PLANT OIL

Cranberry Seed Oil

Vaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil

A light oil from the seeds of the North American cranberry, notable for containing omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in close balance, used to help skin feel soft and comfortable.

Source

Cranberry seeds

Used for

Dry-feeling skin, softness

How it works

Omega-3 and omega-6, in close balance.

The cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) is a low-growing North American shrub whose tart red berries are mostly made into juice. Their tiny seeds, recovered after pressing, yield a light golden oil.

Cranberry seed oil stands out among plant oils for containing large amounts of both omega-6 linoleic acid and omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid, in close balance. The oil also carries phenolic compounds with antioxidant capacity in laboratory tests.

In skin care, cranberry seed oil is a light emollient that helps skin feel soft and comfortable, and it suits richer night creams and facial oils alike.

01
Contains omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids in close balance
02
Carries phenolic compounds with antioxidant capacity in laboratory tests
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A light emollient that helps skin feel soft and comfortable

Questions

What is cranberry seed oil?

It is the oil pressed from the seeds of the American cranberry, Vaccinium macrocarpon, used in skincare to help keep skin soft and in good condition. (European Commission CosIng)

What fatty acids are in cranberry seed oil?

It is rich in the omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid and the omega-6 fatty acid linoleic acid, with small amounts of palmitic, stearic and oleic acids. The oil also carries phenolic compounds with antioxidant activity in laboratory tests. (Luo et al., 2021)

What does research on cranberry seed oil show?

Published work has mapped the oil's distinctive chemistry: it carries large amounts of both omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid and omega-6 linoleic acid, along with phenolic compounds that showed antioxidant capacity in laboratory tests. In cosmetics the oil is listed as a skin-conditioning ingredient. (Luo et al., 2021; European Commission CosIng)

About the plant

The American cranberry is a low-growing, evergreen trailing shrub of the heather family (Ericaceae), native to bogs, swamps and wet shorelines in parts of northern and eastern North America. It grows only a few inches tall but spreads widely, and prefers damp, acidic ground. (Missouri Botanical Garden)

Small, nodding white to pink flowers appear in late spring and early summer, followed by round red to dark purple berries. The name cranberry is thought to come from the Germanic words for crane and berry, possibly because of the look of the flowers. (Missouri Botanical Garden)

The research