9 Surprising Benefits of Raspberry Seed Oil for Skin and Hair

The naturally occurring oils found in fruits and vegetables are the best sources of fatty acids for our bodies. Most diets don’t have these fatty acids in sufficient quantities and many people use oils derived from foods with the best fatty-acid content as a supplement. Avocado oil and almond oil are two fantastic examples, however, raspberry seed oil is a little-known alternative with some surprising added benefits.

9 Surprising Benefits Of Raspberry Oil

Raspberries are better known for their delicious taste and high mineral and fiber content. Indeed, very few people even considered that the oil from its seeds might be a great additive to your regular skin and hair treatment regime. Here’s a list of nine surprising ways that raspberry seed oil works wonders for your skin and hair.

Benefits of Raspberry Seed oil

1. Reduce the signs of aging

Oxidation is one of the prime causes of aging but with raspberry oil, you can minimize its effect and slow down the appearance of wrinkles.

Ellagic acid is the active compound found in raspberry oil that leads the fight against wrinkles. For, as we age, the collagen in our skin becomes damaged, losing its firmness allowing wrinkles to slowly creep in. However, raspberry oil is so rich in antioxidants that it keeps those annoying free radicals from harming the cells in your skin to keep your skin’s collagen tight and firm.

2. Clear Up Your Skin

Acne is a condition caused by an excess of sebum and dead skin cells blocking the hair follicles in your skin. Sebum is a mix of natural oils and cholesterols that your body produces to maintain healthy skin and hair. However, it is also a food source for the bacteria that cause acne and overproduction of sebum can lead also lead to a build up of bacteria and infections in the hair follicles. The result is blotchy skin with unsightly pimples and spots which can lead to scarring. With this in mind, you can use raspberry oil as a natural remedy for these signs of acne to open up your pores to clear out the sebum.

These skin-healing properties are largely down to raspberry’s high concentration of Vitamin A and essential fatty acids. The essential fatty acids provide your skin with the elasticity and lubrication it needs to clear out the blocked pores and the Vitamin A regulates how much oil your skin produces.

You’re probably wondering how applying oil fixes a condition caused by having too much oil. The reason for this is in the differences between the oil on acne prone skin and the oil that you’re applying. The oil that builds up in pores and causes acne is found to be oleic acid. Oleic acid is hard for your skin to get rid of which is why it builds up in your pores and causes breakouts. Linoleic acid is what your skin needs to balance back out and that’s exactly what raspberry oil provides. The fatty acid content in raspberry seed oil is 54% linoleic, 29% linolenic and 11% oleic, a brilliant balance for healthy skin.

3. Anti-Inflammatory

Inflammation is a natural bodily process that is needed to aid in healing. However, too much of it does more harm than good. Chronic inflammation is known to cause pain, swelling, and arthritis.

Raspberry seed oil is so powerful at reducing inflammation that it is used as an ingredient in several cosmetic products, primarily for its effectiveness at combating eczema and rashes. Indeed,  a study conducted on mice showed that regular intake of raspberry seed oil reduced the severity of their inflammatory responses.

4. Sun-Damage Protection

A study was run where lab-grown human cells were radiated with high levels of UV light. They applied a variety of different compounds to the cells to see which ones would provide the best protection from UV rays and ellagic acid came out on top. The ellagic acid in raspberry oil makes it effective at absorbing both UV-B and UV-C rays with an SPF of up to 50.

Raspberry oil, as such, is the best organic sunscreen that mother nature provides. Indeed, to achieve similar levels of SPF protection, you will have to resort to mineral or chemical sunscreens.

Note: If you are using Raspberry oil as a natural sunscreen, it is best to assume a low SPF when applying as all natural products vary in their quality and attributes.

5. Plenty of Carotenoids to Aid in Healing

Carotenoids are known to play a vital role in maintaining healthy skin. As such, they work as antioxidants, promote cell repair and protect skin cells from UV damage.

Carotenoids are just one example of the healing compounds found in raspberry seed oil. It also contains plenty of other essential nutrients that promote healing. To get the benefits you just have to apply a little bit on your skin and let your epidermal layer soak in the goodness.

6. Brilliant Source of Vitamin E

Raspberry seed oil has a high concentration of both alpha tocopherol and gamma tocopherol dissolved into its fatty acids. These compounds, better known as Vitamin E, are powerful antioxidants that are especially good at clearing out the free radicals that damage skin.

7. Keeps Your Skin Moist

Raspberry seed oil acts as a natural moisturizer. Instead artificially adding moisture where it’s not needed (as most moisturizers do), raspberry oil preserves the moisture that your skin already has by preventing it from being lost to the atmosphere. Phytosterols are the compounds in raspberry oil that give it this amazing quality. Furthermore, regularly applying raspberry seed oil will increase your skin’s usual moisture levels for long-term benefits. It is a brilliant remedy for people who suffer from chronic dry skin.

8. Ketogenic Weight Loss

The idea of taking in fats to help you reduce your body fat confuses some people. This is because they don’t understand how beneficial good fats are.

Raspberry seed oil contains a ketone called rheosmin. Ketones are involved in the body’s metabolism and in particular, the breakdown of fat cells. Furthermore, studies in mice have shown that the addition of raspberry ketones can accelerate this process. While one cannot assume that the same effect will apply to humans, it has been speculated that raspberry ketones help the body transition from burning carbs for energy to burning your fat reserves instead. This is especially the case if your body is on a low carb diet as the body struggles to store fat.

9. Protects Your Hair and Makes it Shine

Raspberry seed oil also packed with folic acid also known as vitamin B. Folic acid is essential for the maintenance of healthy skin and hair and any deficiency can lead to hair loss. A such, the inclusion of raspberry oil in your hair’s treatment can maintain your hair from the root to the tip, adding strength and an illustrious shine.

How to Use Raspberry Seed Oil

How you use raspberry oil depends on where you wish to apply it. To use it on your face, mix a few drops of it into your facial cream and use it twice a day, in the morning and at night. To enjoy the benefits of Raspberry seed oil on your hair, mix it in with your shampoo and lather the mixture onto your scalp just like you normally would. Just don’t ingest it directly. Some bottles of raspberry seed oil are food grade and some aren’t, so check the label first.