Su
Sunflower Oil
Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil · Helianthus Annuus · Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil · Helianthus Annus Seed Oil · Helianthus Annuus Hybrid OilBarrier
An oil rich in linoleic acid that matches the barrier’s own fats. Studied even on baby skin. Look for the high-linoleic kind.
What it does
It’s mostly linoleic acid, a close match for the fats in skin’s barrier. Research in children’s dermatology supports using it on baby skin to help keep the barrier working. The skincare kind is high in linoleic acid; the cooking kind is high in oleic acid, a different balance.
The evidence, graded
emergingCeramides, cholesterol and free fatty acids are three lipids the skin barrier needs. In studies on damaged skin, mostly in mice, putting on one or two of them slowed repair, while equal amounts of all three let it recover normally. Raising any one of the three, up to three times the others, sped repair further. Early tests on damaged human skin looked similar.Man 1996 · Journal of Investigative Dermatology ↗
Graded per the methodology: strong · moderate · emerging · expert consensus. A weak source on a strong claim gets the weaker label.
Also known as
sunflower seed oil
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