Sweet Almond Oil Information

The almond is native to Iran. It is a small deciduous tree, growing to between 4 and 10 meters in height. The young shoots are green at first, becoming purplish when exposed to sunlight, then grey in their second year. The flowers are white or pale pink, 3-5 cm diameter with five petals, produced singly or in pairs before the leaves in early spring.

There are two forms of the plant, one (often with white flowers) producing sweet almonds, and the other (often with pink flowers) producing bitter almonds. The fruit is a drupe 3.5-6 cm long, with a downy outer coat. The outer covering is a leathery grey-green coating called the hull, which contains inside a hard shell, and the edible nut. The fruit is mature in the autumn, 7-8 months after flowering.

The sweet almond oil is obtained from the dried kernel of the plant. This oil has been traditionally used by massage therapists to lubricate the skin during a massage session, being considered by many to be an effective emollient.

Sweet Almond Oil Benefits

The kernel of the former contains a fixed oil and emulsion. As late as the early 20th century the oil was used internally in medicine. It remains fairly popular in alternative medicine, particularly as a carrier oil in aromatherapy, but has fallen out of prescription among doctors. Extract of bitter almond was once used medicinally, but even in small doses effects are severe and in larger doses can be deadly; the cyanide must be removed before consumption.

Sweet almond oil is an excellent skin-softening oil used for centuries. It is a mild, lightweight oil, rich in unsaturated fats and essential fatty acids which is easily absorbed into the skin. Recent studies have shown that the constituents of almond have anti-inflammatory, immunity boosting, and anti-hepatotoxicity effects.

The oil is wonderful to use on skin irritations like eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis due to it's emollient properties.

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