Ingredient
Camelina Sativa Seed Oil
Camelina sativa
Benefit:
Natural
An unfairly forgotten oil, camelina needs to make a comeback in our cosmetics (and our kitchens)!
Camelina Sativa Seed Oil
Where do we get it?
Lush purchases the oil from a German producer who switched from his father’s conventional livestock agriculture to a vegetable oil press farm with an organic certification.
What are the benefits for the planet?
The oil press farm rotates crops and mixes species so the plants can help each other. For example, camelina sativa blooms beautiful yellow flowers that attract pollinators, and the plant is also competitive with weeds, which helps avoid herbicides. As another example, Lush also buys soya oil from them, and this legume improves the quality of the soil.
This supplier aims to increase the biodiversity of their region by trialling new and old crops and encouraging other local farmers to diversify against the typical maize monoculture. As such, they have gained a positive reputation in their community. On their own fields, they do not use pesticides and work with other farmers in the region to do the same, successfully.
What are the benefits for your skin?
- Moisturizing and soothing, thanks to its high content of oleic acid (omega-9), linoleic acid (omega-6) and α-linolenic acid (omega-3).
- The oil is also rich in antioxidants such as tocopherols (vitamin E), which are believed to help the skin stay youthful and healthy by fighting oxidative stress on cells.
Unique stories
Also known as false flax, Camelina sativa is a flowering plant that was once widely cultivated in Europe but somehow lapsed during the 20th century. Favoured by the Celts, the oil pressed from the seeds is one of the oldest consumed, at least as old as the Iron Age. It has a distinctive green taste, inherited from its Brassicaceae (or cruciferous) family, which also includes cabbage and broccoli, among others.