PUFA is a trending term right now in the wellness community because there is so much research and data on the negative health affects of ingesting them. So WTF is a PUFA? It stands for polyunsaturated fat. Not only are they shitty for your health when eaten, they’re also not great for your skin. Today I am doing a deep dive into why I am no longer using them during my morning and night time skincare routines.
Polyunsaturated oils come packaged as skincare usually as seed oils and they are often labeled ‘natural’, ‘organic’, ‘vegan’, etc. Which is isn’t a lie! The problem is that seed oils have the potential to experience oxidative stress when ingested and/or applied to the skin. Why? In simple terms, our bodies are warm, which makes for the perfect environment for oxidation with these unstable oils.
So, what does this mean? Unstable oils generate free radicals which can cause early aging.
An oxidized oil may moisturize your skin nicely, but within the long-term, its absorption (or consumption) may lead to cell and connective damage to the tissues, age stains, thyroid suppression along with other hormonal imbalance. {via}
Enough of the info…now on to the dirty list…
Here are the oils most used in skincare that are polyunsaturated:
- Oils from nuts and seeds
- Rosehip oil
- Seabuckthorn oil
- Almond oil
- Flax seed oil
- Sunflower oil
- Chia seed oil
- Passion fruit oil
- Grapeseed oil
- Hemp seed oil
Reading labels is SO important whether it’s your food or your skincare. The oils that I personally love for skincare are:
♡ Biossance Squalane <– I just wrote a blog post about the best Squalane oil ever. It is 100% saturated and not comedogenic. It can be used on any skin type.
♡ Acure Marula Oil: Seals-in hydration and softens skin, offers antioxidant protection, has anti-inflammatory effects, has some antibacterial properties.
♡ Jojoba oil: I use jojoba oil every night to remove my makeup. It’s so hydrating and just feels so luxe on the skin.
Are there PUFA-free products you like? Please share!
xx, Lynn