Abstract

SAFFLOWER OIL: A MULTIFUNCTIONAL INGREDIENT

Prachi Hingnekar* and Mamta Karikar

Abstract

Vegetable oils are successfully used in personal care due to their positive effects on the skin and hair. One of the oil included in this group is safflower oil. Safflower oil is obtained from one of the oldest cultivated crop Carthamus tinctorius. The plant was traditionally grown for its oil, which is used in food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. The oil is considered to be a better oil since it contains higher amount of linoleic and oleic acid than other oil seed crops. Due to phenolic compounds it exhibits higher antioxidant activity, which renders better stability over extended storage period. The oil has been found to exert notable health benefits when consumed and also when used in topical formulations. This study outlines the available data cosmetic applications of Safflower oil.

Keywords: Safflower oil, Carthamus tinctorius, Linoleic acid, Antioxidant activity.