I admit it, I'm in love with plum kernel oil (INCI: Prunus domestica seed extract). It's light, non-greasy, and smells absolutely of almonds, although I think it's more like marzipan, which I adore! On top of all of that, it has a richness I generally only find with thicker oils. (It reminds me of pomegranate oil as it has an  unctuous silkiness!)

It has a lovely fatty acid profile - 4% to 9% palmitic acid; 70% oleic acid (Omega 9), which softens and moisturizes skin; and 20% linoleic acid (Omega 6), which helps speed up skin's barrier repair mechanisms.

It's a little low on the phytosterols at up to 125 ppm and it has around 180 ppm beta-carotene, the pre-cursor to Vitamin A. It has 0.5% unsaponifiable matter with around 800 ppm squalane. It contains around 700 ppm tocopherols to behave as anti-oxidants, which is quite a lot, hence the longer shelf life.
Use at 1% to 10% in any product you wish in which you could include oils. I'm loving it in light lotions as well as facial sera as it sinks in fast and feels less greasy! It has a shelf life of two years - I know, right, incredible! - but always keep it in a cool, dark place or fridge. The version from Lotioncrafter* is cold pressed.

You can see this oil in action in the anhydrous facial serum I presented at the Handcrafted Soap & Cosmetics Guild conference in Las Vegas in May 2017, as well as some upcoming recipes!

Thanks so much to Jen at Lotioncrafter for sponsoring that presentation. The links y...