Benefits of Soybean Oil

In old Chinese folklore, it is stated that women working in the tofu industry always had the most radiant skin: shiny, soft and glowing. They used to attribute it to the skin benefitting properties of soybean. Even the Traditional Chinese Medicine Encyclopedia talks about soybean’s therapeutic benefits for skin and overall health care. It is no wonder that many cosmetic companies use soybean proteins, isoflavones and lecithin found in soy and soybean oil in their products. Let us study the health benefits of soybean oil in skin care.

WHAT IS SOYBEAN OIL OR SOY OIL?

Soybean oil belongs to the small group of oils pertaining to the pea family. It has a light yellow or pale golden color, and in the Far East, is one of the oldest annual crops. Dietary soy is known to promote several health, medicinal and nutritional benefits. The use of soy for treating skin issues has a long standing history as well. Soybean oil belongs to the small group of oils containing significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid. The phytoestrogen content of soy makes its oil an important ingredient in many pharmaceutical and medicinal applications, too.

HEALTH AND MEDICINAL PROPERTIES OF SOYBEAN AND ITS OIL

Soybean has boundless health properties. Whether you choose to eat soy based foods or use the skincare lines containing soybean oil or soy proteins for added glow—the majority of the evidence available today supports the fact that soy products are great for long term health and especially for the skin. Here are some benefits of soybean oil:

AS A BASE OR CARRIER OIL FOR AROMATHERAPY AND MASSAGE

Soybean oil is great as a massage or base oil. It is an excellent base for mixing Aromatherapy essential oils. Soybean oil is nutritive and contains many vitamins as well as lecithin. In taste and smell, it is quite similar to toasted sesame oil which is used extensively in Oriental cooking. Many aromatherapists love working with this oil for massage on account of its medicinal properties. You can also buy light, highly refined soy bean oil in case you do not like the strong smell of  unrefined varieties.

BENEFITS OF SOY OIL FOR SKIN:

•  One of the major benefits of soy oil is that it’s a very good oil for protecting skin from UV rays. It is also a very effective oil for treating the damages done by strong sun. Soy oil helps to cure skin damage and gives it a healthy glow. Soybean oil is very beneficial in the treatment of skin damages which are occurred due to air pollution as well.

•  Strong anti-oxidant properties of soy oil are great for improving skin health. Vitamins in soy oil are the source anti-oxidants in soy oil. These anti-oxidant properties help to protect skin cells from free radical damage and keep the skin healthy and young. Soy oil is an effective ant-wrinkle and anti-aging oil.

•  Organic soybean oil is a useful oil for moisturising the skin. Vitamin E in soybean oil keeps the skin smooth and healthy.

•  One should only apply pure or organic soy oil (not commercially made soy oil) on face as facial moisturiser. Organic soy oil is mild and doesn’t cause any skin irritation.

•  Soy oil is very effective to remove skin blemishes including acne. Regular use of soy oil on skin can improve the overall tone of skin and make it healthier and youthful.

WONDERFUL FOR AGING SKIN

Soybean oil based creams and moisturizers are very beneficial for aging skin. The glycine soy protein inhibits the formation of proteinases, increases trichoblasts and also the number and length of root hairs. These properties find application in anti-aging skin care, for treating sensitive skin, UV protection and also as a hair promoting agent. Soy isoflavones also have phytoestrogenic properties which are especially beneficial for mature skin in menopausal women. 

AS A MOISTURIZER

Soybean oil is water emulsified and rehydrating. It retains the skin’s natural moisture level. Of all the oils, soybean oil has the highest lecithin content which makes it great as a co-emulsifying agent, and balances the skin’s lipid content. Soybean oil is also great as a base in moisturizers. It is also an effective blender or carrier oil for mixing essential oils, and contains omega 3 essential fatty acids, which are highly beneficial for the skin. In fact, as per reports in History of U.S. Federal and State Governments' Work with Soybeans by William Shurtleff and Akiko Aoyagi, soybean oil is as rich as fish oil in omega 3 essential fatty acids. 

• When added to water, soybean oil produces a colloidal solution having a ph of 4 to 5.5 which is the ideal preferred range for ph of healthy skin.
• According to Mark Bricklin and Susan G Berg in the Best of Prevention, soybean oil topical application can benefit psoriasis sufferers.
• In body care products

Soybean oil is a wonderful carrier oil for all other plant based ingredients, oils and vitamins. It is readily absorbed into the skin and finishes residue free. This makes it an excellent addition in soaps and bathing oils. It also protects the skin from moisture loss. Cold pressed soybean oil also has a long shelf life especially when stored in a cool environment.

IN INSECT REPELLENTS

Natural bug repellents will not keep you 100% bug proof, nor are they going to last all day. But the benefit of using natural bug repellents with plant and essential oils is that they will not expose your lungs, eyes, skin and other organs to toxic chemicals. Chemical repellents have been and will always be harmful to mankind and animals. The repeated use of these insecticides fosters many environmental hazards like development of resistance in vectors like mosquitoes to these chemicals. Synthetic chemical insecticides have an adverse effect on the environment and disturb the ecological balance. Majority of these chemicals are also not biodegradable and they spread their toxic effects for days and affect the delicate ecological balance. Many of these insecticides also enter the system to harm delicate organs like kidneys and liver. Insecticides applied in ponds, lakes etc tend to contaminate water bodies and harm humans as well as larvivorous fish. Mosquito coils and chemical bug repellent diffusers can cause side effects like burning , watery eyes, asthma, headaches, itching and sneezing in users.

With natural bug repellents, you can avoid all this.

AS A DIETARY SOURCE

We’re all familiar with soy milk, tofu, edamame, and miso soup (to name a few). Apart from Asian cultures, these foods can be especially significant for vegans and vegetarians, as they’re an important source of protein in our diet. Despite some propaganda to the contrary, soybean oil consumption has actually been found to have breast cancer protective effects.1, 2 And unlike what fear mongers would like you to believe, it also does not cause feminization in men.3 If we were to think about this realistically, and soybean consumption were actually found to cause gynecomastia (breasts) in men, then wouldn’t most Asian cultures demonstrate a huge population of feminized, big breasted men? Come on...this is obviously not the case, but for some reason, there are people who would like you to believe that…