Almonds and Almond Oil

Almonds and almond oil are known to exhibit anti-inflammatory, antihepatotoxicity, and immunity-boosting activity.^[1] The seed from the deciduous almond tree (Oleum amygdalae), which is native to Iran and parts of the Levant, almonds contain copious amounts of phenols and polyphenols, fatty acids, and vitamin E, all of which are known to exert antioxidant activity.^[2,3,4,5] These seeds have been found to have a substantial impact on serum lipids.^[4] Emollient and sclerosant characteristics have also been linked to almond oil, which has been found to ameliorate complexion and skin tone.^[5] Significantly, in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that UVB-induced photoaging can be attenuated through the use of almond oil and almond skin extract.^[2] Further, in traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, and ancient Greco-Persian medicine, almond oil was used to treat cutaneous conditions, including eczema and psoriasis.^[1] The focus of this column is to provide an update on the use of almonds and almond oil for skincare since covering the topic in July 2014.

Antiphotoaging activity

Leslie S. Baumann, MD

In 2019, Foolad and Vaughn conducted a prospective, investigator-blind, randomized controlled trial to determine the effects of almond consumption on facial sebum production and wrinkles. Participants (28 postmenopausal women with Fitzpatrick skin types I and II completed the study) consumed 20% of their daily energy intake in almonds or a calorie-matched snack over 16 weeks through the UC Davis Dermatology Clinic.