Almond oil
Almond oil is one of the most important and useful natural oils. Almond oil is extracted from the seeds of bitter almond tree, which is cultivated in North Africa such as Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, West Asia, and Iran, which is home to almond trees, Turkey and Spain. Almonds are delicious nuts, decorates food dishes, and used as oil in the therapeutic area and cooking.
There are two types of almond oil: sweet almond oil, bitter almond oil, but sweet almond oil is the most used in cosmetics, it contains useful materials nourish the skin and hair, and its characteristics play a role in the accessibility and safety of use; The almond oil is bitter and therefore easy for the skin to absorb easily and deeply, while the bitter almond oil is toxic, and should be used in studied proportions and under the supervision of a specialist, it is a concentrated oil and contains toxic compounds. A small drop of bitter almond oil can be mixed with sweet almond oil under the supervision of a specialist and can then be used in the aesthetic field.
The almond oil is extracted by separating the almond pulp from the shell, then the seeds are crushed, then the distillation stage comes, so we get the sweet almond oil, packed in glass cans, ready to use, and the same way the bitter almond oil is extracted.
Properties of sweet almond oil
- Its color is pale yellow, or transparent.
- Its taste is palatable.
- Contains low amounts of glyceride, linoleic acid, and other types of glycerides, and hydrogen cyanide which gives it the characteristic of volatilization.
- It is not taken orally, because it poses a risk to the nervous system, the respiratory system, and may lead to death.
- The sweet almond tree has white flowers.
Characteristics of bitter almond oil
- It consists of benzaldehyde compound, glycoside amidegdaline compound, and hydroxyanic acid.
- The bitter almond tree is pink.
- The bitter taste, the more bitter taste increased toxicity.
Health benefits of bitter almond oil
- Protects the body from worms in the stomach, and treats some digestive problems such as diarrhea.
- Useful in treating fever.
- It kills germs and microbes in the body; it can be used on the skin or scalp, after much dilution with water.
- Painkiller.
- It has an anesthetic effect, due to the presence of the glycoside amygdalene toxin which directly affects the nerves.
- Diuretic.
- Helps to reduce weight.
- Helps lower blood pressure.
- Anti-poisoning.
- Anti-cancer of all kinds.
- Treating rabies.
- Protects the body from muscle cramps.