Cranberries are prized for their tart flavor — often associated with fall — but there is more to this fruit than its delicious taste. The oil produced by cranberries is loaded with vitamins and minerals that are essential to having a healthy body and healthy skin. Cranberry oil is the extracted oil from a cranberry seed, and research has shown that the oil is just as, if not more beneficial than the berry alone when consumed or applied topically. This oil is used on its own as a health supplement, and used in many health, beauty and skin care products around the world.
In the health industry, extracted cranberry oil is bottled or incorporated into digestible capsules to be taken as a vitamin supplement. Since the oil is loaded with natural sources of heart healthy fatty acids like omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9, cranberry products prove to be beneficial to one’s overall health and well-being. Extracted cranberry oil is the only oil that has a natural balance of the omega fatty acids. With a high concentration of antioxidants, it has a longer shelf life than other supplemental oils. It also has a more pleasant and sweeter taste, which makes it easy to consume on a regular basis.
Companies that produce lotions and body creams have begun to add cranberry oil to their products. The oil of cranberry helps to protect the lipid barrier of the skin, which also helps to keep the skin looking and feeling rejuvenated as it maintains the natural moisture levels required to keep dryness at bay. Because of this, lotion that uses cranberry oil is perfectly suited for dry, damaged or aging skin. People who suffer with skin conditions such as eczema can also find relief from the use of a cranberry oil product, or from the oil used alone.
Many cosmetics that claim to prevent or reverse the aging process of the skin have added cranberry oil to their cosmetic lines. The high amounts of antioxidants and omega fatty acids found in cranberry oil help to fight free radicals in the air that cause the appearance of premature aging of the skin. When applied to the skin, these antioxidants found in the oil not only rejuvenate the skin and keep it looking fresh, they also protect the skin from sun damage; which is also known to cause signs of premature aging.