By Julie Longyear,
Herbal Chemist
The humble sunflower is an example of a miraculous botanical that is often underappreciated, especially if you have sensitive skin.
Sunflower seed oil is not an expensive or “precious” natural skincare oil largely because sunflowers are super easy to grow. Sometimes great things are literally right in our backyards, though!
Most skincare manufacturers like to evoke mystery and magic in their sales copy, and since everyone knows Sunflowers they don’t grab that kind of attention. They’re like the girl or boy next door – friendly and familiar. But Sunflower Seed oil is non allergenic for almost everyone, which makes it a perfect oil for sensitive skin types. In fact, Sunflower Seed oil is a mild and protective natural skincare oil that is often used alone to moisturize skin suffering from eczema.
Sunflower Seed oil carries a serious load of Vitamin E with it. One tablespoon contains 6.1 milligrams of Vitamin E, or 40% of our daily dietary requirement. Vitamin E is actually not just a single chemical compound but a family including tocopherols and tocotrienols. Some are better for human health than others.
Sunflower seed oil contains 6 times the amount of Alpha-tocopherol as Olive Oil. Alpha-tocopherol is the most beneficial chemical form of Vitamin E for humans. Other forms of tocopherols include beta, gamma, and delta tocopherols. Soybean and Canola oils are both very high in gamma tocopherols, which have been noted as having the effect of decreasing lung function due to increased inflammation! Conversely high content of Alpha-tocopherol has an anti-inflammatory effect on the human body.
The skin can use additional Vitamin E such as is provided by Sunflower Seed oil in natural skincare for regenerative and antioxidant purposes. Vitamin E works with Vitamin C synergistically to renew it and put it back to work in your system. Vitamin E also has an anti-inflammatory effect, and has been shown to help improve atopic dermatitis. Atopic dermatitis can be one manifestation of sensitive skin.
Sunflower seed oil also contains healthy plant sterols and squalene, plus lecithin and carotenoids. Plant sterols are a still-emerging area of research and some studies have shown anti-cancer properties and improved collagen maintenance. Lecithin is a penetration enhancer as it has the ability to bind both water and oil, and helps other nutrients travel more deeply into the skin. Carotenoids can have age defense benefits.
Nature is so amazing, and these gorgeous flowers deserve a lot of respect for the role they play in human and environmental health.
For more information, please visit online at www.blissoma.com or stop by our store at 2730 LaSalle Street, St. Louis, MO 63104. Phone: 314-771-5006.