Sweet Almond Oil: What It Does and the Oils We Use Instead

Sweet almond oil is a mild, silky oil pressed from the kernels of the sweet almond tree, Prunus dulcis. It is mostly oleic acid with a good share of linoleic acid and natural vitamin E, and on skin it works as a gentle emollient that softens and smooths. We do not use it in any Marianella formula, but two of its close relatives, apricot kernel oil and plum kernel oil, are in our range, and this guide explains what almond oil does and where to find a similar feel from us.

What sweet almond oil is

Sweet almond oil is a fixed oil, which means it is a pressed, non-volatile oil rather than an essential oil. It carries the body of a formula, not its perfume, and its scent is very faint. On an ingredient list it appears as Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil. Cold-pressed versions keep more of the oil's vitamin E, sterols and other minor compounds; refined or solvent-extracted versions are paler and plainer.

It has a long history in skin care, from Ayurvedic practice to the bath houses of the Mediterranean, mostly as a softening oil for dry skin and a base for massage. That long use is part of why it is still so common in body oils, lotions and soaps today.

The fatty acids, in plain terms

Almond oil is mostly monounsaturated. In one study of four European almond varieties, oleic acid made up roughly 57 to 64 percent of the oil and linoleic acid roughly 25 to 30 percent, with small amounts of saturated fats such as palmitic and stearic acid. The same oils were rich in tocopherols, the vitamin E family, mostly in the alpha form.

Those proportions explain how the oil feels. Oleic acid gives a cushioned, nourishing slip that suits dry skin. Linoleic acid is lighter and is the fatty acid skin uses to help hold in moisture. The vitamin E acts as an antioxidant, helping protect the oil itself and adding some antioxidant care on skin.

What it does on skin

A cosmetic safety assessment describes sweet almond oil as an emollient that is mildly occlusive, producing hydration, softening and more flexibility in the outer layer of skin. In practice, skin feels less tight and moves more easily. Because it absorbs slowly, a little goes a long way, which is why massage therapists like it.

Claims beyond that are thinner. You will see almond oil credited with evening skin tone or fading marks, but those claims rest on small or old studies. The fair summary is that sweet almond oil is a reliable softener, and that is plenty.

Not in our formulas, but its relatives are

Sweet almond oil is not one of the oils we use. If you like the soft, silky feel of almond oil, though, two oils in our range come from the same plant genus, Prunus, and share its oleic-rich character.

• Apricot kernel oil is pressed from the kernels inside apricot stones. It is silky, easy to spread and rich in oleic acid. It is one of the base oils in our Rosewood and Litsea Cubeba Imperial Jade Body Oil, alongside grape seed, marula, argan, pomegranate seed and mongongo oils.
• Plum kernel oil comes from the kernel inside the plum stone. Our Plum Face Oil is 100 percent pure plum seed oil, rich in oleic and linoleic acids and natural vitamin E, light to medium in weight and silky like a serum.

One caution applies to both. Our Ingredient Library notes that people with a stone-fruit or almond allergy should patch test kernel oils like these before using them.

Choosing between almond-like oils

For the body, the Rosewood body oil gives the closest experience to an almond body oil: a pale, silky liquid that glides over damp skin and leaves a soft, satiny finish, with a scent of rosewood, litsea cubeba and bergamot. Use it straight after the shower.

For the face, Plum Face Oil is the natural choice. Press four to six drops into clean skin as your last step, or stir a drop into your moisturizer. It has no added fragrance. If your skin is dry or mature and wants something richer still, Marula Face Oil is another oleic-rich oil that is surprisingly light and leaves a plush, quietly luminous finish.

Storing kernel oils

Oils with a high share of unsaturated fat, almond oil among them, spoil faster in light and heat. Keep any kernel oil capped, cool and out of direct sun, and use it while it smells clean and faintly nutty. If an oil starts to smell sharp or stale, it is past its best.

You can read about every oil we do use, with where it comes from and how it feels, in our Ingredient Library.

Questions about sweet almond oil

Do any Marianella products contain sweet almond oil?

No. Sweet almond oil is not in any of our formulas. Our Rosewood body oil contains apricot kernel oil, and our Plum Face Oil is pure plum kernel oil, both close relatives.

Is apricot kernel oil a good stand-in for almond oil?

For feel, yes. Both are silky, oleic-rich kernel oils that leave skin soft and smooth. Anyone with an almond allergy should still patch test, as the two are related.

Does your Almond and White Tea scent contain almond oil?

Almond and White Tea is the name of a scent, not a list of ingredients, and our Ingredient Library does not list sweet almond oil in any product. Check the label of the specific product if you have an allergy.