, it was used in small quantities to flavour meals. However, due to its high potential for toxicity, it’s not commonly used today.
The Benefits Of Sweet Almond Oil
There are many benefits of sweet almond oil. Most notably:
- Hydration: Oleic acid in almond oil is very good at moisturising the skin, making it a great oil to use during the colder weather when the skin feels dry and tight. It can also be beneficial for people with chronic skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis for this same reason. This boost of hydration helps to build moisture and repair the skin barrier in your skin.
- Calms irritation: Sweet almond oil contains a high level of fatty acids, including oleic acid, linoleic acid, palmitic acid and stearic acid. Particularly linoleic acid is anti-inflammatory and works to calm the skin and any irritation it is experiencing. By also working to rebuild the skin barrier, almond oil can help to build the defences between the skin and common environmental irritants, such as pollution.
- Cell regeneration: Almond oil is rich in vitamin A and vitamin E, which help to improve cell regeneration and reduce oxidative stress in the skin. This means it can help skin to appear brighter and more youthful, and also reduce the appearance of scarring. The presence of zinc also helps wound-healing, and encourages the skin to heal faster so that the skin barrier is restored.
- Repair sun-damage: While we don’t recommend that you skip your sunscreen, as that it is the best way to protect your skin from the sun, sweet almond oil may just be the next best thing to repair damage already done from spending too much time soaking up the rays. Studies show that almond oil is able to prevent the structural damage caused by UV radiation and can help with skin ageing caused by the sun.
Not Just A Healthy Snack
Sweet almond oil is more than just a healthy way of getting some crunch into your diet – it’s a hero oil, packed with nutritional benefits that help to build a strong skin barrier. However, be careful of using this oil if you have a nut allergy, as applying it topically can be just as dangerous as ingesting.
Sources:
https://skinkraft.com/blogs/articles/almond-oil-for-face
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/almond-oil-for-skin
https://www.byrdie.com/almond-oil-for-skin
https://sofialatif.com/how-plant-oils-strengthen-the-skin-barrier-part-two/