AROMATHERAPY AND ESSENTAIL OILS (CARRIER OILS) GRAPE SEED TREE AND GRAPE SEED OIL

Grape seed tree (Vitis vinifer)

Grape seed tree is a perennial tree; it grows abundantly in North America. It’s native to the Mediterranean. The tree grapes could be black, green, orange, pink, purple or white. The grapes are commonly used in wine production.

Other species of grapes seed are:

·         Vitis riparia

·         V.rotundifolia

·         V.aestivals

·         V.mustangensis

·         V. labrusca. a native to North America and Canada.

·         V. amurensis

Some species of grape seed are known to shed there leaves every autumn.

GRAPE SEED OIL

Grape seed oil is extracted by cold pressing and chemical extraction. Grape seed oil has a light color and a sweet nutty flavor. It’s constitutes are linoleic acid, polyunsaturated fats palmitoleic acid, polyphenols, oligomeric and proanlliocyanidins.

Grape seed used for grape seed oil is a by-product of wine production. Grape seeds produces small amount of oil, so many producers of grape seed oil use chemical extraction instead of cold pressing. Although, chemical extraction affects the flavor and the quality,however, it increases the quantity of grape seed oil.

USES OF GRAPE SEED OIL

As stated above, grape seed oil is a carrier oil used to dilute volatile essential oils and to help the skin absorbed essential oils. It’s also an anti—inflammatory and anti-oxidant oil.

Grape seed oil is used to make cosmetics, body creams, lotions, lip balms and for cooking.

Grape seed oil is best stored in a refrigerator with tempretures as low as 0-25 celsius, so that it does not decompose easily.

Thank you for reading this article.