Lunaty

Red raspberries are a delectable treat on hot summer days, either fresh on their own or frozen added to your smoothie. However, berries in general, and raspberries specifically, are as beneficial to your health and well being as they are delicious. Indeed, eating raspberries has been associated with a lower risk of developing many chronic diseases, such as obesity and cardiovascular diseases  (Michalak and Kiełtyka-Dadasiewicz, 2018). However, today, we are going to focus on the oil extracted from red raspberry seeds, and its scientifically-proven benefits for your skin( summarized in Table 1).

	Antioxidant capacity	Anti-inflammatory capacity	UV protection	Reduce hyperpigmentation	Strengthens lipid barrier
Red raspberry seed oil	High	High	Protects against UVB and UVC	Maybe	Yes

1. Red raspberry seed oil has high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity

Benefits of fruits and vegetables usually come from their active polyphenols, and red raspberry seeds contain a rich and diverse group of very potent polyphenols, such as carotenoids and phytosterols (Niculae et al., 2014). One of the benefits of polyphenols is that they scavenge free radicals, which are molecules that cause damage to cells, and contribute to premature wrinkling, dull skin, and hyperpigmentation. Also, the polyphenols from red raspberry seed oil inhibit the activation of inflammatory molecules (Fan et al., 2020). Therefore, applying this oil will help reduce redness and swelling and promote healing of active acne or acne scars. This is one of the reasons that red raspberry seed oil is a great candidate for daily application to the skin. Furthermore, red raspberry seed oil contains large amounts of vitamin E (Oomah et al., 2000).

2. Red raspberry seed oil hydrates the skin

One study found that topical application of red raspberry seed oil to the skin (in the form a cream or a serum) hydrates and lubricates your skin without changing the pH of your skin or making your skin oily (Pereira et al., 2016). So, for those of you with oily skin or those that are afraid of oils for your skin, applying the right kind of oil to your skin does NOT make you oilier. In fact, a lot of the times, it can even help regulate your skin oil production.

3. Red raspberry seed oil application promotes radiant, youthful glow for your skin

When applied to your skin, red raspberry seed oil absorbs well, moisturizes and firms the skin, strengthens the lipid barrier of the epidermis and improves the sebaceous glands (Michalak and Kiełtyka-Dadasiewicz, 2018). All of these factors will work together to give you a beautiful, radiant and youthful glow over time. In addition, red raspberry seed oil helps other ingredients in your skincare to penetrate deeper and therefore work more effectively. This ingredient in any skincare product will have its own benefits and multiply the benefits of the other ingredients.

4. Red raspberry seed oil provides sun protection

Red raspberry seed oil absorbs UV-B and UV-C radiation, and has been shown to enhance photoprotective effects of sunscreens (Niculae et al., 2014; Oomah et al., 2000). Therefore, products with red raspberry seed oil can be used in conjunction with your daily sunscreens to enhance your protection against sun damage and prevent premature aging and wrinkling.

Conclusion

Red raspberry seed oil is a potent and extremely beneficial oil to add to your natural skincare. It will protect your skin against oxidative stress, inflammation and sun damage. As well, it will hydrate your skin and improve the lipid barrier of your skin, while not disrupting you skin pH. Table 1 summarizes the benefits of red raspberry seed oil for your skin.

References:

Fan, R., You, M., Toney, A.M., Kim, J., Giraud, D., Xian, Y., Ye, F., Gu, L., Ramer-Tait, A.E., and Chung, S. (2020). Red Raspberry Polyphenols Attenuate High-Fat Diet–Driven Activation of NLRP3 Inflammasome and its Paracrine Suppression of Adipogenesis via Histone Modifications. Mol. Nutr. Food Res. 64, 1–12.

Michalak, M., and Kiełtyka-Dadasiewicz, A. (2018). Oils from fruit seeds and their dietetic and cosmetic significance. Herba Pol. 64, 63–70.

Niculae, G., Lacatusu, I., Badea, N., Stan, R., Vasile, B.S., and Meghea, A. (2014). Rice bran and raspberry seed oil-based nanocarriers with self-antioxidative properties as safe photoprotective formulations. Photochem. Photobiol. Sci. 13, 703–716.

Oomah, B.D., Ladet, S., Godfrey, D. V., Liang, J., and Girard, B. (2000). Characteristics of raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) seed oil. Food Chem. 69, 187–193.

Pereira, T.A., Guerreiro, C.M., Maruno, M., Ferrari, M., and Rocha-Filho, P.A. (2016). Exotic vegetable oils for cosmetic O/W nanoemulsions: In vivo evaluation. Molecules 21, 1–16.