What is it?
An oil obtained from the kernels inside plum stones, from the plum tree Prunus domestica. Like its close relatives almond oil and apricot kernel oil, it is made up mostly of monounsaturated oleic acid, with linoleic acid second. It is used as a skin-conditioning emollient in skin care and other personal care products, such as pre-shave lotions.
Key information
- The CIR Expert Panel included plum kernel oil in a review of 244 plant oils and concluded that they are safe as used in cosmetics.
- In one 2023 analysis, oleic acid made up about 73 percent of plum kernel oil's fatty acids and linoleic acid about 16 percent.
- Plum kernels contain amygdalin, a natural compound that can release cyanide, which limits the use of the kernels as food.
More information
Plum kernels are rich in oil: a 2023 study of Prunus seed oils extracted about 37 percent oil from them. Oleic acid made up about 73 percent of the oil’s fatty acids and linoleic acid about 16 percent, a profile similar to that of almond and apricot kernel oils in figures compiled by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR).
The CIR Expert Panel included plum kernel oil, listed as Prunus Domestica Seed Oil, in an assessment of 244 plant-derived oils and concluded that they are safe as used in cosmetics; its final report was published in 2017. The report lists one test of a product containing this oil: a pre-shave lotion with 0.04 percent plum kernel oil did not cause sensitization in a patch test on 105 people. Across the many oils reviewed, the Panel found that refined plant oils are generally not skin irritants or sensitizers, and it asked suppliers to keep limiting pesticide residues and heavy metals, as for any botanical ingredient.
Plum kernels contain amygdalin, a cyanogenic glycoside, meaning it can release cyanide, and a 2021 food-science study notes that this limits the use of the kernels themselves as food. That concern relates to eating the kernels; CIR’s review of the oil does not discuss it.
On labels, look for Prunus Domestica Seed Oil.
Sources: CIR: Final Report on Plant-Derived Fatty Acid Oils as Used in Cosmetics (Expert Panel meeting, March 2011); International Journal of Toxicology (2017): Safety Assessment of Plant-Derived Fatty Acid Oils; Molecules (2023): Valorization of Prunus seed oils: fatty acids composition and oxidative stability; Current Research in Food Science (2021): Effect of microwave heating and hydrothermal treatment on cyanogenic glycosides of plum kernels
