Why are preservatives generally not found in vegetable oils?

The vegetable oils are fatty substances extracted from oilseeds or oleaginous fruits. They are obtained by first cold pressing to take full advantage of their virtues.

These treatments can do without antioxidant and antimicrobial preservatives for several reasons.

• Firstly, vegetable oils are devoid of water, unlike moisturising creams which they can even replace during the skincare routine. Therefore, they are not susceptible to the growth of fungi and microorganisms, which proliferate in an aqueous phase. Consequently, they do not require antimicrobial preservatives.

• The vitamin E found in certain vegetable oils such as hazelnut oil and other nut fruits or hemp oil provides a natural antioxidant protection to the vegetable oil in question.

• The vitamin C is also a powerful antioxidant that helps to limit the oxidation of oils. It is naturally present in rosehip oil as well as avocado oil.

• Finally, in order to slow down the oxidation process as much as possible and preserve the virtues of vegetable oils, these are generally sold in amber containers to protect them from light. Heat can also accelerate the oxidation of a vegetable oil; for this reason, it is recommended to store these products in cool places, or even in the refrigerator for oils that are most sensitive to rancidity such as hemp oil, hazelnut oil, prickly pear oil or even rosehip oil.