What are the benefits of pracaxi oil for the skin?

The composition of pracaxi oil in fatty acids gives it the ability to contribute to the maintenance of integrity and strengthening of the skin barrier. Indeed, pracaxi oil has a high content of linoleic acid, a polyunsaturated fatty acid that is part of the natural composition of cell membranes. It has the ability to integrate into the stratum corneum and to promote cellular cohesion.

Furthermore, this fatty acid is involved in the synthesis of a certain category of ceramides, the acylceramides, lipids found in the stratum corneum. These ceramides have the unique ability to directly bind to linoleic acid, incorporating into their acylation chains, which subsequently creates the acylceramides. The properties of these components suggest that pracaxi oil would have nourishing benefits on the skin and help to strengthen the skin barrier.

Nevertheless, studies are required to confirm the nourishing capacity of pracaxi oil.

Pracaxi oil is particularly valued for its moisturising properties. Indeed, its richness in oleic acid would allow it to maintain a good level of skin hydration. Naturally present in the body, oleic acid is part of the composition of sebum, a fatty substance secreted by the sebaceous glands and intended to form a protective film on the surface of the skin. It thus integrates into the composition of the hydrolipidic film, limiting dehydration and protecting the skin from external aggressions.

Beyond oleic acid, pracaxi oil contains other fatty acids such as palmitic acid, stearic acid and behenic acid, which also exhibit film-forming properties. Therefore, the fatty acid composition of pracaxi oil makes it a good source of hydration and could help to guard against signs of ageing, particularly dehydration fine lines for instance.

However, more scientific evidence would be required to attest to the actual role of pracaxi oil in skin hydration.

The skin can undergo various assaults from the external environment. Overexposure to the sun, pollution, smoking are all factors that can be sources of oxidative stress, capable of damaging the skin. This deterioration can induce numerous cellular damages, causing the appearance of signs of premature ageing or even pigmentation problems (hyperpigmentation).

However, the pracaxi oil in its composition contains various constituents that have an antioxidant role. The Vitamin E it contains is capable of trapping free radicals, unstable reactive species that cause oxidative stress, before they disrupt the melanogenesis process or damage cellular constituents. It works by inhibiting their action through the donation of electrons.

Furthermore, pracaxi oil contains carotenoids (β-carotene, etc.), a plant pigment from the hydrocarbon family known for its powerful antioxidant properties due to its richness in double bonds. β-carotene combats free radicals in a similar way to vitamin E.

The antioxidant properties of pracaxi oil remain, to this day, hypothetical. There is currently no scientific study addressing this topic. Further research would be necessary to demonstrate its antioxidant activity.

Pracaxi oil exhibits soothing properties due to the fatty acids it contains. Indeed, several studies have shown that oleic acid plays a role in combating inflammation through the activation of cytokines, which act to modulate the inflammatory response. It also acts on theinhibition of the synthesis of certain pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6), by inhibiting the NF-kB signalling pathway.

Oleic acid, it appears, also has the ability to act by stimulating the production of TIMP1, an inhibitor of metalloproteinases that functions as an anti-inflammatory cytokine. The increase in TIMP1 levels due to oleic acid could thus reduce inflammation and promote tissue repair.

Oleic acid could also potentially promote the production of sirtuin-1 (SIRT1), a human enzymatic protein that plays a significant role in preventing inflammation. It could therefore be capable of reducing the formation of inflammatory cytokines.

All these actions would potentially allow pracaxi oil to soothe irritations by reducing inflammation. However, it is important to note that, to date, there is no scientific evidence supporting the anti-inflammatory properties of pracaxi oil.

Beyond the hydrating, antioxidant and soothing benefits of pracaxi oil, some sources also suggest it has an effect on bacteria. A study was conducted on this subject, aiming to evaluate the potential antibacterial activity of pracaxi oil in comparison to another vegetable oil, copaiba oil. The activity was tested on the bacterial strain of Staphylococcus aureus by measuring the minimum bactericidal concentration, that is, the minimum concentration required for the vegetable oil to inhibit the growth of the bacteria. The results of the study showed that pracaxi vegetable oil had no effects on the bacterial culture of Staphylococcus aureus. Thus, despite the opinions of some sources, there is no evidence to date of the antibacterial activity of pracaxi oil on a skin bacterium such as S.aureus.