PLANT OIL
Blueberry Seed Oil
A light plant oil pressed from blueberry seeds, rich in linoleic and alpha-linolenic fatty acids and tocopherols, used to help skin feel soft.
Source
Bilberry (European blueberry) seeds
Used for
Skin conditioning, softness
How it works
Blueberry seed oil is cold-pressed from the tiny seeds of the blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus). Like other berry seed oils, it is made mostly of unsaturated fatty acids and carries natural vitamin E compounds.
Its fatty acids include oleic, linoleic and alpha-linolenic acids, and its natural tocols, the vitamin E family, help protect the oil from oxidising. This composition is the basis for its use as a light, softening oil.
Its fatty acids include oleic, linoleic and alpha-linolenic acids, and its natural tocols, the vitamin E family, help protect the oil from oxidising. This composition is the basis for its use as a light, softening oil.
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01
Made mostly of unsaturated fatty acids, including linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid
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02
Contains tocopherols and tocotrienol, natural vitamin E compounds
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03
Natural tocols help protect the oil from oxidising
Questions
Is blueberry seed oil the same as bilberry seed oil?
The names overlap. Vaccinium myrtillus, the species in this ingredient, is the bilberry, also known as blaeberry, whortleberry or European blueberry. The highbush blueberry, Vaccinium corymbosum, is a separate species native to eastern North America, where it is grown for its fruit. In cosmetics, bilberry seed oil is listed under its own name, Vaccinium Myrtillus Seed Oil, so the Latin name is the clearest guide to which berry an oil comes from. (USDA GRIN; COSMILE Europe)
What is blueberry seed oil made of?
Blueberry seed oil is rich in fatty acids including palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic and alpha-linolenic acids, along with tocols, the vitamin E family, which help protect the oil from oxidising. (Li et al., 2016)
What does research on blueberry seed oil show?
Published work on berry seed oils focuses on their composition, which is rich in unsaturated fatty acids and natural vitamin E compounds. In cosmetics, bilberry seed oil is listed as a skin-conditioning ingredient, valued as a light, softening oil. (Li et al., 2016; COSMILE Europe)
About the plant
Vaccinium myrtillus is native across Europe, including the UK and Ireland, through temperate Asia from Turkey and the Caucasus to Siberia, Mongolia and Japan, and into parts of western North America and Greenland. (USDA GRIN)
The fruit is a well-known source of natural pigments: anthocyanins, a group of antioxidant polyphenols, are the most abundant class of active compounds in bilberries. The seeds inside the berries are the source of the oil. (Benvenuti et al., 2018; COSMILE Europe)
The fruit is a well-known source of natural pigments: anthocyanins, a group of antioxidant polyphenols, are the most abundant class of active compounds in bilberries. The seeds inside the berries are the source of the oil. (Benvenuti et al., 2018; COSMILE Europe)
The research
- Li Q, Wang J, Shahidi F. Chemical Characteristics of Cold-Pressed Blackberry, Black Raspberry, and Blueberry Seed Oils and the Role of the Minor Components in Their Oxidative Stability. J Agric Food Chem. 2016;64(26):5410-5416. PMID: 27203814. (opens in a new tab)
- USDA Agricultural Research Service, GRIN-Global Taxonomy: Vaccinium myrtillus L. (opens in a new tab)
- USDA Agricultural Research Service, GRIN-Global Taxonomy: Vaccinium corymbosum L. (opens in a new tab)
- COSMILE Europe (Cosmetics Europe) cosmetic ingredient database: Vaccinium Myrtillus Seed Oil (bilberry; plant part: seeds; function: skin conditioning) (opens in a new tab)
- Benvenuti S, Brighenti V, Pellati F. High-performance liquid chromatography for the analytical characterization of anthocyanins in Vaccinium myrtillus L. (bilberry) fruit and food products. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 2018;410(15):3559-3571. PMID: 29428993 (opens in a new tab)
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