How to Choose a Good Quality Vegetable Oil?

 There are different qualities of vegetable oils. In order to guarantee the quality of your vegetable oil, whatever the end use, several criteria must be checked:

Mentions and Certifications 

In the context of therapeutic, cosmetic or nutritional use, ensure that you only use organic , virgin, first cold pressed vegetable oils :

• Virgin, unrefined: a virgin and unrefined oil is an oil that has not undergone any treatment before or after pressing, it is a pure oil that has simply been filtered to remove any impurities.

• 100% pure and natural: that is, the oil will be the only ingredient. This is a real quality guarantee: no perfume or other additive can affect the quality of the oil. However, there is the particular case of virgin vegetable oils having a “living” character. Some are sometimes added a preservative, vitamin E, to limit the oxidation of the oil and promote its conservation. This is generally the case for oily macerates, for example.

• First cold pressing: this is a simple, mechanical extraction method where oilseed fruits and seeds are pressed to directly extract the oil. It is possible to press by heating the raw material and pressing several times to obtain more oil, but the quality would be reduced (loss of certain vitamins for example).

• ORGANIC: certifications guarantee that the plant from which the oil is produced has been produced according to precise specifications, excluding phytosanitary products in particular. Depending on how the vegetable, food or cosmetic oil is used, there are two types of certifications: AB and Cosmos.

Controls Carried out by the Brand

• Organoleptic analysis: the color, odor and even appearance of the vegetable oil are essential criteria to check upstream, before using the oil. For example, refined canola oil will generally be lighter than virgin canola oil.

• Analysis of fatty acid composition: a vegetable oil is characterized by its fatty acid composition. For example, a vegetable oil from Pomegranate has the particularity of being rich in more than 60% punicic acid. A variation in fatty acid content may reflect an oil cut with another oil…

• Checking the low oxidation of the oil: the fatty acids which make up vegetable oil can degrade on contact with oxygen, air, light or even heat. This is a criterion that is firstly verified by smell; Oxidized oil is rancid. Second, by means of measuring the peroxide value of the vegetable oil; this is the quantity of oxygen linked to the oil reflecting its oxidation. Thirdly, by measuring the anisidine index which, even more thoroughly, makes it possible to determine the level of rancidity of an oil.

Product Packaging

• Quality of packaging: the choice of container for a vegetable oil is not trivial in view of the previously mentioned criteria. It must respect as much as possible the intrinsic quality of the oil and therefore be as neutral as possible. In addition, it must be airtight from oxygen and protect the oil from light and heat as much as possible. Amber glass packaging with a sealed cap is the ideal packaging .

• Label information: in addition to the mentions and certifications previously described and the common name of the oil, it is important to check the botanical name and the part of the plant used to obtain the oil. A batch number, geographical origin and contact details of the manufacturer are a guarantee of traceability.

How is Vegetable Oil Obtained?

Vegetable oils are most often obtained mechanically, following the pressing of oleaginous seeds or fruits. The so-called “ first cold pressing ” method is an ancestral and traditional technique, as natural as possible, which respects the quality of the raw material.

 The seeds and fruits are sorted before being subjected to mechanical cold pressing, that is to say without heating, at room temperature. Several types of presses exist; the screw press, which pushes the seed or fruit into a cylinder, is most often used. The oil comes out through the openings and the pressing residue (called cake) remains in the cylinder. The oil obtained is virgin, it does not undergo any chemical treatment or refining, it is only filtered of potential organic residues.

Please note that cold pressing may prove unsuitable for certain seeds that do not contain enough oil. Long ineffective pressing would increase the oil temperature during mechanical friction and degrade the intrinsic quality of the oil. This is why there are other methods of extracting vegetable oils.

Another extraction method sometimes encountered: supercritical CO2 oil extraction . Supercritical is the state in which CO2 is found: beyond a certain temperature and pressure threshold, it finds itself in an intermediate state, between liquid and gas, making it a solvent of choice. It is a method presented as very natural, because in this state the CO2 is neutral and respects the composition of active ingredients of the oil.

Precautions for Using Vegetable Oils

If essential oils are powerful products that must be handled with care, vegetable oils are much gentler, and therefore much easier to use. They are generally very well tolerated by everyone. It is still advisable to respect certain precautions for use and to be aware of the associated risks.

The Main Risks of Vegetable Oils:

• Allergy: Although dependent on the user, some vegetable oils can cause allergies after application. It is recommended to do an allergy test on a small area before applying the vegetable oil to a larger area.

• Comedogenicity: certain oils are called comedogenic, that is to say they can promote the appearance of imperfections such as pimples or blackheads. Each vegetable oil has a comedogenicity index, 0 being “non-comedogenic” and 5 being “very comedogenic”. It is advisable to check this index, especially for people with skin problems.

• Phototoxicity: this concerns St. John's Wort, it is not recommended to expose yourself to the sun for 8 to 12 hours following its application. 

• In the case of anti-coagulant treatments: certain vegetable oils are thinning, they should be avoided in the case of anti-coagulant treatments. This is the case of Arnica, St. John's Wort, or Calophyll Inophyll in particular.

Ways of Using Vegetable Oils ls:

All vegetable oils are used by the skin , however, for some more powerful or fragrant ones, dilution is sometimes required: Neem, Nigella, Mustard, Borage for example.

Orally , a large part of vegetable oils can be used for their nutritional benefits but not only that. It is also through this method of use that the therapeutic properties of vegetable oils can be of interest. Be careful however, certain oils are contraindicated orally due to their composition of potentially toxic substances: Mustard and Broccoli for their erucic acid content for example.

The Users :

With few exceptions, vegetable oils are suitable for all users. Find out carefully on a case by case basis for sensitive users (babies and pregnant women).