Sesame oil to delay the appearance of wrinkles?

Throughout life, wrinkles gradually form on the face, typically beginning to appear between the ages of 25 and 30. This occurrence follows a gradual reduction in the synthesis of collagen and elastin by fibroblasts, leading to a loss of elasticity and suppleness. Additionally, the skin thins over time and the amount of sebum produced by the sebaceous glands also decreases, promoting skin dryness and the appearance of wrinkles. Furthermore, by generating free radicals in the skin that react with cellular compounds and disrupt the network of collagen and elastin, exposure to ultraviolet rays is one of the main factors responsible for photoaging.

Often obtained by cold pressing sesame seeds, the sesame oil is a vegetable oil that has many beneficial properties for the skin and hair, making it a favored ingredient in the formulation of cosmetic products. Some of its benefits may even be useful in preventing the appearance of wrinkles.

• Sesame oil ensures the maintenance of the skin's hydration level.

  The sesame oil is a rich source of fatty acids, particularly containing oleic acid. This molecule is a component of the hydrolipidic film found on the skin's surface. As such, it enhances skin hydration and helps to limit insensible water loss. Thanks to its fatty acid content, sesame oil contributes to the prevention of the appearance of dehydration fine lines, which are linked to the weakening of the skin barrier.

• Sesame oil protects cells from oxidative stress.

  Beyond the fatty acids present in its composition, sesame oil also contains tocopherols, powerful antioxidants. These can aid sesame oil in combating skin aging related to oxidative stress. Indeed, antioxidants are capable of neutralizing free radicals, unstable species, through an electron donation. They thus limit the cellular damage that these can cause and ensure a protection against the photoaging.

  Furthermore, sesame oil contains sesamin and sesamol, lignans that exhibit significant antioxidant activity. A study by KAUR specifically examined the effect of sesamol as an agent limiting cellular photoaging. The study was conducted on a group of mice exposed to UV radiation from a 300 W lamp over a wavelength range of 260 to 400 nm. An ointment made of lanolin and paraffin containing 5 mg of sesamol was applied to the backs of the mice twice a day for five days. It was observed that sesamol had a potent antioxidant effect and was able to reduce by half the levels of malondialdehydes (MDA). These molecules are cytotoxic and mutagenic aldehydes released by free radicals, causing various cellular damages.

Thanks to its properties, sesame oil is among the vegetable oils potentially beneficial in preventing signs of skin aging. However, without clinical studies, this remains a hypothesis.