Fatty acids in vegetable oils and their importance in cosmetic industry

Introduction Vegetable oils are liquid vegetable fats that remain in the liquid form at room temperature. These lipids are most commonly extracted from various parts of plants such as seeds, fruits, or plant seedlings. Under the chemical terms they are a combination of triglycerides of higher saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. In other words, these compounds are esters of glycerol and higher fatty acids, containing in their structure long (low C14:0) aliphatic carbon chains [1] . Vegetable oils, depending upon the individual percentages of fat acids in the molecule, exhibit a variety of properties. Thanks to their beneficial influence, especially on the skin, fatty acids are of great importance in cosmetology, becoming more and more commonly used components of many cosmetic formulations intended for daily care of the face and body. Deficiency in these compounds can cause excessive drying of the skin. Vegetable oils, serving as a cosmetic base , prevent water loss through the skin, mainly by means of making a protective layer on the epidermis. Additionally, they soften the stratum corneum and reduce inflammation of the skin, thereby weakening the sensation of pain. Furthermore, they play a very important role in the proper functioning of the human body. Also medicine recognizes the beneficial effects of vegetable oils , mainly in the biological synthesis of components of cell membranes or eicosanoids (prostaglandins, prostacyclins , thromboxanes , leukotrienes). Oils are also involved in the transport and oxidation of cholesterol. The absence of these oils contained in the fatty acids significantly affects vascular fragility, reduces the immune system workflow, interferes with the clotting process and also increases the likelihood of the development of atherosclerosis [2].