What does Plant oil do?#
Plant oils and butters are the fats pressed from a seed, nut, kernel or fruit. In a skincare product they do one job in several ways: they sit in and on the surface of the skin, smooth over the rough, flaky patches, and leave a thin layer that slows the water the skin loses to the air. The result is skin that feels softer and looks smoother and better hydrated for as long as the product is on it. They are not actives in the way a retinoid or an acid is — nothing here works on the skin over weeks — so what you feel on the first day is what they do.
Benefits
- Softens rough, flaky-feeling skin on contact
- Slows water loss from the skin's surface, so skin stays feeling hydrated for longer
- Gives a moisturiser or balm its richness and slip
- Each one has its own feel — from the light finish of grapeseed to the heavy hold of shea butter
How it works
Most of these oils are triglycerides — the same kind of fat as in the foods they come from — built from fatty acids whose proportions decide how the oil feels. Oils rich in oleic acid (argan, avocado) are richer and slower to absorb; grapeseed, with more linoleic than oleic acid, feels lighter; coconut oil is about nine-tenths saturated fat, which is why it sets solid in a cool room and melts on the skin, and shea butter is solid at room temperature for the same reason. Jojoba is the odd one out: not a triglyceride at all but a liquid wax, which is why it feels the way it does and keeps so long. Two things a reviewer of the evidence would add. The balance of linoleic to oleic acid is what decides how kindly an oil treats the skin's surface — in one study, five weeks of olive oil (very high in oleic acid) left the surface less intact and slightly red where sunflower oil did not — so "natural" is not the same as gentle. And processing matters: cold-pressed oils keep more of the plant's own constituents and scent, while refining strips almost all of the protein, which is the part that matters to anyone with an allergy.
What to expect
Softer skin as soon as it goes on, and a finish that ranges from a dry touch to a lasting sheen depending on the oil. There is no settling-in period, because nothing here changes over time — if it feels too heavy on day one, it will on day thirty.
Plant oils and butters, one by one#
Shea butter
On a label: Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter and Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
A solid fat from the kernel of the shea tree, built from triglycerides of oleic, stearic, linoleic and palmitic acids with an unusually large share of unsaponifiables — the waxy, non-fat part that sets it apart from a plain oil. It is the heaviest thing on this page and the one to reach for on very dry, rough skin, or as the last step to seal everything in. It comes from a nut, but it is the exception on the allergy question: testing found no IgE-binding soluble proteins in shea butter, the proteins that drive a nut allergy. The US Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel judged shea-derived ingredients safe as used when formulated to be non-sensitising, and shea butter at up to 20% was not phototoxic in animal testing.
Argan oil
On a label: Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil and Argan kernel oil
Pressed from the kernels of the argan tree: about four-fifths mono-unsaturated fat with the rest saturated, carrying tocopherols, sterols and a little squalene. A medium-weight oil that absorbs at a middling pace; in small studies, daily use left skin measuring better hydrated. In patch testing, 5% argan oil in a face serum was neither an irritant nor a sensitiser and 10% in a salve was not a sensitiser. It is also the oil on this page with the clearest allergy record: severe whole-body reactions have been reported after argan oil was applied to the skin, so anyone with a nut allergy should treat it as a nut.
Coconut oil
On a label: Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil and Virgin coconut oil
Pressed from the dried flesh of the coconut, about 90% saturated fat — half of it lauric acid — which is why it is solid in a cool room and melts on contact with skin. In a two-week comparison on people with dry skin it moisturised as well as mineral oil, with no adverse reactions in the group. It also has a long-standing reputation for congesting skin that breaks out easily. That reputation rests on the rabbit-ear test, which its own authors called an imperfect model, and a later human study found that finished products using such ingredients are not necessarily comedogenic — so treat it as a reason for care on breakout-prone skin, not a verdict. The US Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel has twice judged coconut oil safe as used in cosmetics.
Jojoba oil
On a label: Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil
Not a true oil at all: about 98% liquid wax esters, with only traces of the triglyceride fat that makes up every other entry here. That make-up gives it a lighter feel than most oils, a very long shelf life and a resistance to going rancid that the triglyceride oils do not share. It is widely used in moisturisers and sunscreens, and a good first choice for anyone who has found oils too heavy.
Avocado oil
On a label: Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil and Persea Americana Oil
Pressed from the flesh of the fruit rather than a seed, rich in oleic acid — roughly a third to two-thirds of it — with linoleic acid the next largest share, plus sterols, carotene and vitamin E. That oleic-rich profile makes it one of the richer, slower-absorbing oils here: suited to dry, rough or chapped skin, less so to skin that congests. Assessed as safe as used in cosmetics by the US Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel, and not an irritant or sensitiser in the patch testing it reviewed.
Meadowfoam seed oil
On a label: Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil
A seed oil used as an emollient, assessed as safe as used by the US Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel among 244 plant-derived fatty acid oils, whose report cites patch testing of a facial product carrying it at over 70%. Beyond that, little about it has been studied on skin. It is on this page because brands name it on the front of the pack, not because there is much to say — expect it to behave like the other light-to-medium oils here.
Grapeseed oil
On a label: Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil
Pressed from the seeds left after winemaking, with more linoleic than oleic acid, which gives it a lighter feel than the oleic-rich oils — the one most often suggested for skin that dislikes richness. The US Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel assessed grape-derived ingredients, seed oil included, as safe as used in cosmetics.
Sweet almond oil
On a label: Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil
The classic emollient oil — mild, nearly scentless when refined, and a staple of massage and body products. On the face it softens and is slow to absorb, so it suits dry skin better than oily. Undiluted, it was slightly irritating in animal testing over a long period and practically non-irritating at 10%; in human patch testing at 7% it was not a sensitiser. It comes from a tree nut. Refining removes almost all of a plant oil's protein and a cold-pressed oil keeps up to a hundred times more, so anyone with a nut allergy should either avoid it or choose a refined oil and patch test first.
How to use Plant oil#
Before you start
A known nut allergy is the one thing to check before a nut-derived oil goes on your face: argan and sweet almond both come from a kernel, and reactions to argan oil applied to the skin have been reported. Refined oils carry far less of the plant's protein than cold-pressed ones, but a patch test on the inner arm first is worth the two days. Shea is the exception — see its entry below.
Best time
Morning or evening — neither is better for it. In the morning, put it on before sunscreen and give it a minute to settle; sunscreen always goes on last.
Where it goes
After anything water-based — a toner, a serum, a moisturiser — because an oil sits over water, not under it. On its own it can stand in for the moisturiser on a night when skin wants something richer; over a moisturiser it acts as a seal.
How to apply
Two or three drops warmed between the fingertips and pressed into the face rather than rubbed. A butter is warmed the same way until it melts.
How much
Less than you think. If skin looks slick ten minutes later, the answer is fewer drops, not a different oil.
Sun
None of these oils is flagged for extra sun care. Wear sunscreen in the morning as you would anyway — an oil is not a sunscreen, whatever else a label says about it.
Alongside others
They sit comfortably with everything else on this wiki, exfoliants and retinoids included, and never need an evening to themselves.
What to look for
On a label, the plant's Latin name with the everyday one in brackets — Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil — usually near the top of the list in a facial oil and lower down in a cream. Cold-pressed or unrefined oils keep more of the plant's own constituents and scent; refined oils are paler, milder and carry far less protein. Neither is better — it depends on what you want from it.
If it doesn't suit
An oil that stings, itches or comes up red is not for you — stop, and if a rash spreads or you feel unwell, seek medical help. If skin starts to congest after a few weeks, drop the heavier oils first and try a lighter one — grapeseed or jojoba before coconut or shea.
Any of these oils can disagree with an individual skin. Stop if it stings, itches or comes up red. Argan and sweet almond come from nuts or kernels, and severe reactions to argan oil on the skin have been reported — skip them with a known nut allergy, or check with your doctor first. Keep them out of the eyes.
The form you will see it in
Facial oil, balm or cream
- Where it goes
- As your moisturizer, or last over it
Using Plant oil with other ingredients
What not to use with Plant oil
Nothing flagged. None of the ingredients this wiki covers needs to be kept apart from Plant oil — check the label of anything not covered here.
Who should avoid Plant oil?#
Six situations change whether Plant oil suits your skin right now. Each one is either a reason to skip it, a reason to go slowly, or nothing to watch for.
- Fragile or Sensitive
- Go slowly
- Maternity & Nursing
- No caution
- Recent Facial or Laser
- No caution
- Prone to Redness
- No caution
- Dry or Itchy Patches
- No caution
- Recent Shave or Wax
- No caution
Fragile or Sensitive — Nut-derived oils can set off a reaction in someone with a nut allergy, and case reports describe severe reactions to argan oil applied to the skin — patch test first, and skip argan and sweet almond altogether with a known nut allergy.
Cosmetic strength limits for Plant oil where you live#
| Region | Most a cosmetic may contain | |
|---|---|---|
 United States | No explicit cap | |
The FDA restricts a short list of ingredients and sets no general strength ceiling on the rest. A figure marked "guidance, not law" is the Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel's recommendation. 21 CFR part 700, subpart B — Requirements for Specific Cosmetic Products (FDA) | ||
 Canada | No explicit cap | |
One list does the work — Health Canada's Hotlist of prohibited and restricted cosmetic ingredients. | ||
 European Union | No explicit cap | |
The Cosmetics Regulation's annexes, consolidated to 1 May 2026. A figure marked "guidance, not law" comes from the EU's cosmetic safety committee rather than from the annexes. | ||
 Great Britain | No explicit cap | |
Great Britain kept the annexes as its own law and updates them only when it chooses; Northern Ireland follows the live EU Regulation, which is why some rows read differently for each. Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 as it applies in Great Britain · Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annexes II–VI | ||
 India | No explicit cap | |
India writes its own standard, aligned to the European rules as they stood in 2012. Mandatory since 9 February 2026. IS 4707 (Part 2):2025 — restricted and prohibited cosmetic ingredients · IS 4707 (Part 3):2025 — preservatives · Cosmetics Rules, 2020, Ninth Schedule | ||
 Brazil | No explicit cap | |
ANVISA rewrote its restricted list in June 2026, and a companion act amended the prohibited list at the same time. RDC 1.029/2026 — restricted ingredients · RDC 529/2021 — prohibited ingredients, as amended by RDC 1.030/2026 · RDC 528/2021 — preservatives | ||
 Japan | No explicit cap | |
Japan's cosmetics standard keeps drug ingredients out of cosmetics, so most of its figures sit in the ministry's list of the ones a cosmetic may still contain. Cosmetics Standards (化粧品基準), Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare · Cosmetics Standards — the ministry's own English translation · Drug ingredients permitted in cosmetics — 2007 notification | ||
 South Korea | No explicit cap | |
One MFDS regulation carries both the prohibited list and the restricted list, in force 18 March 2026. Sunscreens and a few other categories are cleared product by product instead. Regulation on Safety Standards for Cosmetics (MFDS Notification 2026-19) · Regulation on the Review of Functional Cosmetics (MFDS Notification 2025-88) | ||
 Kenya | No explicit cap | |
Kenya's standard applies the EU annexes as they stand rather than copying them, so its ingredient limits are the EU's — including the 2024 additions. A figure marked "guidance, not law" sits outside the annexes and does not carry over. KS EAS 377-1, -2 and -3:2022 — cosmetics safety requirements, published by KEBS · Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annexes II–VI | ||
 Namibia | No explicit cap | |
Namibia sets no ingredient limits at all. Its cosmetic rule is a single line requiring a product to be free of any harmful ingredient. Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Ordinance 18 of 1979, and the regulations under it | ||
 Ukraine | No explicit cap | |
Ukraine's own transposition of the EU annexes, as they stood before the 2024 additions, fully in force since 3 August 2026. A further revision is due on 1 February 2027. Technical Regulation on cosmetic products — Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 20 January 2021 | ||
 Georgia | No explicit cap | |
Georgia has no cosmetics rulebook — its register of technical regulations carries no cosmetics entry — so only the general product-safety duty applies. | ||
 Australia | No explicit cap | |
Australia writes no cosmetic ingredient list. A figure here is the point at which a substance becomes a medicine or a scheduled substance carrying Caution labelling, so its numbers sit well above other markets'. Poisons Standard — June 2026 · Therapeutic Goods (Excluded Goods) Determination 2018 | ||
 United Arab Emirates | No explicit cap | |
The Gulf standard points at the EU annexes as amended, so its ingredient limits are the EU's. A figure marked "guidance, not law" sits outside the annexes and does not carry over. GSO 1943:2024 — Cosmetic products: safety requirements (Gulf technical regulation) · Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annexes II–VI | ||
 Kuwait | No explicit cap | |
The Gulf standard points at the EU annexes as amended, so its ingredient limits are the EU's. A figure marked "guidance, not law" sits outside the annexes and does not carry over. GSO 1943:2024 — Cosmetic products: safety requirements (Gulf technical regulation) · Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annexes II–VI | ||
 Hong Kong | No explicit cap | |
Hong Kong writes no cosmetics rulebook. Its Poisons List (Cap. 138A, Schedule 10) decides which substances may be sold only as medicines, and general safety is judged case by case against whichever overseas standard the enforcer considers reasonable. Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations (Cap. 138A), Schedule 10 — the poisons list · Pharmacy and Poisons Board — Guidance Notes on classifying pharmaceutical products, April 2026 | ||
 Singapore | No explicit cap | |
Singapore writes the ASEAN annexes into its own schedule, and its regulator tells companies to check the current ASEAN release as well — which is why a figure here can read "guidance, not law". Health Products (Cosmetic Products — ASEAN Cosmetic Directive) Regulations 2007, Third Schedule · ASEAN Cosmetic Directive annexes — release 2026-1, 22 June 2026 | ||
 Brunei | No explicit cap | |
Brunei carries the 2007 ASEAN annexes in its own schedule and has not updated them since, so it reads differently from Singapore on several ingredients. Medicines (Cosmetic Products) Regulations (Cap. 285 Rg 1), Schedule 1 — revised edition 2024 | ||
 Jordan | No explicit cap | |
Jordan's cosmetic rules defer to "the approved references" and name none of them, so there is no Jordanian figure to read. The only number in the instrument governs the ingredient list on the pack. JFDA instructions on cosmetics and pharmaceutical cosmetics, 2026 | ||
 Trinidad & Tobago | No explicit cap | |
Trinidad and Tobago has had the power to set cosmetic standards since 1960 and has never used it. The regulations made under the Act cover food and drugs, with no cosmetics part; what binds is the Act's general rule against selling a cosmetic that may injure the user. Food and Drugs Act, Chap. 30:01 · Food and Drugs Regulations | ||
No cosmetic regulator in the 20 markets above sets a maximum strength for plant oil. That is the state of the rules, not a signal to use more: how much goes into a product is the formulator's decision.
Open a market to see the rulebook its figure comes from. Those notes describe each market's own rules as we read them, current to August 24, 2026; the linked documents are the authority, and nothing here is legal advice.
Common questions about Plant oil#
What is Plant oil?
- The oils and butters pressed from seeds, nuts and fruit — shea, argan, coconut, jojoba and the rest — that soften the skin's surface and slow the water it loses, for a smoother, more supple feel.
When should you apply Plant oil?
- Morning or evening. Morning or evening — neither is better for it. In the morning, put it on before sunscreen and give it a minute to settle; sunscreen always goes on last.
How often can you use Plant oil?
- Daily.
Where do you apply Plant oil?
- All over the face. Keep it away from your eyes and lips.
Can you use Plant oil around the eyes?
- Yes. Plant oil goes all over the face, the skin around the eyes included — keep it out of your eyes and off your lips.
Does Plant oil make skin more sensitive to the sun?
- No. Plant oil is not flagged as increasing sun sensitivity.
What should you not use with Plant oil?
- Nothing flagged. None of the ingredients this wiki covers needs to be kept apart from Plant oil — check the label of anything not covered here.
Who should avoid Plant oil?
- Go slowly with Fragile or Sensitive.
Is there a cosmetic limit for Plant oil?
- No. No cosmetic regulator in the United States, Canada, the European Union or Great Britain sets a maximum strength for it. That is a limit on the rules, not a signal to use more.
Related ingredients#
How we check this#
Everything on this page traces to the sources listed below — regulators' own publications and published studies. Where the evidence does not answer a question, it is left unanswered.
Some sources below are medical studies. This ingredient has been studied in conditions a doctor treats, and the record cited here includes findings that did not favour it. We use those studies for their safety and handling detail only. A cosmetic product is not a medicine and is not intended to treat, cure or prevent any condition.
Our review is AI-assisted and is not a named expert's opinion. Last reviewed September 11, 2026.
Think something here is out of date or wrong? Email us at wiki@skinintelligence.ai with your reasoning and where you read it. We read what people send, and we update the page when the sources support it.
Regulators and official bodies · 9
- S1Burnett CL, Fiume MM, Bergfeld WF, Belsito DV, Hill RA, Klaassen CD, Liebler D, Marks JG Jr, Shank RC, Slaga TJ, Snyder PW, Andersen FA; Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel. Safety Assessment of Plant-Derived Fatty Acid Oils. Int J Toxicol 2017;36(3_suppl):51S-129S — full report. — DOI 10.1177/1091581817740569.
- S2Burnett CL, Fiume MM, Bergfeld WF, Belsito DV, Hill RA, Klaassen CD, Liebler D, Marks JG Jr, Shank RC, Slaga TJ, Snyder PW, Andersen FA. Safety Assessment of Plant-Derived Fatty Acid Oils. Int J Toxicol 2017;36(3_suppl):51S-129S — the PubMed record of S1. — PMID 29243540.
- S3Akinsulie A, Burnett C, Bergfeld WF, Belsito DV, Cohen DE, Klaassen CD, Liebler DC, Marks JG Jr, Peterson LA, Shank RC, Slaga TJ, Snyder PW, Heldreth B. Safety Assessment of Cocos nucifera (Coconut)-Derived Ingredients as Used in Cosmetics. Int J Toxicol 2023;42(1_suppl):23S-35S. — PMID 36862031.
- S4Burnett CL, Bergfeld WF, Belsito DV, Klaassen CD, Marks JG Jr, Shank RC, Slaga TJ, Snyder PW, Andersen FA. Final report on the safety assessment of Cocos nucifera (coconut) oil and related ingredients. Int J Toxicol 2011;30(3 Suppl):5S-16S. — PMID 21772024.
- S5Burnett CL, Bergfeld WF, Belsito DV, Hill RA, Klaassen CD, Liebler DC, Marks JG Jr, Shank RC, Slaga TJ, Snyder PW, Fiume M, Heldreth B. Safety Assessment of Butyrospermum parkii (Shea)-Derived Ingredients as Used in Cosmetics. Int J Toxicol 2024;43(1_suppl):82S-95S. — PMID 38166445.
- S6Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel. Safety Assessment of Vitis Vinifera (Grape)-Derived Ingredients as Used in Cosmetics. Final report, 2012-10-05.
- S7Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products, consolidated 2026-05-18 — Annexes II and III (none of the eight oils listed; Arachis Hypogaea Oil is the one restricted plant oil).
- S8Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 as assimilated UK law — Annex III (none of the eight oils listed).
- S9Health Canada — Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist (none of the eight oils listed).
Studies and references · 11
- S10Chawla KK, Bencharitiwong R, Ayuso R, Grishina G, Nowak-Węgrzyn A. Shea butter contains no IgE-binding soluble proteins. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2011;127(3):680-2. — PMID 21146867.
- S11Astier C, Benchad Yel A, Moneret-Vautrin DA, Bihain BE, Kanny G. Anaphylaxis to argan oil. Allergy 2010;65(5):662-3. — PMID 19839978.
- S12de Las Marinas Alvarez MD, Martorell Calatayud C, Castillo Fernandez M, Alvariño Martín M, Félix Toledo R, Pineda de la Losa F, Cerdá Mir JC, Martorell Aragonés A. Anaphylaxis After Cutaneous Application of Argan Oil. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol 2021;31(4):332-334. — PMID 32938575.
- S13Fulton JE Jr, Pay SR, Fulton JE 3rd. Comedogenicity of current therapeutic products, cosmetics, and ingredients in the rabbit ear. J Am Acad Dermatol 1984;10(1):96-105. — PMID 6229554.
- S14Draelos ZD, DiNardo JC. A re-evaluation of the comedogenicity concept. J Am Acad Dermatol 2006;54(3):507-12. — PMID 16488305.
- S15Agero AL, Verallo-Rowell VM. A randomized double-blind controlled trial comparing extra virgin coconut oil with mineral oil as a moisturizer for mild to moderate xerosis. Dermatitis 2004;15(3):109-16. — PMID 15724344.
- S16Danby SG, AlEnezi T, Sultan A, Lavender T, Chittock J, Brown K, Cork MJ. Effect of olive and sunflower seed oil on the adult skin barrier: implications for neonatal skin care. Pediatr Dermatol 2013;30(1):42-50. — PMID 22995032.
- S17Lin TK, Zhong L, Santiago JL. Anti-Inflammatory and Skin Barrier Repair Effects of Topical Application of Some Plant Oils. Int J Mol Sci 2017;19(1):70 — review; used for composition and use, never for the therapeutic claims in its title. — PMID 29280987 · PMC5796020.
- S18Vaughn AR, Clark AK, Sivamani RK, Shi VY. Natural Oils for Skin-Barrier Repair: Ancient Compounds Now Backed by Modern Science. Am J Clin Dermatol 2018;19(1):103-117 — review. — PMID 28707186.
- S19Crevel RW, Kerkhoff MA, Koning MM. Allergenicity of refined vegetable oils. Food Chem Toxicol 2000;38(4):385-93 — review. — PMID 10722892.
- S20Gad HA, Roberts A, Hamzi SH, Gad HA, Touiss I, Altyar AE, Kensara OA, Ashour ML. Jojoba Oil: An Updated Comprehensive Review on Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Uses, and Toxicity. Polymers (Basel) 2021;13(11):1711 — review; used for composition only. — PMID 34073772 · PMC8197201.
