Skin, Hair, Traditional Uses, Claims Checked & Safety.
Plant oils, butters and waxes used on skin and hair and as traditional remedies. Explore each one: what it is, how it feels and is made, what studies in people have and have not found (kept apart from marketing and tradition), and what to check before you use it: skin patch test, nut and seed allergy, swallowing, babies, pets and rancidity. Food oils are in Oils & Fats; essential oils are in Essential Oils.
Studied in people for: constipation (swallowed), hair and scalp, period and breast symptoms
Harmful or laxative if swallowedPregnancy and laborSkin allergy: patch test firstNatural toxin
Castor oil is a strong laxative with mixed, low-quality evidence for starting labor and weak evidence for hair. What studies found, what they did not, and who should ask first.
Skin allergy: patch test firstPregnancy and laborMedicine interactionsCosmetic vs food grade
Black seed oil comes from Nigella sativa seeds; trials of black seed show small changes in blood sugar and blood pressure, and people on related medicines should ask a pharmacist.
Jojoba oil is a liquid wax from seeds, used in skin and hair products. Reviews are favorable but pool several oils, and jojoba-specific trial evidence was not found.
Studied in people for: dry skin and skin barrier, eczema, baby skin and massage, hair and scalp, mouth and gums, stretch marks
Nut, seed or sesame allergyLung risk (oil pulling, inhaling)Babies and infantsCats and dogs
Coconut oil: eaten, it raised LDL cholesterol in a 2020 meta-analysis; on skin and hair the evidence is limited. What was studied, what was not, and who should take care.
Coconut oil on dry skin (xerosis)
Coconut oil and child eczema (atopic dermatitis)
Coconut oil on the skin of preterm and newborn babies
Studied in people for: dry skin and skin barrier, wounds and scars, baby skin and massage
Skin allergy: patch test firstBabies and infantsCosmetic vs food grade
Olive oil as a food has large observational and diet-trial research behind it; on skin the studies are small and mixed, and one found it weakened the skin barrier in adults.
Skin allergy: patch test firstNut, seed or sesame allergyBabies and infantsCosmetic vs food grade
Shea butter is a plant fat used on skin and in food. We found no shea-only trials; a cosmetic safety panel judged it safe when non-sensitizing, and allergy data are thin.
Shea butter, dry skin and stretch marks
Shea butter-based creams and eczema
Shea butter-based emollient in diapers and baby skin
Studied in people for: stretch marks, dry skin and skin barrier, acne
May clog pores for some
FDA lists cocoa butter as a skin protectant at 50 to 100 percent. That is a labeling status, not proof of healing, and a placebo-controlled trial found it did not prevent stretch marks.
Cocoa butter as a skin protectant (US label status)
Studied in people for: eczema, period and breast symptoms
Pregnancy and laborMedicine interactionsLung risk (oil pulling, inhaling)
Evening primrose oil (Oenothera biennis seed oil): what NIH and EU regulators say about PMS, breast pain and skin, plus blood thinner, blood pressure and pregnancy cautions.
Evening primrose oil and eczema (swallowed capsules)
Evening primrose oil and dry-skin itching (EU traditional use)
Nut, seed or sesame allergyGoes rancid: storageCosmetic vs food grade
Hemp seed oil is pressed from hemp seeds and is not CBD oil. See what small skin and joint trials show, what they do not, plus allergy, rancidity and label cautions.
Hemp seed oil by mouth and atopic dermatitis
Hemp seed oil and skin barrier (applied)
Topical hemp seed oil and knee osteoarthritis
Hemp oil in cannabinoid ointments: seed oil share unknown
Macadamia oil for skin and hair: what the omega-7 (palmitoleic acid) claims rest on, the one small human study, tree nut allergy cautions, dogs, and storage.
Apricot kernel oil (Prunus armeniaca) is a light plant oil used for massage and skin. No human trials were found; here is the evidence, and why raw kernels are a separate poisoning risk.
Apricot kernel oil and dry skin or massage
Apricot kernel oil and wound or burn healing
Apricot kernel oil and inflammation or pain (animals)
Camellia oil (tsubaki) is a pale, oleic-acid-rich seed oil used on hair and skin in Japan and as a cooking oil in China. See what trials show and what they do not.
Camellia oil as a cooking oil rich in oleic acid
Camellia oil and sensitive or dry skin
Camellia oil and incontinence-related skin damage (ICU)
Marula oil (Sclerocarya birrea) is a southern African nut oil used on skin. Here is what the one small human study shows, what claims are not backed up, and storage notes.
Tamanu oil (Calophyllum inophyllum) is a thick green-brown Pacific skin oil used for wounds and scars; here is what lab work shows, what people studies lack, and the allergy cautions.
Tamanu oil and wound healing (lab and animals only)
Harmful or laxative if swallowedNatural toxinGoes rancid: storage
Kukui nut oil (candlenut oil, Aleurites moluccanus) is a Hawaiian skin and hair oil rich in polyunsaturated fats; here is what research shows, and why the raw nuts are not for eating.
Baobab seed oil (Adansonia digitata) is sold for skin and hair. Here is what we found on its makeup, quality and safety, and why human evidence is missing.
Babassu oil (Attalea speciosa) is a lauric-acid-rich Brazilian palm kernel oil used in skin products. What research shows (no human trials found), safety and storage.
Squalane (olive, sugarcane or shark-derived): squalene vs squalane, source labels, the CIR safety review, the thin skin evidence, oxidation and pore claims.
Squalane in moisturizers (skin softening)
Squalane and cosmetic safety review (CIR)
Squalene versus squalane (what changes)
Sources: olive, sugarcane, microbes and shark liver
Studied in people for: massage and muscle aches, mouth and gums
Nut, seed or sesame allergyBabies and infants
Sesame oil on skin and hair: baby and body oil massage in South Asia, what small trials show, sesame allergy and skin contact, oil grades, and what is unproven.
Sesame oil massage and pain after minor limb injury
Mango butter is the firm fat from the mango seed kernel, used in creams and balms and as a cocoa butter alternative. Here is what research shows, and what it does not.
Mango butter and cracked or dry skin
Mango butter as a skin softener (emollient)
Mango butter and wound healing (rats)
Mango butter in chocolate (cocoa butter alternative)
Kokum butter (Garcinia indica) is a hard, stearic-rich seed fat from India used in balms and as a chocolate fat; what is known about skin use, safety and storage.
Kokum butter and cracked or dry skin
Kokum butter as a hard cosmetic fat in creams and balms
Kokum butter in an acne gel cream
Kokum butter and burns or chafed skin (traditional)
Murumuru butter (Astrocaryum murumuru) is a firm Amazonian palm seed fat used in skin and hair products. What we found: no human trials, only lab work. Safety and storage notes.
Cupuacu butter is a pale fat pressed from the seeds of an Amazonian relative of cacao. Here is what lab studies show, what no human trial has tested, and how to store it.
Cupuacu butter and dry or rough skin (moisturizing)
Cupuacu butter and water-holding claims
Cupuacu butter and skin cells or wound healing (lab)
Skin allergy: patch test firstWool (lanolin) allergyContaminantsCosmetic vs food grade
Lanolin is wool wax from sheep, used on sore nipples, lips and dry skin. What trials show, how common contact allergy is, pesticide residues, purified grades and FDA status.
Lanolin and sore nipples while breastfeeding
Lanolin blends versus placebo cream for nipple fissures
Skin allergy: patch test firstCosmetic vs food grade
Candelilla wax (Euphorbia antisyphilitica) is a plant wax from Mexico and Texas used in vegan balms and sweets. Food status, allergy reports and missing research.
Candelilla wax as a vegan balm and lip-product base
Candelilla wax as a food additive (E 902) and FDA status
Carnauba wax from the Brazilian wax palm glazes foods (E903) and hardens lip products. What regulators and safety reviews say, the rare contact allergy reports, and what no trial shows.
Harmful or laxative if swallowedSkin allergy: patch test firstBabies and infants
Neem (Azadirachta indica): why swallowing neem oil has caused severe poisoning in children and adults, what research shows for mouth rinses and skin, and Ayurvedic background.
Studied in people for: wounds and scars, period and breast symptoms
Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides): what small trials found for cholesterol, vaginal dryness, dry eye and burns, how oil and cream studies differ, and what safety data we could not find.
Pumpkin seed and seed oil (Cucurbita pepo): the EU traditional-use status for urinary symptoms, what prostate and other trials found, and allergy and pregnancy cautions.
Traditional use for urinary symptoms (BPH and overactive bladder)
Natural toxinPregnancy and laborBabies and infantsMedicine interactions
Borage (Borago officinalis): why its leaf and flower carry liver-toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids, what research says about the seed oil, and the foxglove look-alike and pregnancy cautions.
Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms (seed oil)
Atopic dermatitis (eczema) - no benefit shown
Cough and asthma (extract)
Gamma-linolenic acid and anti-inflammatory mechanism
Studied in people for: stretch marks, baby skin and massage
Nut, seed or sesame allergySkin allergy: patch test firstBabies and infants
Sweet almond oil is a carrier oil from almond kernels, not an essential oil. Tree nut allergy is the key caution; small skin trials gave mixed results.
Skin allergy: patch test firstGoes rancid: storage
Rosehip seed oil is a carrier oil, not an essential oil: what the scar and wound research really shows, why it spoils, and the safety points to check first.
Rosehip seed oil and scars
Rosehip seed oil, wound healing and skin (lab and animal)
Anti-aging, acne, pigment and other skin claims
What rosehip seed oil is (a carrier oil, not an essential oil)
Grapeseed oil is a carrier oil, not an essential oil or grape seed extract: what we found for skin, what we did not, and basic safety points to check first.
Grapeseed oil on skin (small trials of mixed products)
What grapeseed oil is (a carrier oil, not an essential oil)
Skin allergy: patch test firstCosmetic vs food grade
Avocado oil is a carrier oil, not an essential oil: what is known about its makeup, quality and skin use, and the allergy and blending cautions to check first.
Skin barrier (three-oil blend with avocado oil unsaponifiable)
Use as a carrier oil for essential oils
What avocado oil is made of
Wounds, eczema, psoriasis, hair and anti-aging claims
Sunflower oil as a food: USDA fat and vitamin E values, linoleic vs oleic types, what trials found on cholesterol and inflammation, allergy, heating and safety.
Sunflower oil in place of saturated fat and LDL cholesterol
Sunflower oil and heart disease events
Oleic acid oils and the FDA qualified claim
Sunflower oil vs coconut oil as cooking oil in coronary disease
Safflower oil as a food: high-oleic vs linoleic types, USDA fat and vitamin E values, what small trials found on cholesterol and blood sugar, allergy and safety.
Safflower oil in place of saturated fat and LDL cholesterol
High-oleic safflower oil and the FDA qualified claim
Safflower oil and blood sugar in women with type 2 diabetes
High-oleic safflower oil and cholesterol compared with coconut oil
Cera alba (white beeswax), Cera flava (yellow beeswax), wax secreted by worker honey bees (Apis mellifera, Apis cerana)
Human evidence: Very few human studies
Skin allergy: patch test firstCosmetic vs food grade
Beeswax in lip balms and ointments: how reviews describe its skin barrier role, how little human research exists, and the occasional contact allergy, especially in people allergic to propolis.
No oil, butter or wax matches all of these filters. Try removing one. Some topics (for example most herbs) are not oils, butters and waxes and live elsewhere on the site.
"Studied for" means a study in people exists, not that the oil works. Most skin and hair studies are small and short, and results for one oil or one skin condition do not carry over to another. "Check before you use" lists cautions a source we read raised. It is not a complete list: patch test a new product on a small area first, and ask a pharmacist or clinician if you have allergies, are pregnant, or are using it on a baby.
Browse by oil, butter or wax group
Carrier and skin oils
Jojoba, argan, almond, rosehip, grapeseed, camellia, marula, macadamia and more: light to medium plant oils used on skin and hair.
Castor, black seed, neem, tamanu, evening primrose, borage and sea buckthorn: oils with a long medicinal history, each with its own evidence and cautions.
Patch test a new oil or butter on a small area first. Skin allergy can happen with any of them.
Nut, seed, sesame and coconut oils and butters can matter if you have those allergies. Lanolin can matter if you react to wool.
Castor oil swallowed is a strong laxative, and labor-induction claims are not a do-it-yourself matter. Raw apricot kernels can contain cyanide-forming compounds.
Oil pulling is not recommended by the ADA, and breathing oil into the lungs can cause harm. Do not put oils in babies' mouths or noses.
Oils go rancid. Cosmetic and food grades are not the same. Fixed oils are not essential oils: never use the dilution rules of one for the other.
What natural oils, butters and moisturizers can and cannot do for the skin barrier, from FDA's skin-protectant rule and dermatology studies, with patch-test and allergy cautions.
Coconut oil versus olive oil for eating and for skin, based on trials and reviews we could read, with a plain statement of what has and has not been compared directly.
Shea butter versus cocoa butter for skin: what regulators and trials we could read say about each, where no head-to-head comparison exists, and what to check on a label.
Castor oil packs and hair-growth claims checked: one small constipation study, weak hair evidence, rare skin reactions, and why swallowing castor oil is a different, laxative matter.
Oil pulling means swishing edible oil in the mouth; reviews find very low certainty evidence for gum health, the ADA does not recommend it, and breathing oil in can cause lung harm.
What dermatology sources say about patch testing for skin allergy, why "natural" ingredients are not exempt, and what clinic testing can and cannot tell you.
What raw, organic, cold-pressed and unrefined mean on a label. Only organic has a US definition in the sources we read; none of the four shows a health benefit.
What food grade, cosmetic grade and pharmaceutical grade mean in the US sources we read, why the law sorts products by intended use, and why a grade is not a safety label.
Beef tallow is a rendered animal fat now promoted for skin care and cooking; dermatology reviews find little human evidence, and heart guidance on saturated fat applies to eating it.
What a carrier oil is, why sources say essential oils are diluted in one, what the sources we read say about jojoba and coconut oil, and where no evidence was found.
How essential oils and carrier oils differ, why sources describe diluting one in the other, how trials use a carrier oil as the comparison, and where no evidence was found.
More Oil, Butter and Wax Profiles(18)Skin and hair oils, butters, medicinal oils and waxes that are less well known: one evidence-and-safety page each.
Hemp seed oil is pressed from hemp seeds and is not CBD oil. See what small skin and joint trials show, what they do not, plus allergy, rancidity and label cautions.
Macadamia oil for skin and hair: what the omega-7 (palmitoleic acid) claims rest on, the one small human study, tree nut allergy cautions, dogs, and storage.
Apricot kernel oil (Prunus armeniaca) is a light plant oil used for massage and skin. No human trials were found; here is the evidence, and why raw kernels are a separat…
Camellia oil (tsubaki) is a pale, oleic-acid-rich seed oil used on hair and skin in Japan and as a cooking oil in China. See what trials show and what they do not.
Marula oil (Sclerocarya birrea) is a southern African nut oil used on skin. Here is what the one small human study shows, what claims are not backed up, and storage note…
Tamanu oil (Calophyllum inophyllum) is a thick green-brown Pacific skin oil used for wounds and scars; here is what lab work shows, what people studies lack, and the all…
Kukui nut oil (candlenut oil, Aleurites moluccanus) is a Hawaiian skin and hair oil rich in polyunsaturated fats; here is what research shows, and why the raw nuts are n…
Baobab seed oil (Adansonia digitata) is sold for skin and hair. Here is what we found on its makeup, quality and safety, and why human evidence is missing.
Babassu oil (Attalea speciosa) is a lauric-acid-rich Brazilian palm kernel oil used in skin products. What research shows (no human trials found), safety and storage.
Squalane (olive, sugarcane or shark-derived): squalene vs squalane, source labels, the CIR safety review, the thin skin evidence, oxidation and pore claims.
Sesame oil on skin and hair: baby and body oil massage in South Asia, what small trials show, sesame allergy and skin contact, oil grades, and what is unproven.
Mango butter is the firm fat from the mango seed kernel, used in creams and balms and as a cocoa butter alternative. Here is what research shows, and what it does not.
Kokum butter (Garcinia indica) is a hard, stearic-rich seed fat from India used in balms and as a chocolate fat; what is known about skin use, safety and storage.
Murumuru butter (Astrocaryum murumuru) is a firm Amazonian palm seed fat used in skin and hair products. What we found: no human trials, only lab work. Safety and storag…
Cupuacu butter is a pale fat pressed from the seeds of an Amazonian relative of cacao. Here is what lab studies show, what no human trial has tested, and how to store it.
Lanolin is wool wax from sheep, used on sore nipples, lips and dry skin. What trials show, how common contact allergy is, pesticide residues, purified grades and FDA sta…
Candelilla wax (Euphorbia antisyphilitica) is a plant wax from Mexico and Texas used in vegan balms and sweets. Food status, allergy reports and missing research.
Carnauba wax from the Brazilian wax palm glazes foods (E903) and hardens lip products. What regulators and safety reviews say, the rare contact allergy reports, and what…
Safety, Patch Testing and Claims-Checked Guides(9)The situation-by-situation safety checklist behind the "Check before you use" filter, patch testing, comedogenic ratings, rancidity, oil cleansing, castor oil safety, grades, pets and baby skin.
How to test a new natural oil or butter on your skin, what a home patch test cannot show, when to skip it, how clinic testing differs, and what to do after a reaction.
Comedogenic ratings of 0 to 5 are everywhere online. See where they come from (rabbit ears), what human studies found, and why a number cannot tell you if an oil will cl…
Why plant oils and butters go rancid, what peroxide value means, how light, heat and air matter, what tocopherols do, and what sources do and do not say about skin and s…
Oil cleansing means washing your face with oil. Here is what dermatology sources and small trials show about acne, dry skin, castor and olive blends, makeup removal, and…
Castor oil safety checked: swallowed as a strong laxative, the labor-induction claims (Cochrane and newer trials), babies, breastfeeding, castor seeds and ricin, and war…
What cosmetic grade and food grade mean on oils and butters, how US cosmetic and food rules differ, what refined and cold-pressed mean, and which contaminants to know ab…
Natural Oils and Pets: what veterinary sources say about coconut oil, olive oil, cocoa butter, macadamia, shea and paw balms for cats and dogs, and when to call the vet.
Natural oils on baby skin and for massage: what trials show for sunflower, coconut, olive and mustard oil, eczema prevention, peanut oil, and what health bodies advise.
In a 2020 meta-analysis of clinical trials, eating coconut oil raised LDL cholesterol. Evidence for skin and hair is limited. [1]
Are these oils the same as essential oils?
No. Essential oils are concentrated aromatic oils with their own safety rules. Carrier oils such as jojoba, sweet almond and grapeseed are fixed oils used to dilute them. They are listed here and link to their guides in Essential Oils & Aromatherapy.
Is castor oil safe to swallow?
Castor oil is a strong laxative, with mixed, low-quality evidence for starting labor and weak evidence for hair. Ask a pharmacist or clinician first. [2]
Content last updated . This section has not been medically reviewed.
Education, not medical advice. This section is for general information. It does not diagnose or treat any condition and is not a substitute for care from a qualified health professional. Natural does not automatically mean safe.
