Fig seed feels funny under the teeth, but oil made of fig seeds is no joke! Fig seed oil is one of the most luxurious beauty oils packed with serious benefits for skin and hair. Let’s find out about fig oil benefits.
I am Azad, a microbiologist and nutrition enthusiast on Team Myorganic bd. We have 41 years of cumulative experience working with organic food, nutrition, and well-being. We promise to provide informative, scientific, practical, and easy-to-understand content about fig oil and its different aspects.
By the end of this article, you will have a detailed idea about the various benefits of fig seed oil, how to make it DIY, and other information. Let’s start!
What is fig oil?
Fig oil is cold-pressed oil made from fig seeds. Cold pressing is a way of producing oil by compressing it at room temperature. As no heat is involved, the vitamins, antioxidants, and other components of oil stay intact.
Fig oil is naturally compact with various fatty acids, vitamins, antioxidants, and other benefits. It poses immense benefits for healthy skin and hair.
Fig oil is light and soothing when used on the skin and hair. It aids the skin by reviving the skin cells’ upper layer, leaving a soft and moisturized skin. Because of its lightweight, it is very gentle on the hair, repairs cracked hair, moisturizes, and increases the shine and elasticity of the hair.
There are also fig leaf oil, which you can make by infusing fig leaf with other cooking oil such as olive oil. You can use fig leaf oil to cook dishes, adding sweet vanilla flavor and health benefits to your food. However, we will focus primarily on fig seed oil. If you want to learn about fig leaf and fig leaf oil, check out the 9 Reasons to Use Fig Leaves.
How do you apply fig oil to skin and hair?
There are no rules for using fig seed oil. It’s completely non-toxic and harmless (but you certainly don’t want to make yourself look soaked in oil. So) you can rub a few drops on your hand and apply them to your skin. Use it 2-3 times a week to get the best benefit.
For hair, take 10-15 drops (for girls) of oil and apply all over your hair, including the scalp. Your scalp wouldn’t mind a gentle massage. Using it every other day will make your hair soft and shiny.
Fig Oil Benefits for Skin
Fig oil has wonderful benefits for the skin. Regardless of skin type, fig seed oil is always ready with gentle nourishment and care. Let’s break down the benefits of fig oil for skin by listing and explaining its key components that aid skin wellness.
- Fatty acids: Fig seed oil contains different essential fatty acids, which may affect the skin differently. It contains 40% Omega 3, 31% Omega 6, and 17% Omega 9 fatty acids (source).
Omega 3 moisture the skin profoundly and reduces dry, itchy, and red skin problems. It reserves moisture in the skin.
Omega 6 moisture like omega 3 but dramatically reduces hyperpigmentation and acne spots. Omega 9 plays a significant role in making the skin soft and increasing the elasticity of the skin.
- Vitamin E: Fig seed oil contains a good amount of vitamin E, which reduces inflammation and repairs the damage caused by UV rays in the skin.
- Vitamin A: Vitamin A can show impressive anti-aging activities by reducing the skin’s wrinkles, skin color, and flexibility.
- Antibacterial components: A study shows promising antibacterial and antifungal effects on skin. It can reduce the bacteria that cause acne and protect you against fungal skin diseases.
- Antioxidant: It removes the harmful free radicals from the skin.
Organic dried fig also poses impressive benefits for skin and hair. Find more : Benefits of organic dried fig.
Fig oil benefits for hair
The lightweight character and various components like vitamins, antioxidants, and fatty acids make fig oil the perfect choice for your hair care routine. Here is the breakdown of crucial ingredients of fig oil and their benefits.
- Fatty acids: Fig oil has three essential fatty acids that deeply moisturize the hair and scalp. Weak and dull hair grows from a dry and unhealthy scalp. The fatty acids of fig oil lock the moisture and promote the scalp’s health.
The deep moisture from the fatty acids of fig oil will make your hair more manageable, shiny, and attractive. Fig seed oil is thin and does not contain any potent smell. So you can easily use it as your default hair care oil.
- Vitamin E: Vitamin E is an antioxidant that boosts the scalp’s health by binding with free radicals. Oxidative stress can cause hair fall and hair thinning. Vitamin E from fig oil can be beneficial for that.
- Vitamin A: If you have a dry scalp, vitamin A from fig seeds can help increase your sebum production on the scalp. Sebum is a natural oil released from our scalp hair follicles that makes our hair moist and shiny.
- Antioxidant: Not only vitamin A, but fig oil also contains different antioxidants that reduce environmental and oxidative damage to hair.
- Antimicrobial effect: The antimicrobial effect of fig oil is crucial for hair care. As we mentioned, vitamin A increase hair sebum production. But doesn’t more sebum cause more problems for those with dandruff problems? (Dandruff is caused by the sebum-eating fungus Malassezia).
The antimicrobials potential of fig seed oil can check that easily, keeping your hair and scalp protected from fungus and bacterial infection.
How to make fig oil at home?
You can make fig seed oil DIY without much hustle. However, this will not be as firm as organic fig seed oils from stores. But it will certainly be pure and contain the most fig oil benefits. Follow the steps below to make fig seed oil.
- Step 1: Collect fig seed from fig fruits. You can use both raw and dried fig fruits.
- Step 2: Wash the fig seeds carefully. The seeds should not contain any residues of the pulp. You may need to soak the dried fig overnight to remove the seeds easily.
- Step 3: Air dry the seeds and ensure they do not contain any moisture.
- Step 4: Now put the seed on a plate and slowly crush the outer layer of the seeds using a hard object like a spoon. Crush the shell gently. Try not to break the embryo part of the seed.
- Step 5: Put the crushed seeds in a clear glass bottle.
- Step 6: Cover the seeds with jojoba or other carrier oil for hair and skin. Cover the bottle tightly.
- Step 7: After firmly shaking the bottle, keep it in a dark and cold place for infusion. Shake the bottle every few days. After three weeks, you have your homemade fig oil ready to use!
FAQ : Fig oil benefits
How do you make fig essential oil?
You can make fig essential oil by adding fig leaf extract with oil. For a detailed process, check 9 Reasons to Use Fig Leaves.
What does fig essential oil smell like?
Fig essential oil smells warm, sweet, and earthy with a hint of vanilla.
Do fig oil make your hair grow?
Yes, fig oil makes your hair grow with its natural vitamins and moisturizing power.
Wrapping up
The fig oil benefits for hair and skin are unreal! It contains fatty acids that moisturize, vitamins that cure, antimicrobials that protect, and many other benefits that make it a great beauty product for hair and skin.
It makes the skin shiny, soft, and spotless. Hair becomes more polished, stronger, and dandruff less with regular use of fig seed oil.
Looking for the best fig seed oil in the market? Check out Barbary Fig Oil.