Types of Almonds

Almonds exist in two variations – bitter and sweet. Sweet almonds are consumed in food: they are considered safe. Bitter almonds are characterized by a high content of amygdalin, a poisonous compound that makes them inedible, but for the further use of bitter almonds in pharmaceuticals or perfumes harmful substances are specially removed from them.

Everything you’ve ever heard about the skin benefits of almond oil applies specifically to sweet almonds and the oil made from them.

How is it useful?

Almond oil for the face – one of the most popular natural products in cosmetology, the benefits of which are difficult to overestimate. It:

• contains oleic and linolenic acids, which are useful for the skin: the first ensures deep moisturizing of the skin and penetration into its cells of other active ingredients, the second restores lipid balance and reduces moisture loss;
• regulates the water-lipid balance of the epidermis, accelerates the process of regeneration and has a toning effect on the skin;
• Helps to reduce the intensity of tanning and improve skin condition after prolonged exposure to the sun.

As we have already figured out, sweet almonds and the oil made from them are the best for your skin. It contains the following beneficial ingredients:

• Vitamin A: thanks to its constituent retinol, the oil increases the production of new skin cells and smoothes wrinkles;
• Vitamin E: this nutrient has antioxidant properties, that is, it protects cells from deformation and destruction, alleviates the effects of UV radiation on the skin;
• Omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids: helps to prevent premature aging, provides sun protection, improves skin barrier and evens out skin texture;
• Zinc: regulates sebum activity, is one of the main helpers in the fight against acne and the marks it leaves, fights inflammatory processes.

Almond oil for the face can be used both in mixtures with essential base oils and as an independent skin care product: it can be used instead of moisturizing and nourishing masks, gels and milk for makeup removal, creams and serums.

Oily skin care

Almond oil has a low comedogenicity index and is suitable for oily skin care, but as with any oil, it should first be tested on a single skin area to ensure that it does not cause you an adverse individual reaction before applying it to the whole face.

Its usefulness for oily skin can be explained by the principle of “like dissolves like”: oil helps dissolve sebum and gently cleans clogged pores, while oily skin care products without oils often dry out the skin and the skin responds by producing even more sebum. It’s a vicious cycle.

If you cleanse oily skin with almond oil, it does not destroy its natural protective layer, cleanses clogged pores, removes excess sebum and keeps good bacteria that prevent infections from entering the skin.

Almond oil is also good for demakeup of oily and rash-prone facial skin. With moisturizing, you should be careful and add almond oil to moisturizers or use it as a stand-alone care product only if your skin reacts positively to it – a preliminary test is mandatory for this.

Care for dry skin

If your skin suffers from constant peeling, almond oil has its uses because its texture is lighter than many other vegetable oils, it is easily absorbed and provides moisture due to its fatty acids that retain moisture in the skin and vitamin E, which neutralizes irritation.

Almond oil is best for moisturizing dry skin. A small amount of it should be applied to the skin with massaging movements, let it absorb and leave overnight.

Skin tone brightening

In urban environments, our skin is all too often exposed to sunlight, polluted air, stress, poor diet, medications and a large number of cosmetics. Each of these factors individually can cause an excess of melanin in the body and consequently hyperpigmentation, where the skin tone becomes uneven and dark spots appear on the skin.

Almond oil may help to lighten and even out skin tone and heal sunburned skin due to its vitamin E content, which provides protection from ultraviolet radiation, according to Kevin Man, a dermatologist from South Korea who recommends his patients to include this product in their skin care regimen.

Masks are used to lighten the tone of the face – for example, a mask of almond oil as a single ingredient. It is necessary to grind a small amount of oil in your hands to warm it up a little, and rub into the face along the massage lines for 15 minutes. The mask can be left on overnight or, if you feel that you have used too much oil, first remove the excess from your face.

A good ally for almond oil in lightening facial skin can be lemon juice, which is known for its ability to help fight skin hyperpigmentation due to its whitening and antibacterial properties.

To do this you need to mix it with almond oil in approximately equal proportions, apply the resulting mass on the face and leave it for 15 minutes. After washing the mask with warm water and wash with cold water – to close the pores after the procedure. To get the most tangible results such a mask should be used 2-3 times a week.