Oils: Unsaturated, Linoleic / Alpha-Linolenic, Very Long Carbon Chain & Highly Saturated

I write so you share. Thank you.

A Love for Oils

As I learn about carrier oils I get fascinated about the power the seem to have over me. The more I think about them, the more I want to learn about them.

I have a box at home carrying (pardon the pun) about 20 different carrier oils I purchased from Naturally Thinking (250ml per bottle). I have everything from avocado oil to sea buckthorn oil to hemp oil to apricot kernel oil, but being a newbie around skincare and formulating all I know is that there’s so much to learn about carrier oils still!

Having been born in a country where olive oil is the best ingredient EVER (yes, in Spain we use it for almost any dish) I have been brought up with a love for oils I’ve noticed other cultures don’t seem to have as much.

In Spain olive oil forms the basis of most recipes I’d say. My grandmother used to say: “Boiled potatoes are lovely, but when you add extra virgin olive oil to them they’re just glorious!”.

She was right. Olive oil is sweet and tasty and adds an extra layer to certain dishes, also making a most wonderful salad dressing.

Now that I’m all about natural skincare I’m fascinated by the power of carrier oils in general. The more I get into them, the more I am fascinated by them. My body seems to almost demand I give it oils (how could I not ‘hear’ my body telling me this before?) and so I am compelled to learn as much as I can about these wonderful carriers.

Carrier oils (or base oils or fixed oils) are much more than just oils that carry the goodiness of other ingredients to our skin. Their reparative, nourishing possibilities make them intoxicating and addictive – once you start finding out the power they carry within them you’re in for a discovery ride!

Below we’ll look at these types of oils:

UNSATURATED OILS

• Monounsaturated oils
• Polyunsaturated oils
• Linoleic, Alpha-linolenic acid oils
• Very-long unsaturated carbon chains

SATURATED OILS

• Highly Saturated oils

1. Unsaturated Oils

1.1 Monounsaturated – Oleic Acid Dominant Oils

These oils are ideal for macerating / infusing herbs and botanicals in general to your skincare formulations. Fairly stable, hold up well (don’t go rancid that quickly, fairly long shelf life), great for making great bases for our formulas. Typically, these oils are also emollient which means they will nourish your skin (perfect for dry or damaged skin).

About Oleic Acid
Oils are packed with fatty acids. Oleic acid is a fatty acid found in all oils. The percentage of oleic acid differs being either large of small. Oleic acid is monounsaturated making oils which have a large percentage of this fatty acid liquid as well as fairly stable to oxygen.

• Oils high in oleic fatty acid are stable for a year or more (if stored properly, in a cook and dark place).
• Our skin makes oleic fatty acid. In fact, on average, 30% of our sebum is oleic fatty acid. Oleic acid is one of the fatty acids that our own skin makes; 30% of our sebum is oleic acid on average, protecting the skin from moisture loss as well as acting as a barrier to the environment.
• ‘Oleic acid’ name comes from Olea Europaea, the botanical name for olives. Olive oil olive is the best known of the high oleic acid oils.
• Although olive oil can maybe feel a little heavy on the skin, there are other high oleic acid oils that are stable to oxidation

A few examples of monounsaturated fatty acid dominant oils:

• Olive oil
• Camellia seed oil
• Plum kernel oil
• Macadamia nut oil
• Hazelnut oil
• Apricot seed oil
• Almond oil
• Avocado oil
• Moringa oil
• Marula oil
• Shea oil (not the butter)

**Avoid these Oils on Acne Prone Skin Because they Clog Pores**
Oils that are high in oleic fatty acids can cause more clogged pores (as opposed to those high in linoleic fatty acids). Why? Oily skin is low in linoleic fatty acids so oils high in linoleic acid will work well with oily skin. Instead, trygrapeseed oil, rosehip oil, evening primrose oil, hemp seed oil, pumpkin seed oil, black seed oil, perilla seed oil, kukui nut oil, sacha inchi oil, chia seed oil, tamanu oil.  More on this here and here

A few examples of oils that would make great basis for our formulas would be: sweet almond oil – 65% oleic acid, hazelnut oil – 77.8% oleic acid, plum kernel oil – 70% oleic acid, apricot kernel oil 70% oleic acid, avocado oil – 65.4% oleic acid, shea nut oil – 57% oleic acid, camellia oil 80%+ oleic acid, macadamia nut oil – 67% oleic acid, marula oil – 70/78% oleic acid.

1.2 Polyunsaturated Oils

A group of oils that are lighter, these oils will absorb well into the skin. They are high in polyunsaturated fatty acids which are easily taken up by the skin. These are not as stable as monounsaturated oils, they are quite sensitive to oxidation so they go rancid more rapidly. To be used in smaller amount, they can be rich in colour.

A few examples of polyunsaturated fatty acid dominant oils:

• Hemp seed oil
• Grape seed oil
• Cranberry seed oil
• Evening Primrose oil
• Passion fruit seed oil
• Cucumber seed oil
• Watermelon seed oil
• Sunflower seed oil
• Raspberry seed oil
• Black seed oil
• Kukui nut oil
• Sesame seed oil

1.3 Linoleic, Alpha-Linolenic Acid Oils

More information on oils and fatty acids here.

Keywords: types of carrier oils, best carrier oils, best base oils, choosing carrier oils, choosing base oils, choosing carrier oils for DIY skincare