Vegetable oils-based cosmetics

Vegetable oils (VOs), which are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, polyphenols, phytosterols and vitamins, can have a positive effect on the skin, thus being valuable ingredients for cosmetic purposes. VOs can be extracted from different plant part sources, considering, for example, nuts, seeds and fruits. They play significant roles in cosmetic products thanks to their protecting, hydrating, softening, regenerating, nourishing and skin-healing properties. Their feasibility makes them useful also in the formulation of cleansers and exfoliators. During the last decades, the demand for active, natural, environmentally friendly, eco-sustainable and safe cosmetic ingredients has been increasing in the market, with the large demand for natural products. Owing to growing environmental concerns and consciousness of using safe ingredients in health care products, consumers and cosmetic producers take in high consideration natural ingredients and the overall impact of the products on the environment. As a result, VOs are substituting both mineral oils and synthetic fats in recent years in various personal care products. There is a high economic potential for VOs-based cosmetics and cosmeceuticals enterprises in low-economy countries. In this chapter, after a general introduction and skin-protecting principles of cosmetics, traditional uses and essential cosmeceutical properties of VOs, about a dozen common VOs used in cosmetics will be discussed.