-
Hazelnut Oil
- Latin Name
Corylus avellana
Family: Corylaceae
Etymology
Also known as the cobnut or filbert. The name in French is noisette and in German hazelnuss. Korylos is the Greek name for the plant and avellana denotes that it is from Avella Vecchia in S. Italy.
The Plant and its Environment
This small deciduous tree )3 meters - 10 feet) is native to, and can bee seen growing wild in the whole of northern Europe, although it may have originated in Greece. It has both male and female flowers on the one tree and the long, yellow catkins which appear in February or March are a conspicuous feature.
The Oil
Hazelnut oil is amber-yellow in colour and has a very pleasant taste. The oil is often used as a substitute for almond oil, to which it has a similar composition (Bruneton 1995).
Method of Extraction
This oil is usually obtained by cold pressing, after which it is left for a few days for the sediment to settle before filtering . The yield is almost 40% by weight.
Principal Constituents
Type | Based On | Content - % |
Saturated fatty acid units | ||
C14:0 | myristic acid | <o.2 |
C16:0 | palmitic acid | 4.0-10.0 |
C18:0 | stearic acid | 1.0-4.0 |
C20.0 | arachidic acid | <1.0 |
Typical saturated fatty acid unit content | 9 | |
Monounsaturatd fatty acid units | ||
C16:1 | palmitoleic acid | <0.2 |
C18:1 | oleic acid | 74 (70-84) |
Typical monounsaturated fatty unit content | 74 | |
Polyunsaturated fatty acid units: | ||
C18:2 | linoleic acid | 17 (9-19) |
C18:3 | alpha linoleic acid | <1.0 |
Typical polyunsaturated fatty acid unit content | 17 |
Physical Properties
Odour | A pleasant, characteristic smell |
Acid Value | 0.2 max |
Specific gravity | 0.910-0.920 |
Energy value kcal/100 ml | 893 |
- Therapeutic Properties - internal use
Hazelnut oil is said to be digestive and vermifuge, and is used internally in cases of urinary stones, kidney colic and tapeworms. It is recommended for adolescents, old people, pregnant women and diabetics.
Therapeutic Properties - external use
Said to penetrate the skin quickly
Nourishing to the skin
Light astringent action
Stimulating to the circulation
It is often used for oily skins and, in the cases of acne, sometimes diluted with grapeseed oil or another base oil such as sunflower.- Cosmetic Use
Studies carried out for the Institute for Technological Research in Chile by Bio- Tox Labs in France (INTEC1992), have shown that hazelnut oil acts as a sun filter with a factor equivalent to 10 in the FDA category. The oil is recommended for cosmetics such as sun lotions and creams, hair regenerators, shampoos, soaps etc. - Culinary Use
- For culinary use, the nuts are roasted before pressing, to increase the flavour. The resulting oil, tasting of hazelnuts, is excellent for salad dressings and baking. Noisette is much prized by French cooks and is found in many cakes and pastries.
- Cautionary Notes
Hazelnuts are reported as causing immunological contact urticaria and possibly anaphylaxis (Lovell 1993)
References: Carrier Oils for Massage and Aromatherapy: Len Price with Ian Smith & Shirley Price