Stay away from seed oils in the sun

Seed oils are extremely common in modern skincare. Ingredients like sunflower oil, soybean oil, and grapeseed oil are cheap, widely available, and easy for manufacturers to use at scale, usually bulking their products with them saves them lots of money. That’s a big reason they show up in so many products, even ones labelled as ‘natural’ and ‘plant-based’ which sounds reassuring but seed oils on the skin is really not the step in the right direction.

The Issue with PUFAs

Most seed oils are high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). These fats are chemically unstable, which means they oxidise easily when exposed to light, heat, and oxygen.

When PUFAs oxidise on the skin, this can weaken the skin barrier, increase sensitivity, and contribute to dryness, irritation and can cause reactions. For acne-prone skin, oxidised oils can also worsen congestion and inflammation. Using seed oils ages the skin, and decreases collagen and elasticity.

Why Seed Oils Are A Bad Idea In The Sun

When your skin is exposed to the sun, already dealing with UV light and environmental stress. Applying unstable oils can add to that oxidative load rather than support the skin. Seed oils can weaken the skin barrier, which can trigger skin reactions.

A Simpler Approach

We use tallow as the main ingredient in our Sunbalm. Tallow has been used for hundreds of years as a traditional form of skin protection. Its fatty acid profile is very similar to the oils our own skin produces, which makes it deeply nourishing and supportive.

Stable fats help reduce moisture loss, strengthen the skin barrier, and protect the skin without breaking down quickly or creating additional oxidative stress. They support the skin in a steady, reliable way.

Skincare doesn’t need to be complicated. And there’s a reason ancestral simple ingredients are making a comeback!