This post contains affiliate links from my favorite brand Mountain Rose Herbs. I love their high quality organic/fair trade products, and am blown away by their commitment to zero waste.
Ever since learning how the composition of carrier oils can effect acne prone skin, I realigned my personal skin care and beauty regime to follow my findings. If you haven’t read Oils Specifically for Acne Prone Skin, then please do. The science behind this information has been a game changer for me and many others. As a result I haven’t had any breakouts like I used to. I shared my six year update of using oils high in linoleic acid in this article.
My favorite multi-purpose beauty oil high in linoleic acid is organic safflower oil which is abundant in vitamin E with anti-inflammatory properties.
I buy organic safflower oil from Mountain Rose Herbs because I know that their source is organic, fair trade, and high in linoleic acid. There are two types of safflower oil; safflower oil high in oleic acid, and safflower oil high in linoleic acid. Every organic safflower oil that I’ve seen in grocery stores to date has been high in oleic acid which is great for cooking at high temperatures, but not good for acne prone skin.
Safflower oil that is high in linoleic acid is one of the riches sources of linoleic acid on the commerical market containing up to 85% linoleic acid and 30% oleic acid.
Over the years I’ve found using organic safflower oil that is high in linoleic to be very moisturizing and soothing to irritated skin. Safflower oil is not only amazing for acne, but also for skin rashes such as ezcema. Some feel that oils high in linoleic acid are considered dry oils that are very drying to the skin. The other notion is that oils high in linoleic acid are fragile and unstable. These are broad generalizations since all carrier oils high in linoleic acid are all very unique. Safflower oil that is high in linoleic acid is a very stable carrier oil.
Organic safflower oil has become my favorite oil for oil cleansing, body lotion, and for my hair which makes this oil perfect when traveling and packing light.
Safflower oil that is high in linoleic acid is also high in ceramides which is very beneficial for hair health. Ceramide oils keep the hair cuticle intact while penetrating the hair shaft and moisturizing the hair. It is pretty well known that coconut, avocado, and olive oil penetrates the hair shaft, yet ceramide oils do as well. I shared more on ceramide oils for hair care here.
So there you have it. I LOVE organic safflower oil hands down for all things beauty. I once bought a gallon of it I loved it so much. It’s just that good.
What’s your favorite multipurpose beauty oil?
Image by Dawn Michelle
Rosie says
Hi we are African American and my daughters skin is sooo sensitive and has acne scaring which are black on her skin but her face goes red as well as it’s sensitive when used with exfoliators … we have cut meat out of our diets and don’t know where to start with oils to help with scaring and moisture and exfoliating
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Rosie,
I’m sorry that your daughter is having so many challenges with her skin. For starters I would cut out all soaps and exfoliaters and begin with simple gentle cleansing and moisturizing. You can use colloidal oatmeal as a face wash or even raw honey to help soothe her skin. Raw honey also would help lighten the hyperpigmentation. As for moisturizing, using an oil high in linoleic acid would be best. I hope this helps.
nofixedstars says
i will have to give high linoleic safflower oil a try. my all-purpose oil that gets most use is undoubtedly coconut oil…i use it plain to wash my face at night, make toothpaste with it, rub it on after bathing to protect and soothe dry skin, and apply it the ends of my hair as needed. but i rely on argan oil as the base oil in my home-made serum/moisturiser. there are other oils in there, too: rosehip, notably, but argan is the base. i use argan in my hair, too. thanks for the information about safflower, because i hadn’t really considered it before. i will look into it now as a pleasant option, because the one thing i don’t like about coconut oil (in body care; i like it in cooking) is the scent; though faint, it has that undeniably ‘tropical’ smell which reminds me of heat, glare, and the smell and irritation of sunscreen creams… i tend not to care for food-y smelling scents in skincare or haircare products. perhaps the safflower oil would be more neutral.
Dawn Michelle says
Hi nofixedstars,
Thanks for sharing this. Let me know what you think about safflower oil if you do try it. I hope you’re having a great day.
Jill says
Thanks Dawn – MRH’s safflower oil is exactly what I use too! For body moisture and face cleansing. I use your Azuha elixer for my face moisturizer of course…..
I had no idea that high linoleic safflower oil was so hard to find. I’ve thanked god for Mountain Rose Herbs since 1989. On a side note, I thought of you a few weeks ago when my youngest son found himself in Raleigh for a training and took a day to go find a true hidden treasure – one of the last, if not the only, unmolested patch of rare wild Venus FlyTraps.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B8djiUjlwXG/
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Jill,
Yes safflower oil truly is a winner. I’m so glad that you’ve been enjoying the AZUHA Red Raspberry Skin Elixir. That means a lot. Also that picture is absolutley beautiful! I’m loving the terrain here in North Carolina!
CD says
Hi Dawn,
I love your website and appreciate you sharing your wisdom! Quick question… Do you use the organic safflower oil on your face in addition to the AZUHA elixir?
Thanks for your help!
Dawn Michelle says
Hi CD,
I sometimes do use safflower oil in addition to the elixir. It has become my favorite cleansing oil though. Thanks for the compliment too.
Vesta says
Hi,
I’ve just happened upon your website and have been reading all of the articles! In previous articles, I’ve seen that you’ve said pumpkin seed oil is your favorite high linoleic acid oil to use for oil cleansing. Do you prefer safflower over pumpkin seed now?
Thanks
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Vesta,
Yes I prefer safflower oil because it has a less nutty sent and is higher in linoleic acid.
Jenny says
I’ve bought a bottle of calendula oil recently. Haven’t tried it yet, but I’ve heard only good things about it. It’s supposed to help with dry, cracked lips. Have you ever tried it?
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Jenny,
I’ve used a calendula balm before and really like it. I mainly used it on my hands which can get really dry especially in the winter.
Ada says
Hi Michelle,
Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. I started my journey on healthy lifestyle and minimalism 2 years ago. Thank you for your sharing the Safflower oil.
What’s your take on carrot seed oils and frankincense essential oil on skin tags. Do you have any soap recommendation for a flawless fair skin?
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Ada,
Sorry for the extremely late reply. Carrot seed essential oil and frankincense essential oils are both great! I do not use any types of soaps on my face so do not have any recommendations. I do share natural skin cleansers here on the site like colloidal oatmeal, raw honey, etc. The website menu helps you know where to look. There are also some DIY’s too.
Aude says
Hi Dawn,
Thank you for sharing this and I’ve been checking Mountain Rose Herbs since and they’ve been out of stock for a while. Do you have a suggestion for where we can buy safflower oil?
Thank you
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Aude,
I haven’t purchased safflower oil from another company, but if I do find a reliable source I will share it.
Melanie says
Hi Dawn. Your info is always so helpful. Mountain Rose Herbs has been out of safflower oil for a long time now. Is there another reliable source to go to?
Dawn Michelle says
Thanks Melanie,
I don’t know of a source at the moment but will share one when I do. I hope all is well.
April says
Hello Dawn,
I was wondering (specifically) how many drops of Safflower you put on your face as a moisturizer? My biggest concern is that this will make my face too shiny. Do you use this both morning and night? During the day what is your technique to prevent it from looking oily? I know you have your own oil elixir so I’m assuming you use that but is that all you use and HOW do you use it? (number of drops, mixture ratio, etc.)
! Thanks ! 😉
Dawn Michelle says
Hi April,
I’ve mainly used safflower oil as an oil cleanser or for my hair. I have no specific formulations since it is great just as it is. And yes I moisturize with my own product, the AZUHA Red Raspberry Skin Elixir. Too prevent excess shine you can use a simple DIY face powder in any areas that have too much shine for your liking. I hope this helps and I’ll have to do an updated skin care regimen soon.