Safflower oil!

[Hollyfire3]

Ok, i have this bottle of safflower oil i found under my sink, i have some questions.
Can it be used for oiling?
Does it build up?
What benifits does it have?
Can i use it in place of other oils in recipes?
Suggestions, comments and uses are all welcome, this oil is foreign to me!

[MJheals]

Heya, I've used Safflower Oil on my hair from time to time. It's a nice oil, it produces shine and it didn't build up. It's kind of heavy, lighter than olive oil but not by a whole lot.
I'm pretty sure most safflower oil has been processed for cooking and there aren't a whole lot of benefits besides basic moisturizing/shine/control.
Give it a try, it's definitely not a bad oil. :) One suggestion, because it's so heavy, I would try it out on wet or damp hair.

[Hollyfire3]

Heya, I've used Safflower Oil on my hair from time to time. It's a nice oil, it produces shine and it didn't build up. It's kind of heavy, lighter than olive oil but not by a whole lot.
I'm pretty sure most safflower oil has been processed for cooking and there aren't a whole lot of benefits besides basic moisturizing/shine/control.
Give it a try, it's definitely not a bad oil. :) One suggestion, because it's so heavy, I would try it out on wet or damp hair.


This is safflower oil meant to be a carrier oil (not for cooking) i belivie it might contain vitamin e, this is good also, right? I really want to try it..but i do not want any ill effects or botched hair, thanks for the info:) when i say recipe, i mean hair recipes suggestions for it. Sorrry, i cook also so i have a tendecy to write "recipe" instead of treatments when i refer to hair stuff.

[ktani]

I found it to be somewhat sticky on my hair when I used it and my hair was harder to comb. Now I know why. It is a drying oil and yes it can build-up. Drying oils become resinous on exposure to oxygen, http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=190.

It is in both lists at the bottom on the article with an iodine value of 140-145. Drying oils have iodine values of 130 - 190.

[Hollyfire3]

Oh thank you, i do not wish to use this oil now very often because i do not want build up. Do you think it would have ANY benefit at all? Or should i just put it back under the sink because it was obiously there for a reason...(not sure how i got it really) Also, can anyone think of any other uses for this oil? Does the vitamin e in the oil contribute to its usefullness or ditract from it?

[ktani]

Oh thank you, i do not wish to use this oil now very often because i do not want build up. Do you think it would have ANY benefit at all? Or should i just put it back under the sink because it was obiously there for a reason...(not sure how i got it really) Also, can anyone think of any other uses for this oil? Does the vitamin e in the oil contribute to its usefullness or ditract from it?

Depending on how fresh it still is - once opened you have 6 months from the expirey date on it which is for unopened oil - you may be able to use it on skin or depending on what grade it is - food or cosmetic - cook with it.

The Vitamin E can help keep it fresher but not protect it from going rancid.

[Hollyfire3]

Depending on how fresh it still is - once opened you have 6 months from the expirey date on it which is for unopened oil - you may be able to use it on skin or depending on what grade it is - food or cosmetic - cook with it.

The Vitamin E can help keep it fresher but not protect it from going rancid.


It is cosmetic grade for sure, on the bottle it is listed as a carrier oil for adding essential oils to. Would even trying it on my hair be at all good?

[ktani]

It is cosmetic grade for sure, on the bottle it is listed as a carrier oil for adding essential oils to. Would even trying it on my hair be at all good?

Not in my opinion unless it is high oleic, http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/learn/oilprofile/safflower.php with a lower iodine value making it a nondrying oil.

I need to correct what I said about earlier about shelf life. The way it was explained to me by a company that produces oils is this. You look at the expiry date on the bottle, unopened. Then when you open it you have half the time left.

[Hollyfire3]

Not in my opinion unless it is high oleic, http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/learn/oilprofile/safflower.php with a lower iodine value making it a nondrying oil.

I need to correct what I said about earlier about shelf life. The way it was explained to me by a company that produces oils is this. You look at the expiry date on the bottle, unopened. Then when you open it you have half the time left.

This oil does not even had and exiration date listed, i am assuming it is for comemetic use, i am not sure it would really do anything for my hair since it is not food grade...

[ktani]

This oil does not even had and exiration date listed, i am assuming it is for comemetic use, i am not sure it would really do anything for my hair since it is not food grade...

All vegetable oils have an expiry date or shelf life. Assuming it was one year from the time you bought it for example only - from the time you opened it, you would have 6 months before it would start to turn.

ETA: Most pure coconut oils say the shelf life is about two years on the label. Once opened if the oil is fresh, you have one year, properly stored.

[Hollyfire3]

All vegetable oils have an expiry date or shelf life. Assuming it was one year from the time you bought it for example only - from the time you opened it, you would have 6 months before it would start to turn.

ETA: Most pure coconut oils say the shelf life is about two years on the label. Once opened if the oil is fresh, you have one year, properly stored.


Oh wow, this must be rancid then. I'll bet it is like 4-5 yrs old...lol now it is useless. I actually forgot i had it and forget what i had got it for originally, oh well. Thanks for the help, and i probably will not be buying safflower oil in the future to oil my hair, any suggestions on good oils to use?

[ktani]

Oh wow, this must be rancid then. I'll bet it is like 4-5 yrs old...lol now it is useless. I actually forgot i had it and forget what i had got it for originally, oh well. Thanks for the help, and i probably will not be buying safflower oil in the future to oil my hair, any suggestions on good oils to use?

There are quite a few. Vegetable oils, like coconut, avocado, olive oil, camellia oil, castor oil etc. Have a look at the lists in the links for oils with iodine values below 100 for nondrying oils, then look up the oil by shelf life. You can choose refined, unrefined, first pressed etc. All oils are processed in some form or another.

[Hollyfire3]

Sorry to hijack my own thread but, how exactly do i use the oils? what are the benefits? How often should i do this? Thanks again for all the info.

[ktani]

Sorry to hijack my own thread but, how exactly do i use the oils? what are the benefits? How often should i do this? Thanks again for all the info.

You are very welcome.

You can use them lightly as oiling oils to smooth ends or as treatments. Coconut oil is best used on clarified hair and with heat to help it penetrate the hair deeply. It penetrates the hair more deeply than any of the others mentioned.

And the falsely dreaded baby or white mineral oil can be used lightly to oil ends too. Use it sparingly. It does not penetrate hair at all and has an unlimited shelf life. It cannot go rancid, http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=225.

[Hollyfire3]

Thanks Ktani, i really appreciate the info. I may go out and buy some coconut oil to experiment with (i wanna try oil shampoo also) and will report back...the mineral oil sounds good too, in moderation of course. Very much usefull information, thanks again for being so helpful.

[ktani]

Thanks Ktani, i really appreciate the info. I may go out and buy some coconut oil to experiment with (i wanna try oil shampoo also) and will report back...the mineral oil sounds good too, in moderation of course. Very much usefull information, thanks again for being so helpful.

My pleasure. :)

[BlazingHeart]

Safflower is a delightful oil for the skin, especially sensitive skin, as it is one of the least comedogenic (pore-clogging) oils around. It's also a mild topical anti-inflammatory and it is supposed to help skin retain its elasticity, which is a big part of what makes skin appear youthful. It's what I use for a moisturizer, as I have super-sensitive skin. The way it becomes mildly resinous when exposed to the air is actually part of why it's such a great skin moisturizer - it forms a barrier that helps your skin keep in more of its natural moisture. How it does that without clogging pores I do not understand, I only know that the studies say it does not clog pores, and my experience agrees with that.

As far as whether it's rancid, personally I worry less about what I put on my skin than I do about what I ingest. I trust my nose - if it just smells like a generic oil, which is to say odorless to most people, I use it. If it doesn't, I toss it.

~Blaze

[ktani]

Safflower is a delightful oil for the skin, especially sensitive skin, as it is one of the least comedogenic (pore-clogging) oils around. It's also a mild topical anti-inflammatory and it is supposed to help skin retain its elasticity, which is a big part of what makes skin appear youthful. It's what I use for a moisturizer, as I have super-sensitive skin. The way it becomes mildly resinous when exposed to the air is actually part of why it's such a great skin moisturizer - it forms a barrier that helps your skin keep in more of its natural moisture. How it does that without clogging pores I do not understand, I only know that the studies say it does not clog pores, and my experience agrees with that.

As far as whether it's rancid, personally I worry less about what I put on my skin than I do about what I ingest. I trust my nose - if it just smells like a generic oil, which is to say odorless to most people, I use it. If it doesn't, I toss it.

~Blaze

On skin, pure safflower and sunflower oils can have benefits other oils may not. I just do not think they are the best choices for frequent use on hair for the same reason, they both become resinous on exposure to oxygen and can be difficult to remove. Skin naturally sheds so they will not be the same kind of problem.

I posted this information last year.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=1276525&postcount=11

and

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=1319568&postcount=12

ETA: In the Lancet abstract, http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(05)71140-5/fulltext#article_upsell, sunflower oil outperformed mineral oil and petrolatum products in helping prevent infections, although there were "no adverse effects" observed from those products. See "Methods" and "Findings".

ETA:2 However, on skin and I believe on hair, pure cosmetic grade mineral oil outperforms vegetable oils on moisture loss and pure mineral oil can help heal wounds. See the Paula Begoun link, http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=225.