Apricot kernel oil - everything you need to know

You may have noticed a pattern in which I write my posts - each time I give a new recipe I try to do the next one with one of the ingredients from the previous one 😉 So for this week I chose apricot kernel oil and you can expect something with mango butter for next week😃

Apricot kernel oil is pressed from kernels (stones) of ripe apricots. Who doesn't love apricots?!😋 Now you can love them even more knowing that apricot kernel oil has so many benefits everyone can enjoy🍑

Here are few facts about apricot kernel oil:

🧡 light yellow liquid with no scent

🧡 it is similar to sebum produced by our skin

🧡 suitable for people with sensitive skin and for babies

🧡 suitable for people with nut allergies - apricot kernel oil is very similar to sweet almond oil and for someone with allergies to nuts it is a great alternative

🧡 great for massage - it doesn't sink in the skin too quickly and doesn't leave oily residue behind

🧡 excellent face cleansing oil - you can use it on its own: it lifts dirt and impurities and leaves skin soft and smooth

🧡 amazing for hair treatments - it has an astringent properties which can stimulate circulation in scalp and therefore reduce hair loss plus leaves hair nourished and stronger

🧡 helps to reduce dandruff

🧡 used in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Fatty acids

• Oleic acid ( also known as Omega 9)

Helps to maintain softness of the skin and hair, has anti-ageing and antioxidant properties - both very desirable, especially after you turn 30😉

• Linoleic acid ( known as Omega 6 or Vitamin F )

Has anti-inflammatory and anti-ageing properties, helps to lock the moisture in the skin, has soothing and healing characteristics. Superb choice for sensitive skin🥰

• Palmitic acid

The most common saturated fatty acid, it has emollient characteristics, makes hair softer and doesn't leave oily residue

• Stearic acid

Helps to soften the skin and protect the hair form damage, has cleansing properties.

Apricot kernel oil has trace amount of palmitoleic acid, alpha linolenic acid ( Omega 3) and eicosenoic acid.

Unsaponifiables

• Vitamin E

Very potent antioxidant. You can read more about vitamin E here.

• Vitamin A

Helps with collagen production in the skin and protects from UV rays therefore slows down the skin ageing. It also helps to lighten the dark spots on the skin.

I'll need to write a separate article about vitamin A - there's just so much I'm not able to list all the benefits🤩

Apricot kernel oil also contains vitamin B17 - Nitrilosides in the highest concentration in plant kingdom. It is believed that vitamin B17 helps patients with cancer and those who are in high risk group. More scientific research needs to be done on this but it certainly is worth a try!

Apricot shower scrub bars - formula and recipe.

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding don't use essential oils or consult your doctor/midwife - they will be able to provide you with info. I searched the internet and the information was consistent throughout - bergamot essential oil is believed to be safe to use during pregnancy. Do your research to and be safe on this.

Bergamot essential oil is photosensitive which means it reacts to sunlight. We use it in wash off product so there shouldn't be any reaction but just to be safe use our scrub bars in the evening rather than in the morning when your skin can be exposed to sunlight.

Try to fiddle a little with proportions - add more wax to make scrub bars a little harder or more oil to make it softer but not to much - you want them to be firm enough to hold it in your hand.😄

One last thing - as our scrub bars are single use there was no need for adding preservative to our mix. Scrubs in jars usually come to contact with water and even if they don't contain water themselves they need to have a board spectrum preservative added, because you will introduce water to them when taking some of the scrub with wet hands.

Hope you enjoyed making scrub bars - don't forget to share your creation with us here or on our Facebook page.

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