Soy Bean Oil

Soybeans have long been cultivated for their protein, oil and lecithin content all of which make an effective moisturizing agent. Lecithin is also know as an emulsifier containing natural antioxidant properties. Soybean oil is also rich in unsaturated fat acid, sterols, Vitamins A, E and K and is widely used in a variety of food manufacturing.

To produce soybean oil, the soybeans are cracked, adjusted for moisture content, rolled into flakes and solvent-extracted with commercial hexane. The oil is then refined, blended for different applications, and sometimes hydrogenated. Soybean oils, both liquid and partially hydrogenated, are exported abroad, sold as "vegetable oil," or end up in a wide variety of processed foods. The remaining soybean husks are used mainly as animal feed.

In the 2002-2003 growing season, 30.6 million tons of soybean oil were produced worldwide, constituting about half of worldwide edible vegetable oil production, and thirty percent of all fats and oils produced, including animal fats and oils derived from tropical plants.

While soybean oil has no direct insect repellent activity, it is used as a fixative to extend the short duration of action of essential oils such as geranium oil in several commercial products.