Organic Sunflower Oil – Nature’s Sunshine Skin Care Product

Sunflower Oil for Acne and Dry Skin

Although best known as a cooking oil, sunflower oil is also a very popular oil for use in skin care products. In fact, the oil can be rubbed into the skin by itself to impart many skin care benefits as a result of the variety of properties it possesses that are beneficial to the well-being of your skin.

Like many other oils it retains moisture, and therefore prevents your skin from drying out.  Dry skin is more likely to develop wrinkles and age than that which is kept moisturized. It is also believed to protect the skin of low birth weight infants, where it helps to prevent the infection in hospital to which such pre-term children are susceptible.

However, it is for its effect on a wide variety of irritating skin conditions for which sunflower oil is most prized. It is non-comedogenic, and can be rubbed into your skin without generating pimples or spots. It is particularly suitable for the treatment of acne where more traditional treatments have failed. If you have acne that nothing seems to have helped, then sunflower oil is definitely worth trying.

Sunflower Oil, Antioxidants, and Anti Aging Benefits:

It is also high in the antioxidant vitamins A, C and E, and can help prevent oxidative damage to your skin caused by bright sunlight or pollution from factory emissions, car emissions, and cigarette smoke. Along with exposure to pesticides on your food, these can generate small molecules known as free radicals that oxidize your skin cells, destroying the cell membranes and accelerating the appearance of aging such as wrinkles and liver spots.

These antioxidant vitamins prevent this oxidation by chemically reducing the free radicals, effectively destroying them. Thus, a regular application of sunflower oil to your skin can help it maintain its youthful appearance, even when you sunbathe longer than you should. Not only that, but it provides your skin with natural protection against bacterial infections and other agents that can cause blemishes.

Its antibacterial properties are largely due to the presence of organic acids, particularly oleic, palmitic, linoleic and stearic acids that deter the growth of bacteria. Not only that, but its vitamin D content supports the immune system by helping to prevent inflammation in some skin conditions such as acne.

In addition to their antioxidant properties, Vitamins C and E help skin to grow normally, and are also useful in the treatment of inflammation and skin conditions by speeding up the healing process. It is therefore an extremely versatile oil, and a useful natural treatment for anybody that is concerned about the synthetic chemicals that are present in many over-the-counter remedies for conditions such as acne.

How Sunflower Oil is Used in Skin Care Products:

Sunflower oil, obtained from the crushed seeds of the plant, is found in the ingredients list of many commercial preparations, such as soaps, lotions, hair conditioners and body washes.  It produces a soap that is less harsh than the regular type of soap, and one that gently softens your skin. You will likely find it used in combination with other oils in such products due to its shelf-life being reduced by the presence of linoleic acid, but it is stable enough for you to use naturally by itself.