What is it?
An extract of the fruit of the sweet almond tree, Prunus amygdalus var. dulcis (also called Prunus dulcis). The almond fruit has a leathery outer hull and a hard shell around the kernel, the part eaten as a nut, and the ingredient name does not say which parts are used. Almond hulls, shells and skins contain a wide range of phenolic compounds. In cosmetics the extract is listed as a skin- and hair-conditioning ingredient.
Key information
- Tree nuts, including almonds, are one of the nine major food allergens identified by U.S. law.
- In a study of 20 California almond varieties, sweet almonds averaged about 63 mg of amygdalin per kilogram, compared with about 40,000 mg/kg in bitter almonds.
- Hulls and shells make up about 70 percent of the almond fruit's weight, and the edible kernel about 23 percent.
- The Cosmetic Ingredient Review reaffirmed in 2023 that sweet almond seed meal is safe for topical use, but we found no review of the fruit extract.
More information
In the almond fruit, the edible kernel is surrounded by the hull, the shell and a thin skin. Hulls and shells make up about 70 percent of the fruit’s weight and the kernel about 23 percent. The hulls, shells and skins are mostly used for livestock feed, bedding or fuel, but they contain phenolic compounds and triterpenoids and are being explored for food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic uses. A “fruit extract” may therefore come from the hull, the kernel or both.
Almonds get their bitterness from amygdalin, a compound that can release cyanide. A 2013 study of 20 California almond varieties found an average of about 63 mg of amygdalin per kilogram of sweet (nonbitter) almonds, compared with about 40,000 mg/kg in bitter almonds. Ingredients labeled Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis come from the sweet variety.
The more relevant concern is allergy. Tree nuts, including almonds, are one of the nine major food allergens under U.S. law, and food labels must name the specific nut. We found no safety assessment of the fruit extract by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) or the EU’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety, and no reports of reactions to it in cosmetics. The CIR has reviewed sweet almond seed meal, first in 1983, and in 2023 reaffirmed that it is safe for topical application.
People with an almond allergy can look for Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis on cosmetic labels. See also our Almond Oil profile.
Sources: FDA: Food Allergies; Foods (2025): Almond By-Products: A Comprehensive Review of Composition, Bioactivities, and Influencing Factors; Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (2013): Quantification of amygdalin in nonbitter, semibitter, and bitter almonds (Prunus dulcis); CIR: Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Seed Meal, re-review summary (2023)
