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Pomegranate oil is a new one we’re seeing on our suppliers’ shelves, but what does it offer over other oils? Pomegranate oil has an interesting fatty acid profile – 2% palmitic acid (C16), 1.3 to 2% stearic acid (C18), 5.7% oleic acid (C18:1), 7% linoleic acid (C18:2), 70 to 76% punicic acid (C18:3, n-5), and...
What the heck is a CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) or CLnA (aka CLN or conjugated linolenic acid)? From Wikipedia, a conjugated molecule is an organic compound is one where atoms covalently bond alternating single and double bonds that influence each other to produce a region called the electron delocalization. In this region, electrons do not...
Much like our friend evening primrose oil, borage oil (INCI: Borago Officinalis Seed Oil) contains a lot of GLA, more, in fact, than any other oil we can find on our suppliers’ shelves. With 4% palmitic acid (C16), 11% stearic acid (C18), 17% oleic acid (C18:1), 36% linoleic acid (C18:2), and 23% GLA (C18:3), borage oil...
Evening primrose contains about 6% palmitic acid (C16), a titch of stearic acid (C18), 11% oleic acid (C18:1), 70% linoleic acid (C18:2), and between 9 to 12% GLA (C18:3). With so much linoleic acid we can expect evening primrose oil to help restore skin’s barrier functions, act as an anti-inflammatory, reduce scaling, and soothe dry...
Gamma linolenic acid (C18:3) is another essential fatty acid, one our bodies can’t produce. It has three double bonds, meaning it is a fatty acid that is going to oxidize quickly, so we need to combine it with some good anti-oxidants or use it quickly in our lotions. It is found in small quantities in...