Raspberries are widely known for their delicious taste and high mineral as well as fibre content when you consume it. However, did you know that an organic oil can also be derived from the seeds of these raspberries, and that they contain numerous properties which are useful and undoubtedly essential for your health!

Raspberry seed oil is obtained from the cold compression of the raspberry seeds and it has an earthy, fresh and light scent. Some might find the aroma a bit unappealing, so it can be used in dilution with essential oils rather than as a base ingredient.

Ultimately, the oil is rich in essential fatty acids, primarily linoleic and linolenic acid. It also contains high levels of vitamin E, which act as antioxidants and vitamin A. As such, raspberry seed oil possesses numerous beneficial qualities that augments the health of your body. Read on to find out more!

Health Benefits of Raspberry Seed Organic Oil:

1. Protects Skin From Ageing

Due to the high antioxidant content in the oil, raspberry seed oil is great for reducing skin damage and reversing signs of ageing. This is because the antioxidants present will fight against free radical damage and oxidative damage to prevent loose and sagging skin, wrinkles and age spots. Thus, this oil helps to maintain your skin’s youthful radiance!

Additionally, raspberry seed oil contains an organic compound called ellagic acid, which helps to prevent collagen degradation and exhibits anti-wrinkle activity, thus keeping your skin tight and firm.

A 2010 study published in the Journal of Experimental Dermatology illustrates that ellagic acid actually prevented collagen destruction and inflammatory responses caused by UV-B. As such, it can inhibit skin wrinkle and inflammation associated with chronic UV exposure which might lead to ageing signs.

2. Protects Skin From UV Rays

Raspberry seed oil also contains potential compounds, called phytosterols, that are believed to help protect your skin against sun damage and ultraviolet (UV) rays, which can potentially lead to skin cancer in extreme cases.

A 2000 research study published in the Journal of Food Chemistry found that raspberry seed oil showed absorbance in the UV-B and UV-C ranges with potential for use as a broad spectrum UV protectant.

However, more research still needs to be done to ascertain its efficacy in protecting your skin from harmful UV rays, so it still should not totally replace your sunscreen. However, you can still layer it underneath your sunscreen for added protection!

3. Clears Up Acne

Also, raspberry oil is great for those who suffer from acne problems. The presence of essential fatty acids aids in promoting skin lubrication and elasticity, which helps to clean out the blocked pores while the vitamin A compounds help to regulate oil and sebum production on your skin.

Additionally, the presence of linolenic acid in the oil acts as an anti-inflammatory agent, thus helping to soothe any redness or inflamed spots on the skin brought about by pimples.

4. An Anti-Inflammatory Agent

Inflammation in the body can be dangerous because more often than not, it is the root cause of many diseases. Luckily, raspberry seed oil provides a natural remedy for soothing and alleviating inflammation, due to the presence of linolenic acid, as has been mentioned above.

A 2016 study done by researchers from Seoul, Korea found that black raspberry seed oil may have anti-inflammatory effects in obese diabetic mice test subjects as it ameliorated the inflammatory responses in the test subjects.

As such, you can apply this oil directly as a base or dilute it with other anti-inflammatory essential oils over aching muscles or stiff joints associated with arthritis, rheumatism, gout or even after an intense workout session.

5. Helps to Moisturize Your Skin

Raspberry seed oil also helps to moisturize your skin, not by introducing artificial moisture where it is not needed but by facilitating the retention of the moisture that your skin naturally produces and preventing it from being lost to the environment.

This is made possible by the high levels of phytosterols present in the oil, which helps reduce trans-epidermal water loss. As such, this oil is also great for those who are suffering from dry skin.

6. Protects Your Hair

Besides offering benefits to your skin and body, raspberry seed oil is also a terrific agent for protecting your hair and facilitating healthy hair. It moisturizes your hair, thus preventing it from being excessively dry and brittle. It also strengthens your hair roots and follicles, which hence prevents hair loss too.

As such, inclusion of raspberry oil into your haircare routine is a great way to maintain your hair in tip top condition and to have healthy, luscious locks!

How to Use Raspberry Seed Oil?

Raspberry seed oil can be used directly as a base oil or it can be used as a diluting agent to blend essential oils so as not to make the essential oils too concentrated. Alternatively, you can also add a few drops of the oil into your daily facial/skincare products and use it once or twice per day or into your shampoo/conditioner if you are looking to use it as a hair care treatment. It might leave a slightly oily and silky feel to the skin if you apply it directly for some people, so it is best to use it in a dilution rather than as a base ingredient.

Pomegranate seed oil can actually be used interchangeably with raspberry seed oil because both of them contain similar characteristics, properties and benefits. They have similar absorption rates and are both moisturizing, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-ageing.

Since it has high vitamin E content, the shelf life for this oil is pretty long, for approximately two years. However, do store it properly in a cool, dry environment away from sunlight so that it can last for as long as possible.

Even though it is a mild carrier oil, it is wise to perform a skin patch test prior to topical application onto desired areas to ensure you do not have any sensitive or allergic reactions. People who are allergic to berries should exercise caution when using this oil.

There has not been enough research done to ascertain its safety on pregnant and breastfeeding women, so do consult your doctor before using this oil. This also applies to those who have pre-existing conditions and are under prescribed medication.

Raspberry oil is normally used topically on the skin, so it is not recommended to ingest the oil.

References:

Bae JY, et al., “Dietary compound ellagic acid alleviates skin wrinkle and inflammation induced by UV-B irradiation”, Journal of Experimental Dermatology (2010); 19(8)

B. Dave Oomah, et al., “Characteristics of raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) seed oil”, Journal of Food Chemistry (2000)

Lee HJ, et al., “Dietary Black Raspberry Seed oil Ameliorates Inflammatory Activities in db/db Mice”, PubMed (2016); 51(6)