There's a been a lot of recent discussions about seed oils and whether you should avoid them. So let's talk about what they are, whether they should be avoided, and whether Jojoba oil (which is used in many skincare products) should be avoided.
Seed oils refer to any oils that come from a seed, as you might expect. However, not all seed oils are made in the same way. The reasons why some suggest you should avoid seed oils are typically due to the way in which seed oils are made. In most cases, seed oils are what are known as RBD oils, or Refined, Bleached and Deodorized.
Some oils can ONLY be made in this way:
- Sunflower Oils
- Safflower Oils
Which are common In low quality skincare these days, and even popular food items.
Our philosophy is to avoid such unnaturally produced oils because they are potentially harmful in comparison to naturally derived ones.
The other concern with seed oils is that they tend to have a higher polyunsaturated fat content. The reason this might be of concern is because polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) are less stable fats and more prone to oxidation.
So if you are to use a seed oil in skincare, you want one that is not RBD, which typically means cold-pressed. Additionally, you will want one with a low PUFA content.
Jojoba oil is a great choice in skincare because it is available as Organic and cold-pressed, and is considered low PUFA (a maximum of 3%).
So as you can see, simply calling something a seed oil and avoiding it entirely, might be an overreaction. There are exceptions, and in this case Jojoba oil, especially when organic and cold-pressed, is an excellent choice for your skincare use.
We have previously tried cold-pressed olive oil, which is considered a fruit oil, however we found it to be too greasy for skincare. Coconut oil would have been another choice, but it is more prone to clogging pores.
So we opted for Organic, Cold-pressed Jojoba oil because of the above reasons and because many are familiar with it -- allowing us to be more approachable to new customers interested in trying out tallow moisturizers.