Are you looking for an all-natural oil that gives you multiple health benefits? You should consider apricot oil. As you know, there are myriad oils that have many wonderful effects on health, and it can be difficult to choose one that is ideal for your requirements.

That said, there are a number of benefits and uses of apricot oil. Would you like to know more? Keep reading!

Apricot Oil – An Overview:

The apricot tree is a part of the rose family and originates from Central and East Asia (1). The fruit is rich in Vitamins A, C and E as well as dietary fiber and potassium.

Apricot kernels contain 40 to 50 percent oil (2). The oil is derived from seeds that have been dried and is known as apricot kernel oil. It is quite similar to peach and almond oils. The main components of this beneficial oil are linoleic and oleic acids that are well-known for being healthy unsaturated fats. Apricot oil comes with a wide range of health benefits. It is especially known for the wonders it does for skin, which is why it is often used as a key ingredient in many skincare products. It also helps in improving the condition of hair, and hence you will find it in many hair care products as well.

Benefits Of Apricot Oil:

Here is a look at how apricot oil benefits your skin and hair:

Skin:

As mentioned, apricot oil is commonly used in many creams, lotions, soaps and other products for skin care. This is because it is light and very gentle on the skin. When you use this amazing oil on your skin, you get benefits that include the following:

1. Moisturizes Skin:

Apricot oil has rehydrating properties that make it a great natural moisturizer that is suitable for all skin types. When you use it, it does not feel heavy or leave a greasy coat. Commercial moisturizers are often avoided by women with oily skin. However, the oil is light so you can use whether you have oily, combination or sensitive skin. You can add a few drops to the serum that you use daily or mix it with olive oil to apply on your skin.

2. Nourishes Skin:

Apricot oil is rich in GLA, or Gamma Linoleic Acid, which helps in maintaining the balance of moisture in your skin. This beneficial acid is also helpful in keeping your skin toned and firm. The vitamins A and E that the oil contains also delay the signs of aging as they help in keeping it well-nourished. Apricot oil also has anti-inflammatory properties that make it effective in treating and soothing skin conditions like eczema. It also has antioxidant properties that help fight the damage caused by free radicals (3).

3. Lubricates Skin:

Many oils stay on the skin’s surface, making it look greasy and shiny. However, this is not the case with apricot oil as it gets absorbed easily by the skin. This helps in keeping your skin lubricated from the inside. To get this benefit, use it with creams or lotions as well as lip balms. You can also use it as a massage oil to lubricate the skin on your entire body. Since organic apricot oil is light, non-irritating, mild and gentle, it can be used for babies and children too.

4. Exfoliates Skin:

You can use apricot oil with sugar to make a superb scrub for your face and body. This will make an excellent exfoliant, removing dead skin cells as well as giving you smooth and soft skin (4). When you use apricot oil as an ingredient for a scrub, you make sure that your skin is deeply cleansed, and all impurities are removed from your skin. As a scrub, it helps in removing blackheads and unclogging pores. This will leave you with radiant skin that glows with health as it stimulates the growth of new skin cells.

Hair:

Hair needs a lot of care to stay lustrous and strong, and apricot oil is just what you need. There are numerous hair care products on the market with claims of improving the texture of the hair as well as promoting healthy growth. Sadly, many of these claims are untrue. In fact, they contain many harmful chemicals that do more damage to your hair than good. Instead of spending money on these expensive products, opt for apricot oil as it provides your hair with many great benefits. As mentioned earlier, this wonderful oil can help promote healthy growth of your hair, improve its texture and make it strong, shiny and soft.

When you use apricot oil on your hair on a regular basis, you make sure that it becomes soft and shiny. It nourishes the roots and strands of your hair and keeps them moisturized as well. When you massage your hair with warm apricot oil, your hair follicles get stimulated, and it also improves hair growth.

To get the best effects this oil has to offer to your hair, keep the following tips in mind:

• First, always heat the oil only until it is slightly warm. If you make it too hot, you could end up burning your scalp.
• Always gently massage it onto your scalp. Make sure that you get to the roots of your hair using circular motions.
• Massage your head for at least 20 minutes. Make sure that you cover your entire hair, from root to tip.
• Leave it on overnight and wash it off the next morning with a mild shampoo.

To benefit your hair, you can also add a few drops of apricot oil to your shampoo and conditioner. It is especially good for damage due to chemical hair treatments. It can also help in curing flaky, dry scalp, thus preventing dandruff.

Other Benefits:

Apart from skin and hair benefits, apricot oil is known to provide the following health benefits:

5. Provides Vitamin B17:

Apricot oil contains Vitamin B17 that is present in the seeds of the fruit (5). This nutrient may help in the prevention of cancer; bone, cervical and skin cancers can be prevented with the help of this wonderful oil. Vitamin B17 is also helpful to lower and maintain blood pressure.

6. Relieves Arthritis:

As mentioned earlier, apricot oil has anti-inflammatory properties (6). This makes it highly effective in reducing symptoms of arthritis. It also helps in relieving pain and soothes the affected areas.

7. Fights Colds And Flu:

The natural properties that apricot oil contains help strengthen the immune system. This in turn helps your body in fighting cold and flu. As it maintains and supports the immune system, your body is protected from a number of different illnesses as well.

8. Promotes Heart Health:

Using apricot oil as an alternative to other cooking oils can have many benefits for your heart as well as the entire cardiovascular system. According to research, it is effective in lowering the risk of heart attacks, or myocardial infarction, in rats (7). It is possible that it can have the same effect on humans.

As you can see, apricot oil comes with a multitude of skin, hair and health benefits, regardless of whether you use it externally or ingest it. If you are looking for an oil that is light, gentle as well as tasty, this is the perfect one for you.

Uses Of Apricot Oil:

Apricot oil can be used in a number of ways, which is why it is quite useful to have at home. It comes with loads of goodness and should definitely be used more. Here is a look at the different ways in which you can use this beneficial oil:

9. Scrubs:

As mentioned earlier, apricot oil makes a great ingredient for a DIY scrub (8). All you need to do is mix it with sugar for a fantastic scrub that exfoliates your skin. Use it regularly before you shower, and your skin will definitely thank you for it.

10. Moisturizers:

Apricot oil is an excellent emollient, making it an amazing all-natural moisturizer for your skin. It is light enough that you can use it on its own all over your body or mix a few drops of it with your usual moisturizing cream or lotion for extra nourishment. It works well for all skin types, including sensitive skin.

11. Natural Remedy For Skin Conditions:

Apricot oil is antiseptic, and has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. These make it very effective as a natural remedy for skin conditions such as eczema, acne, scabies, etc. It can also be used to treat sunburns as it has a soothing effect on the skin.

12. Soaps:

Apricot oil is used a lot in soaps, and you can use it to make your own DIY soap at home. It can be used with other oils such as olive, coconut or almond oils to give it extra richness. By using it as an ingredient for a natural homemade soap, you give your skin all the benefits that it has to offer. It has a nice nutty scent that is not overpowering. You can also use it with essential oils such as lavender essential oil, lemon essential oil or jasmine essential oil as they are good carrier oils.

13. Hair Oil:

Apricot oil is great for hair, which is why you should use it regularly to massage your hair and scalp. When you use it as a hair oil, it will give you soft, shiny and dandruff-free hair. You can use it on its own if you prefer a light hair oil or mix it with coconut, almond or olive oil for deep nourishment.

14. Lip Balms:

Many DIY enthusiasts use apricot oil as an ingredient when making homemade lip balms. Its moisturizing and nourishing properties make it excellent for the lips as they prevent chapping and flaking. When used in lip balms, you get lips that are always soft and pink.

15. Aromatherapy Massages:

As mentioned already, apricot oil has a nutty scent and is often used for massages. When used in aromatherapy massage, it helps in balancing the nervous system and keeps your skin healthy. You can also use it with essential oils for a soothing and calming massage.

16. Cooking:

You can use apricot oil to cook and also to flavor traditional Italian liquor. You can also use it as an ingredient in your salad dressings as it will provide many health benefits and lend a nutty flavor that goes well with salads.

Apricot oil can be used in a variety of ways that benefit your skin, hair as well as health. It has many healing properties that work externally as well as internally. It is especially excellent when used in natural DIY soaps, lotions, lip salves, massage oils and, of course, face and body scrubs. Mixing it with your conditioner is another great way to make use of its goodness as it helps make your hair soft, shiny and keeps it damage-free. It is no wonder that apricot oil is a highly-regarded ingredient in beauty and hair care products, given how it does wonders for them.

It is important to note that using natural remedies for the treatment of skin disorders and other health issues could cause harm. This is why you should make sure that you talk to a doctor before you use apricot oil as a remedy. You need to make sure that the condition you suffer from is properly diagnosed and that you do not suffer from any allergies that could turn serious.

If you have not started using apricot oil, you should seriously consider starting. The benefits that it has, especially on skin and hair, are too many to be ignored. By using it on a regular basis, you can have beautiful skin and hair that radiates with health.

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by Maanasi Radhakrishnan via STYLECRAZE