You’ve probably heard of green tea, lavender, peppermint, and other essential oils, but have you heard about apricot oil and its awesome, beneficial skincare properties? This often-overlooked ingredient is ripe with potential for helping several kinds of skincare issues, and can be used as a carrier oil to dilute other essential oils that are too potent to apply directly to the skin. Let’s explore what makes apricot oil an effective ingredient in many high-quality skincare products.
What is Apricot Oil?
Apricot oil, sometimes called apricot kernel oil, is an essential oil sourced from, you guessed it, apricots. It has been harvested for centuries for skin, hair, and general health benefits and is well-known in history as a hydrating and nourishing ingredient. Apricot oil comes from the kernel inside the large seed that makes up about half the apricot fruit and is extracted through a laborious process that involves soaking the seed, pressing the kernel, and refining the oil that comes out.
Apricot oil contains many fatty acids and vitamins that make it an effective skincare product while being low on the comedogenic scale. In fact, apricot oil is known to have a similar fatty acid composition to the sebum oil your skin naturally secretes, making it ideal for most skin types.
Key Compounds Found in Apricot Oil
The active compounds in apricot oil that provide its numerous benefits include:
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Oleic acids (Omega-9 fatty acids)
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Linoleic acids (Omega-6 fatty acids)
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Alpha-linolenic acids (Omega-3 acids)
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Palmitic acid
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Stearic acid
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Vitamin A
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Vitamin E
While each component of the oil has specific effects when applied topically to the skin, whether directly with the oil or as part of a skincare product, the overall benefits are compounded when the effects overlap with other ingredients in the formula. Benefits of Apricot Oil for Your Skin
The essential compounds found in apricot oil are known for a host of skincare benefits, both as a moisturizer and a cleanser — counterintuitive, but true.
Improves the Look of Tired-Looking Skin
The signs of aging due to environmental damage are inevitable to a certain degree. However, if you take care of your skin with the right products, you can help reduce factors that contribute to skin aging, like free radicals. Antioxidants are compounds that have been known to protect the body from the effects of free radicals that attack your cells’ DNA. Antioxidants are exactly that: anti-oxidizers. They bind to free radicals to help against the harmful process of oxidation that harms cells. The most potent antioxidants in apricot oil are Vitamin A and Vitamin E.
Reduces the Appearance of Blemishes
Along with the antioxidant properties of apricot oil, it is also known for having antibacterial properties. Bacteria are a factor that contributes to acne. Minimizing bacteria can reduce the frequency and severity of acne. Acne-prone skin is also known to have less amount of naturally occurring linoleic acid. In addition to the anti-bacterial properties, linoleic acid-rich oils, like apricot oil, may help reduce excess oil on skin, lessening pore-clogging debris, and leading to a reduced appearance of breakouts.
Boosts the Look of Hydration
Like other essential oils, apricot oil is full of fatty acids that moisturize while also taking advantage of the benefits of Vitamin A. Vitamin A is a well-researched vitamin known to stimulate your body's natural collagen production and has antioxidant properties. Apricot oil is a natural source of multibeneficial compounds that help the skin look and feel its best.
Helps Achieve Soft-Looking Skin
For those who frequently experience tightness or dryness, it is necessary to find skincare products that are both effective and nourishing. The oleic and linoleic acids in apricot oil are quickly absorbed by the skin, providing a soft, silky feel that is good for sensitive skin. The results are a dewy-looking complexion all year round.
How to Incorporate Apricot Oil into Your Routine
The best way to use apricot oil in skincare is to use it in a high-quality product that incorporates many ingredients to multiply apricot oil’s natural effects. At Epicuren Discovery, our skincare experts used their decades of research to formulate dozens of moisturizers, cleansers, and sunscreens that are both effective and luxurious. Many of them include apricot kernel oil specifically for its proven effects, regardless of the category of product.
Apricot Oil in High-Quality Skincare Products
If you want to find out how apricot oil can help you achieve a more luminous, blemish-free glow, try some of our apricot oil-formulated products. Start with our Apricot Cream Cleanser and Apricot Facial Scrub and take advantage of its carrier oil effect in products like our Bulgarian Rose Otto moisturizer. Or take our Skin Quiz to find out which products are right for you, given your unique skin type and concerns!
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