SAP: 180-200

SAP Multiplier for NaOH: 0.135

SAP Multiplier for KOH: 0.190

INCI: Salvia hispanica (Chia) seed oil  

Shelf life: Up to 3 years

Appearance: Clear, light oil with neutral scent

CAS: 93384-40-8

Botanical Characteristics

Salvia hispanica, also called chia, is an annual herbaceous plant belonging to the family Lamiaceae. It is grown worldwide, particularly in Argentina, Peru, Paraguay, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Guatemala and Australia. In Europe, it is grown in greenhouses.

This plant reaches up to 1 m in height. It’s leaves are 4–8 cm in length and 3–5 cm in width [14]. Its white or blue flowers are bisexual, of 3–4 mm in size, growing in whorls at shoot tips. Chia has round fruits, containing many tiny, oval seeds of 2 mm in length and 1 mm in width. In nature it grows in mounainous regions, preferring sandy soil with good drainage. (Bartosz Kulczy et al, 2018)

Chemical Composition

Chia seed is composed of protein (15% - 25%), fats (30% - 33%), carbohydrates (26% - 41%), high dietary fiber (18% - 30%), ash (4% - 5%), minerals, vitamins, and dry matter (90% - 93%). It also contains a high amount of antioxidants.(Campos, Maira, 2014)

Ciftci et al. showed the presence of campesterol (472 mg/kg of lipids), stigmasterol (1248 mg/kg of lipids), β-sitosterol (2057 mg/kg of lipids) and ∆5-avenasterol [26]. Moreover, it was found that chia seeds also contain tocopherols: α-tocopherol (8 mg/kg of lipids), γ-tocopherol (422 mg/kg of lipids) and δ-tocopherol (15 mg/kg of lipids).(Kulczyński B et al, 2019)

Chia Seed Oil is a remarkable and stable source of omega-3 essential fatty acids and omega-6 essential fatty acids (up to 21%). In addition it contains high levels of oleic acid. The natural antioxidant composition of Chia Seed Oil helps to keep it fresh.

Chia seed is rich in α-linolenic acid, the biological precursor to eicosapentaenoic acid, a polyunsaturated fatty acid, and docosahexaenoic acid. Because the body cannot synthesize α-linolenic acid, chia has a newfound and instrumental role in diet.” (Parker, J et al, 2018)

Skincare

Jeong et al (2010) studied the effect of chia seed oil on patients with end stage kidney disease. All patients had dry and itchy skin as a result of their condition.  A topical formulation containing 4% chia seed oils were applied for 8 weeks. At the end of the study they found  a marked improvement in levels of itching as well as an increase in skin moisture levels and skin barrier function.

Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs) in Skincare

As seen Chia seed oil is rich in linoleic acid (Omega 6) and linolenic acid (Omega 3), making up to around 80-90%. Neither of these fatty acids are produced in the body and are found in plant and seed oils. Both are involved in regulating blood pressure and inflammatory responses, which is important in protecting against heart disease and other diseases including those involving the skin. (Lunn et al, 2006) In fact it is known that deficiency in PUFA’s is indicated in scaly skin disorders:

Thus, supplementation of diets with appropriate purified vegetable oils, fish oil, or both may generate local cutaneous antiinflammatory and antiproliferative metabolites which could serve as less toxic in vivo monotherapies or as adjuncts to standard therapeutic regimens for the management of inflammatory skin disorders.(Vincent A Ziboh, 2000)

Acne is a skin condition whereby hair follicles become plugged with dead skin and sebum causing comedones (pimples/blackheads/whiteheads). It has been hypothesised that a decrease in linoleic acid in sebum could be, in part, responsible for this. One double blind controlled study found, “There was a significant effect of topically applied linoleic acid on the size of follicular casts and microcomedones’ and nearly 25% reduction in their overall size in one month of treatment. (ETAWE et al, 1998)

Psoriasis is a skin condition that causes red, flaky, crusty patches of skin covered with silvery scales (NHS) One study found that combination of topical and supplimentary treatment with omega 3 fatty acids significantly improved symptoms associated with psoriasis; lesion and pruritus, erythema, scaling. (Balbás GM et al, 2011)

PUFA’s are also thought to protect the skin from ultraviolet radiation (UVR). It is known that ultraviolet radiation causes skin damage at a cellular level, induces inflammation and suppresses the immune system. Omega 3 and 6 are converted into compounds that influence the cellular response to UVR, helping to protect it from damage. Studies have found that topical application of PUFAs help protect the skin from sun damage.

Topically applied omega-3 fatty acids may also attenuate the UV-response. In a small human trial, ten healthy men and women (aged 25-35 years) received sardine oil extract (200 mg) applied topically to six sites on the ventral surface of their forearms, followed by UVB exposure at two times their MED (45). Topical application of sardine oil extract (rich in EPA and DHA) reduced UVB-induced erythema compared to control sites on each subjects forearm. Consistent with this outcome, topical application of the n-3 fatty acid eicosatrienoic acid (20:3n-3) protected against UV-induced skin damage in hairless mice. (Giana Angelo, 2012)

Conclusion

Chia seed oil is a light oil rich in PUFAs which have been shown to protect the skin from damage from the sun as well as protect and heal dry, damaged and acne prone skin.

References

Parker J, Schellenberger AN, Roe AL, Oketch-Rabah H, Calderón AI. Therapeutic Perspectives on Chia Seed and Its Oil: A Review. Planta Med. 2018 Jul;84(9-10):606-612. doi: 10.1055/a-0586-4711. Epub 2018 Mar 13. PMID: 29534257.

Kulczyński B, Kobus-Cisowska J, Taczanowski M, Kmiecik D, Gramza-Michałowska A. The Chemical Composition and Nutritional Value of Chia Seeds-Current State of Knowledge. Nutrients. 2019;11(6):1242. Published 2019 May 31. doi:10.3390/nu11061242

Campos, Maira & Ciau-Solís, Norma & Rosado-Rubio, Gabriel & Guerrero, Luis & Betancur, David. (2014). Physicochemical characterization of chia ( Salvia hispanica ) seed oil from Yucatán, México. Agricultural Sciences. 05. 220-226. 10.4236/as.2014.53025.

Jeong SK, Park HJ, Park BD, Kim IH. Effectiveness of Topical Chia Seed Oil on Pruritus of End-stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Patients and Healthy Volunteers. Ann Dermatol. 2010 May;22(2):143-8. doi: 10.5021/ad.2010.22.2.143. Epub 2010 May 17. PMID: 20548903; PMCID: PMC2883415.

Lunn J and Theobald H. (2006) The health effects of dietary unsaturated fatty acids. Nutrition Bulletin 31:178-224

Vincent A Ziboh, Craig C Miller, Yunhi Cho, Metabolism of polyunsaturated fatty acids by skin epidermal enzymes: generation of antiinflammatory and antiproliferative metabolites, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 71, Issue 1, January 2000, Pages 361s–366s, https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/71.1.361s

Balbás GM, Regaña MS, Millet PU. Study on the use of omega-3 fatty acids as a therapeutic supplement in treatment of psoriasis. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2011;4:73-77. doi:10.2147/CCID.S17220

ETAWE, , BOONE, and PIÉRARD, (1998), Digital image analysis of the effect of topically applied linoleic acid on acne microcomedones. Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 23: 56-58. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2230.1998.00315.x