Macadamia Oil in Skincare
Macadamia Oil (Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil) is a versatile natural skincare ingredient that contains skin-repairing fatty acids, free radical-scavenging antioxidants
And many minerals that benefit skin health, such as calcium and magnesium. People with tree nut allergies should avoid this ingredient.
Since macadamia oil is non-comedogenic, it is safe for most skin types. The ingredient has anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties. Learn all about the effects and benefits of macadamia oil here!
Products
Macadamia oil is used in many different products; here are some of our favorites! (Look for the octagon for your skin type on the product page to make sure the product is right for your skin!)
What is macadamia oil made of?
What is macadamia oil made of?
Macadamia nuts are primarily composed of oils and fatty acids, with oleic acid being the highest, followed by palmitoleic, linoleic, and palmitic acids.
In addition to fatty acids, the ingredient also contains the antioxidant vitamin E (tocopherol) and several B vitamins, namely B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), and B9 (folic acid). (3,4)
Macadamia nuts also contain calcium and magnesium. This combination of ingredients makes macadamia oil an ideal choice for treating a variety of skin issues, from inflammation to skin aging.
How does it work?
The ingredients in macadamia oil perform a variety of functions in skin care. The most common compound, oleic acid, is effective in helping ingredients penetrate the skin. (5)
Palmitoleic acid, the second most abundant fatty acid in macadamia nuts, has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, making it a great acne treatment. (6)
Linoleic acid is a soothing fatty acid that helps repair the barrier in moisturizers, protecting and restoring the skin’s phospholipid bilayer.
This ingredient can relieve irritation and inflammation in sensitive skin, and studies have even shown a slight skin-lightening effect. (7) Linoleic acid is also very effective in treating dry skin.
Palmitic acid is a saturated fatty acid, which gives macadamia oil a slightly thicker, more closed texture than pure unsaturated oils.
Macadamia oil also contains vitamin E, which is one of the most studied antioxidants in the skin care field.
It is known for its ability to bind and eliminate free radicals on the skin that can cause genetic damage and wrinkles. (8)
While this ingredient contains B vitamins, the concentration is too low to have any significant benefits for the skin.
What does macadamia oil do?
Is macadamia oil good for the skin?
Depending on your skin type, macadamia oil can be very beneficial for your skin.
For extremely sensitive skin, the high concentration of oleic acid in this ingredient may cause facial redness or mild irritation. In this case, a special anti-inflammatory should be used.
Even for skin that is not particularly sensitive, macadamia oil has many beneficial properties, including antibacterial, skin barrier repair, ingredient absorption, and antioxidant properties. Macadamia oil is non-comedogenic, which means it does not leave a residue on the skin. h. It does not clog pores, making it suitable for most acne treatments.
The oleic acid in macadamia oil helps promote the penetration of slow-absorbing ingredients like retinoids.
Be mindful of how you layer your skincare products, as they work best when applied in the correct order.
Calcium is known to regulate the skin’s sebum production, which prevents excess oil from forming on the face. This helps prevent acne in oily skin.
Magnesium is an anti-inflammatory and hormone-regulating component of macadamia oil for acne treatments, as it has anti-inflammatory and hormone-regulating properties.
To find out if macadamia oil is right for you, take our quiz to determine your Bowman skin type and get personalized skincare recommendations.
Uses for macadamia oil
Macadamia oil is versatile and can be used in cleansing products, moisturizers, serums, sunscreens, and hair products.
Depending on which macadamia oil products you use, the correct time to use them will vary.
The best order to apply skincare products is usually:
Cleansing
Toner
Exfoliation
Moisturizer
Sunscreen
Since all of these types of products contain macadamia oil, this order is especially important. Serums can support all of these steps, depending on their ingredients.
There are cleansing serums, moisturizing serums, and more.
If you are using homemade macadamia oil alone as part of your skincare routine, the fourth step is moisturizing. Macadamia oil won’t work as well without other ingredients to enhance its benefits.
Therefore, we recommend using complementary ingredients. Ingredients that can be used in combination with macadamia oil include retinoids.
Side Effects
The biggest risk of side effects when using macadamia oil for skin care is tree nut allergies. For some people, tree nut allergies can be severe.
Organizations such as the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Panel have evaluated macadamia oil for safety and deemed it safe for cosmetic use.
For extremely sensitive skin, the high concentration of oleic acid in macadamia oil can cause mild facial irritation.
Additionally, overuse of macadamia oil can lead to over-moisturizing the skin, which may alter the microbiome because it provides a fat-rich breeding ground for the growth of acne-causing bacteria. Even with beneficial ingredients, it’s important to use them in moderation.
Macadamia Oil for Acne Care
For Acne
Macadamia oil is non-comedogenic and can be safely used to treat acne.
Palmitoleic acid is a compound in macadamia oil that is known for its beneficial effects in treating acne.
(6) This fatty acid has exceptional antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties for the skin.
Anti-inflammatory medications are important for acne treatment because clogged pores can cause irritation and inflammation, which can make the appearance of pores worse.
When the skin becomes inflamed, the pores around the original blockage become compressed, which can lead to further blockage.
The antimicrobial effects of this compound mean that acne-causing bacteria exposed to palmitoleic acid are likely to be eliminated before they cause serious problems.
Note that palmitoleic acid is not found in very high concentrations in macadamia oil.
Therefore, ingredients such as glycolic acid, salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, and even bergamot oil are great supplements.
Linoleic acid has anti-inflammatory properties that can help treat acne. Oleic acid, on the other hand, ensures that ingredients such as retinoids can penetrate the skin faster and more effectively.
The calcium and magnesium present in macadamia oil also have a positive effect on acne treatment.
Good for dry skin
Macadamia oil is beneficial for dry skin because it is rich in barrier-renewing and occlusive fatty acids such as linoleic acid and palmitic acid.
Occlusive compounds such as palmitic acid help prevent transepidermal water loss (evaporation of water from the face).
There are many different moisturizers available, many of which contain macadamia oil. For extremely dry and sensitive skin, the oleic acid in macadamia oil may be slightly irritating.
To find the best moisturizer for your skin type, take our free quiz and get our recommendations!
Anti-Aging
Macadamia oil contains high amounts of vitamin E, one of the most researched antioxidants in skincare.
Antioxidants work by binding to free radicals in the skin, which helps prevent various genetic damage and wrinkles.
Palmitoleic acid has also been shown to support collagen synthesis. Collagen is an important component of skin health and shape. (9)
Macadamia oil alone is not enough to prevent or treat signs of aging.
Therefore, we recommend using products that combine macadamia oil with other active ingredients such as peptides, exosomes, or retinoids.
For a full list of anti-aging ingredients that work well with macadamia oil, check out our Anti-Aging Ingredients Glossary!
Inflammation
Macadamia oil is rich in anti-inflammatory ingredients such as linoleic acid, palmitoleic acid, and calcium.
Linoleic and palmitoleic acids can repair the skin barrier for dry, sensitive skin and can even be used to treat conditions like eczema or psoriasis.
Inflammation can lead to acne, redness, and general skin irritation.
It’s worth noting that people with particularly sensitive skin may have a mild reaction to the oleic acid in macadamia oil.
Therefore, combining it with a special moisturizer to repair the barrier can help.
There are many effective anti-inflammatory ingredients on the market. If you want to learn about all of them, you can find our anti-inflammatory ingredient dictionary here!
Macadamia Oil for Hair Care
Hair Care
Macadamia oil contains several compounds that are beneficial for most people’s hair care, especially linoleic and oleic acids.
Oleic acid helps other compounds and ingredients penetrate the scalp, follicles, and hair strands to work more effectively.
Linoleic acid is great for repairing the scalp barrier and regenerating individual hair strands from the inside.
As with other hair oils, it’s important to use this ingredient with caution, as overuse can lead to a greasy feeling on the skin. Hair.
Too much oil on the hair and scalp can also lead to acne, as it attracts dead skin cells and dirt from the scalp.
We recommend applying macadamia oil to your hair only after shampooing, and adjusting the amount according to the thickness, texture and oiliness of your hair.
If your hair is naturally oily, you don’t need to add any oil unless your hair is particularly curly.