Kiwi seed oil is made by crushing kiwi seeds and collecting the oil.
Kiwi seed oil is rich in nutrients, including essential fatty acids, vitamins and antioxidants, and has many benefits for your skin.
- What is kiwi seed oil?
- How is kiwi seed oil made?
- What does kiwi seed oil smell like?
- What color is kiwi seed oil?
- What does kiwi seed oil feel like?
- What is composition of kiwi seed oil?
- Summary
- References
What is kiwi seed oil?
INCI: Actinidia chinensis (Kiwi) Seed Oil
Extraction Method: cold pressed
Appearance: pale yellow to golden yellow
Texture: "dry oil" lightweight, easily absorbed into skin, non-greasy feel
Aroma: light, fresh, fruity aromatic oil
Kiwi seed oil is obtained by crushing kiwi seeds and collecting the oil.
Kiwi seed oil is cold-pressed from seeds that would otherwise go to waste in the juice industry and is considered a ‘zero waste’ seed oil.
Fruit seeds are a major by-products of the food industry, and creating new uses for them by converting them to value-added products helps to prevent their disposal as waste, and promotes sustainable production.
Kiwi seed oil is rich in essential nutrients, including essential fatty acids, vitamins and antioxidants and has many benefits for your skin.
How is kiwi seed oil made?
Kiwi seed oil is extracted from the seeds of the kiwifruit through a cold-pressing or solvent extraction process.
Here's an overview of how kiwi seed oil is made:
1. Seed Collection: Mature kiwi fruits are harvested, and the seeds are separated from the fruit pulp.
2. Cleaning and Drying: The collected kiwi seeds are cleaned to remove any remaining fruit residue. They are then dried to reduce their moisture content.
3. Cold-Pressing Method: a. Grinding: The dried kiwi seeds are ground into a fine powder using a mechanical grinder. b. Cold Pressing: The ground kiwi seed powder is subjected to cold-pressing, where hydraulic presses are used to apply pressure to the powder. This process helps release the oil from the seeds. c. Separation: The oil is separated from the pressed kiwi seed cake through filtration and centrifugation. The oil is collected, and any remaining solids are removed.
4. Solvent Extraction Method (less common): a. Grinding: Similar to the cold-pressing method, the kiwi seeds are ground into a fine powder. b. Extraction: Organic solvents, such as hexane or ethanol, are used to extract the oil from the seed powder. The solvent dissolves the oil, creating a solution. c. Separation: The oil-solvent mixture is separated from the solid seed residue. d. Solvent Removal: The solvent is then evaporated or distilled off, leaving behind the kiwi seed oil.
5. Refining (optional): The extracted kiwi seed oil may undergo further refining processes to remove impurities and improve its quality. These processes can include filtration, degumming, and deodorization.
The exact production process may vary depending on the manufacturer or specific equipment used.
What does kiwi seed oil smell like?
Kiwi seed oil has a unique aroma that can be described as sweet, fruity, and reminiscent of fresh kiwi. It has a lively, zingy vibe.
The intensity and specific scent of kiwi seed oil may vary depending on the quality of the seeds, the extraction process, and any additional processing or refining steps involved in the production of the oil.
Cold-pressed, unrefined kiwi seed oil has the strongest aroma, whereas processed oil has a faint aroma.
What color is kiwi seed oil?
The color of kiwi seed oil depends on how the seeds are processed and how the finished oil is refined.
Cold-pressed, unrefined kiwi seed oil is a pale yellow to golden color.
What does kiwi seed oil feel like?
The texture of kiwi seed oil is light and silky.
Kiwi seed oil is considered a "dry oil" as it is easily absorbed into the skin and leaves a non-greasy feel.
What is composition of kiwi seed oil?
Kiwi seed oil is rich in essential nutrients that have benefits for your skin, including fatty acids, vitamin E and phytosterols.
Fatty acid composition of kiwi (Actinidia chinensis) seed oil is:
- 58 - 70% alpha-linoleic acid
- 12 - 17% linoleic acid
- 10 -14% oleic acid
- 3 - 7% palmitic acid
All fatty acids are emollients and can soften your skin, help the skin retain its moisture and to support the skin’s barrier function.
Learn more: Benefits of Emollients for Dry Skin
Alpha-linolenic acid
Kiwi seed oil contains 58 - 70% alpha-linolenic acid.
Alpha-linolenic acid is an essential fatty acid that cannot be made by the body, and must be supplied through the diet, supplements and skincare.
Alpha-linolenic acid is found naturally in your skin barrier (Lin et al, 2017).
Alpha-linolenic acid is an emollient and can soften your skin, help the skin retain its moisture and support the skin’s barrier function.
Alpha-linolenic acid has anti-inflammatory activity and can calm redness and irritation (McCusker et al, 2010).
Learn more: Lipid Barrier: Beneficial Fats in Your Skin Barrier
Linoleic acid
Kiwi seed oil contains 12 - 17% linoleic acid.
Linoleic acid is an essential fatty acid that cannot be made by the body, and must be supplied through the diet, supplements and skincare.
Linoleic acid is an omega 6 fatty acid found naturally in your skin barrier (Lin et al, 2017).
Linoleic acid has many benefits for your skin when applied topically. It softens your skin and strengthens your skin barrier.
Linoleic acid is a precursor for ceramides (Breiden et al, 2014), which are bioactive lipids that play a role in keeping our skin barrier firm, smooth and healthy.
Learn more: What is Linoleic Acid? Omega 6 Essential Fatty Acid for Dry Skin
Oleic acid
Kiwi seed oil contains 10 -14% oleic acid.
Oleic acid is an omega 9 fatty acid found naturally in your skin barrier and in sebum.
Oleic acid has many benefits for dry skin when applied topically. It is quickly absorbed and softens dry skin.
Oleic acid has anti-inflammatory properties (Santa-Maria et al, 2023), which can help calm and soothe irritated or inflamed skin.
Vitamin E
Kiwi seed oil contains vitamin E.
Vitamin E is an essential nutrient and it has benefits for your skin.
When applied topically, vitamin E is a skin conditioning agent, a powerful antioxidant and it can protect your skin against photodamage from the sun.
There are 8 types of natural vitamin E. There are four tocopherols (alpha, beta, gamma and delta) and four tocotrienols (alpha, beta, gamma and delta).
Learn more: What is Topical Vitamin E?
Kiwi seed oil has been shown to contain vitamin E tocopherols:
- 0.05 mg/g alpha-tocopherol
- 0.26 mg/g gamma-tocopherol
(Piombo et al, 2006)
Phytosterols
Kiwi seed oil is rich in phytosterols.
Phytosterols are plant-derived sterols that have a similar structure and functions as cholesterol. There are more than 100 types of phytosterols!
Phytosterols such as sitosterol are potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds (Bakrim et al, 2022).
Kiwi seed oil is rich in phytosterols, including:
- 2.5 mg/g beta-sitosterol
- 0.14 mg/g delta-7 avenasterol
- 0.10 mg/g delta-7 stigmasterol
- 0.07 mg/g campesterol
- 0.07 mg/g stigmasterol
- 0.02 mg/g delta-5 avenasterol
Summary
Kiwi seed oil is made by crushing kiwi seeds and collecting the oil.
Kiwi seed oil is cold-pressed from seeds that would otherwise go to waste in the juice industry and is considered a ‘zero waste’ seed oil.
Kiwi seed oil is rich in essential nutrients that have benefits for your skin, including fatty acids, vitamin E and phytosterols.
Kiwi seed oil is considered a "dry oil" as it is light and easily absorbed into the skin and leaves a non-greasy feel.
Kiwi seed oil is great for all skin types.
References
Bakrim S, Benkhaira N, Bourais I, Benali T, Lee LH, El Omari N, Sheikh RA, Goh KW, Ming LC, Bouyahya A. Health Benefits and Pharmacological Properties of Stigmasterol. Antioxidants (Basel). 2022 Sep 27;11(10):1912.
Breiden B., Sandhoff K. The role of sphingolipid metabolism in cutaneous permeability barrier formation. Biochim. Biophys. Acta. 2014;1841:441–452.
Cravotto G, Bicchi C, Mantegna S, Binello A, Tomao V, Chemat F. Extraction of kiwi seed oil: Soxhlet versus four different non-conventional techniques. Nat Prod Res. 2011 Jun;25(10):974-81.
Lin TK, Zhong L, Santiago JL. Anti-Inflammatory and Skin Barrier Repair Effects of Topical Application of Some Plant Oils. Int J Mol Sci. 2017 Dec 27;19(1):70.
McCusker, et al. Healing fats of the skin: the structural and immunologic roles of the omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Clin Dermatol. 2010 Jul-Aug;28(4):440-51.
Piombo G, Barouh N, Barea B, Boulanger R, Brat P, Pina M, Villeneuve P. Characterization of the seed oils from kiwi (Actinidia chinensis), passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) and guava (Psidium guajava). Oléagineux, Corps Gras, Lipides. 2006 Mar 1;13(2-3):195-9.
Santa-María C, López-Enríquez S, Montserrat-de la Paz S, Geniz I, Reyes-Quiroz ME, Moreno M, Palomares F, Sobrino F, Alba G. Update on Anti-Inflammatory Molecular Mechanisms Induced by Oleic Acid. Nutrients. 2023 Jan 1;15(1):224.
Author Information
Dr. Natasha Ryz is a scientist, skin care expert and an entrepreneur. She is the founder of Dry Skin Love Skincare, and she creates skincare products for beauty, dry skin and pain relief.
Dr. Ryz has a PhD in Experimental Medicine from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, and she is a Vanier scholar. She also holds a Master of Science degree and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg.
Natasha is the former Chief Science Officer of Zenabis Global, and she oversaw extraction, analytics, and product development. Her team brought 20 products to market including oils, sprays, vapes and softgels.
Why I Started A Skincare Company