Plum kernel oil - Prunus domestica seed oil

Virgin plum oil is a relatively new oil that is finding its way into more and more cosmetic products, such as Weleda’s Cleansing Almond Lotion, Almond Oil & Almond Cream and the Body Shop’s Rich Plum Shimmer Lotion & Plum Body Butter.  Plum oils can also be found in some lip products by Decleor and some anti-ageing creams made by Clarins, among others.

Our plum oil comes from the Argen variety, grown in the South West of France.  The Argen plum has a long history that dates back to the 12th century when it is said that French Noblemen  brought back damson plums and seedlings from Syria.  The monks of the Abbey of Clairac crossed the damsons with a local variety to product a new variety, called the Argen plum.  The plum is a member of the almond family.

The plums are harvested in August/September.  The plum kernels are tough cookies and need to be broken down by a mechanical hammer to obtain the seeds (small kernels), which contain around 20% oil.  These are then cold-pressed without the use of external heat, chemicals or solvents.

The oil produced is golden and very aromatic.  It is rich in oleic acid (60-80%), linoleic acid (15-25%), alpha tocopherols (vitamin E), vitamin B, pro-vitamin B5 (beta-carotene) and beta sito-sterols.  This gives the oil excellent moisturising properties and great stability.

There are two key aspects that you will notice almost immediately upon application.  Firstly it is rather intensely aromatic, having a rich, almond, marzipan-like aroma.  Secondly, it has to be one of the quickest oils to absorb into the skin that I personally have ever experienced and leaves the skin feeling lovely and soft but not at all oily.  These two aspects alone make Virgin Plum Oil and excellent addition to products formulated for more delicate areas (eyes, lips, neck) and because it has its own natural aromatic quality, it will be ideal formulations where you don’t wish to add any fragrance.

It is a fine addition to creams, balms, lotions, oil blends & particularly useful for dry, mature, delicate skins and for adding aromatic depth.  Very quick to absorb with no oily residue and leave’s the skin soft & silky.