Soybean oil or sunflower oil: which one to choose?

Respectively known as Glycine Soja Oil and Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, soybean oil and sunflower oil are two vegetable oils often compared. Indeed, their color, extraction method, and use are similar. This resemblance extends to the cosmetic field where their skin and hair properties are similar, due to their similar biochemical compositions.

• Moisturizing and nourishing vegetable oils.

  Both soybean oil and sunflower oil possess moisturizing and nourishing properties, making them highly favored by individuals with dry or atopic-prone skin. These virtues are due to their richness in fatty acids, specifically oleic acid and linoleic acid. Indeed, oleic acid is an omega-9 naturally found in the skin's protective hydrolipidic film, contributing to its proper hydration. Linoleic acid, on the other hand, provides lipids to the epidermis, which helps to strengthen its barrier function.

• Anti-inflammatory plant-based oils.

  Another shared property of sunflower oil and soybean oil is their anti-inflammatory and soothing action. Redness, irritation, inflammation, itching... are all discomforts that can be alleviated with these vegetable oils. The mechanisms involved vary slightly depending on the oils, but both are recognized for their soothing virtues.

• Antioxidant plant oils.

  Finally, both soybean and sunflower oils are antioxidants, a property derived from their vitamin E content. This allows them to protect the skin from oxidative stress and counteract the activity of free radicals, which are responsible for the premature aging of the skin and skin damage (wrinkles, skin sagging, hyperpigmentation).