If you’re like most people, you’ve probably never wondered what happens to grape seeds during the wine-making process. The grapes are crushed, the solids are filtered out and, one would assume, they end up in the trash. Right? While that may be true of the skin and pulp, it is certainly not true of the seeds. Grape seeds are used to create oil that is one of the healthiest food products available and is also becoming a popular ingredient in skin care products. The question is this: since you can’t keep hundreds of skin care products in your bathroom, are the benefits of grape seed oil sufficient to warrant making a place for it on your natural skin care product shelves? The answer is most definitely yes. Here’s why:

-- Grape seed oil is high in procyanidolic oligomers (PCOs); the same antioxidants found in berries, green and black teas, and red wine. According to some experts, PCOs are more powerful antioxidants than vitamins C and E. In fact, berries, green and black teas and red wine are known for their health-giving properties. Red wine has even been touted as the reason some Europeans who drink wine daily - the French, for example - are generally healthier than Americans.

-- Grape seed oil is also rich in essential and non-essential fatty acids: Linoleic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, a-linoleic acid, and palmitoleic acid - all of which are vital to good overall health and healthy skin.

-- Studies on grape seed oil have also found it to lower low density lipoproteins (LDL), the bad cholesterol, and raise high density lipoproteins (HDL), the good cholesterol.

In foods, grape seed oil is used for cooking by many of the great chefs - some have even noted that their clients feel better after a meal that contained grape seed oil - and it is also used in some salad dressings and mayonnaise.

Why should grape seed oil also be used for natural skin care? As the benefits of PCOs and fatty acids are well-known, they are found in many skin care products. However, there’s a major difference between grape seed oil and many of the other products: Grape seed oil is readily absorbed through the skin instead of simply sitting on it.

If you can actually absorb the nutrients they will fight free radicals and inhibit several enzymes that degrade collagen, elastin and other connective tissue. When it comes to skin care, we’re now talking about something that really counts. There are plenty of products out there that temporarily smooth out fine lines and wrinkles and plump up the skin, but very few that actually help the underlying structural problems caused by the loss of collagen and elastin.

How do you use grape seed oil? Unless you can find a product that does not contain other ingredients that may be harmful or toxic, make your own recipes at home. For a cleanser, mix equal amounts of jojoba oil and grape seed oil with a few drops of geranium oil and dab on with cotton. As a masque, mix grape seed oil with egg whites, beaten to meringue consistency, smooth on and relax for 15 or 20 minutes before washing off. You can also smooth a little grape seed oil around the eyes, mouth and other areas that tend to wrinkle.

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