Alex asks: I read that Canola Oil
The Right Brain responds:
Before we talk about its benefits, we’ll explain why Canola is one of the most controversial of all the vegetable cooking oils.
What is Canola oil?
As you might guess, Canola oil comes from the seeds of the Canola plant. You might guess that, but you’d be WRONG. Canola oil actually comes from the rapeseed plant. For some strange reason, women didn’t seem inclined to buy a product called “Rape Oil,” so in the late 1970s, Canadian rapeseed growers renamed their product Canola, which is an abbreviation for “Canadian Oil, Low Acid.” Voila, sales of Canola oil took off. Then, disaster struck a few years later when Canola oil was hit with more bad press: it was found to cause glaucoma and Mad Cow Disease. Psych! That connection actually turned out to be just an urban myth. So despite a rocky start, Canola oil finally established itself as a popular cooking oil.
Can Canola condition skin?
Ok, so it’s good to cook with, but is it good for skin? The answer is yes, no, and maybe. First of all, whatever benefit Canola has on skin, it’s unlikely to be related to alphahydroxy acids. In fact, we can’t find any reference to alpha hydroxy acids in Canola, which makes sense since those acids are water soluble and generally come from fruits. (If you’ve seen any credible sources that say something different, let us know and we’ll check them out.)
Instead of AHAs, at least one study suggests that naturally high levels of sterols might give Canola oil the ability to soothe skin that is irritated by surfactants. But these studies showed little effect on normal skin. And other studies show no benefit at all. But even if Canola Oil
The Beauty Brains bottom line:
If you have irritated skin you may see some benefit from Canola oil. But for most people it probably doesn’t make enough of a difference to justify spending more money. A regular moisturizer will work just fine.
(By the way term “rape” in rapeseed is derived the Latin “rapum,” which means turnip. That’s because turnips, rutabagas, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts are related to the rapeseed plant.)
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Uh, spend more money? I cook with it, so I think it is pretty cheap. I bet that it is much cheaper than a regular moisturizer. Isn’t it?
You’re right Cindy, it is pretty cheap a cooking oil. But it wouldn’t surprise me if some cosmetic company came up with a Canola oil based product and tried to charge more because it contained “purified, low saturated fat oil” instead of nasty old mineral oil.
My skin can definitely be easily irritated but is it by “surfactants”? What are surfactants?
According to Wikipedia, “Surfactants, also known as tensides, are wetting agents that lower the surface tension of a liquid, allowing easier spreading, and lower the interfacial tension between two liquids.”
I still don’t get it.
Karen: Surfactants are a fancy term for detergents. Think of them as a type of soap, although that’s not exactly technically correct.
Read the articles that explain how harmful lotions actually are. Many of the ingredients cause cancer. You can just type ”is lotion harmful” in the search engine and you’ll find what your looking for. I would much rather put oil ( extra virgin olive oil) in replace to any type of lotion on the market. Oatmeal works wonders too look that up as well.
i’d rather put any kid of oil — even canola — on my dry skin than a cheap, commercial chemical soup lotion. canola oil is inexpensive, we keep it around to cook with anyway, and it’s odorless which is a plus when your boyfriend hates the strong nutty scent of richer oils like shea or olive. in a pinch, i’ll rub a bit on my hands after say, doing dishes since it’s in the kitchen anyway and it’s great for a light bit of conditioning to dry hair too.
I add salt and some essential oils and use it to make a great exfoliating scrub for in the shower. I agree that I’d rather use an oil that I can pronounce than a lotion full of parabens, mineral oil, and silicones. Olive oil is great, but canola is cheaper and lighter.