The use of natural ingredients is becoming increasingly fashionable. Among the most popular is soybean oil, which can be used both in cooking and as a cosmetic. It provides numerous benefits to the skin, notably nourishing, hydrating and repairing. It is also credited with unexpected volumising virtues for the breasts. Fact or fiction? Let's decipher this trend.
Soybean oil to help enlarge one's breasts?
Summary
Published on October 4, 2024, by Pauline, Chemical Engineer — 3 min of reading
Themes:
Breast enhancing care: what are we talking about?
"Volumising" creams, also known as "plumping" creams, have been gaining popularity in the cosmetic market in recent years, aligning with the new trend of having fuller breasts and rounded buttocks. These treatments come in various formulations and are intended for specific use on the breasts, buttocks, but also the cheeks or lips.
The efficacy of these creams is purported to be based on their concentration of fenugreek or anemarrhena root, compounds which are said, albeit without scientific proof, to help stimulate adipose growth.
The effectiveness of volumising treatments also appears to rely on the presence of phytoestrogens in their formula. These non-steroidal compounds are found in several plants and have a molecular structure similar to that of estradiol, a steroid hormone in the human body. This characteristic enables them to bind to the body's estrogen receptors, thereby triggering estrogenic or anti-estrogenic effects. However, while the action of phytoestrogens in topical application has been extensively studied, no volumising effect on the breasts has been demonstrated.
Thus, the effectiveness of so-called "volumising" treatments appears more than doubtful and is not based on any scientific evidence.
Soybean oil: a natural alternative for breast augmentation?
Originating from East Asia, soybeans are a protein-rich food that is widely used in vegetarian diets. From its beans, it is possible to extract a vegetable oil rich in benefits for the skin and hair. From an organoleptic perspective, soybean oil has a beautiful golden to orange colour, with a dry touch, and its fragrance is not particularly pronounced. The richness in fatty acids of this vegetable oil provides nourishing and hydrating properties for the epidermis and hair fibres.
Sometimes we find traces of isoflavones in soybean oil, molecules that belong to the phytoestrogen family, which is why it is occasionally attributed with volumising properties. However, just like creams claiming to have this effect, no scientific study has proven that soybean oil has any volumising power on the breasts. It is only possible to assert that regular application of soybean oil on the skin makes it more supple and firmer.
Sources
DE OLIVEIRA TORLONI L. B. & al. In vitro and clinical efficacy of the use of phytoestrogens-based topical cosmetic use in photoaged skin. Surgical & Cosmetic Dermatology (2012).
HARRATH A. H. & al. Phytoestrogens and their effects. European Journal of Pharmacology (2014).
MURTAZA G. & al. Dermatological and cosmeceutical benefits of Glycine max (soybean) and its active components. Acta Polonia Pharmaceutica (2015).
