Why Dermatologists Love Sunflower Oil for Making Summer Skin Look Bouncy and Radiant

The beauty of summer weather is getting to enjoy all that nature has to offer. In addition to heading out for a hike (or just a mental health walk around your New York City block), we also love to bring the outside in. One way to do that is by incorporating florals, like sunflower oil, into your skin-care routine.

“I love to use sunflower oil in my skin-care formulations because it offers so many benefits for skin health,” says Anne Beal, MD, PhD, medical researcher and founder of skin-care brand AbsoluteJoi. “If you have sensitive skin, this is an oil that generally doesn’t cause irritation or redness and is great for people with mild to moderate reactive skin. It helps to promote ceramide production in your skin and improves your natural skin barrier to reduce water loss for better skin hydration and a healthy youthful glow.”

Sunflower oil is also a great addition to your summer routine because it helps to protect skin from photodamage and photoaging, which tend to worsen this time of year due to increased sun exposure. “While it isn’t a replacement for sunscreen, it is a nice adjunct to reduce the damaging effects of UV light on skin,” says Dr. Beal. Plus, it’s packed with linoleic acid, a nourishing omega-6 fatty acid that gives the skin a supple bounce.

Get this powerhouse ingredient into your routine by shopping the 10 sunflower oil skin-care products below.

10 sunflower oil skin-care products to shop for summer

AbsoluteJoi Sunflower & Moringa Cleansing Oil — $45.00

Made with a blend of sunflower oil and moringa oil, this cleanser removes dirt, excess oil, and make-up, rinsing away and leaving your skin clean, fresh, and hydrated. It’s the perfect first step in a double-cleansing routine.

Payot Face Beauty Oil With Everlasting Flower Oil — $46.00

The two stars of this luxe seven-ingredient facial oil are sunflower and olive oils. This antioxidant-rich blend helps to smooth skin texture while nourishing your complexion and making it appear more radiant.

Klaris Fundamental Nourishing Eye Butter — $24.00

This fast-absorbing eye butter tackles three common skin issues in a single formula. Antioxidant-rich sunflower oil and green tea nourish and protect; anti-inflammatory cinnamon bark and caffeine de-puff; and a blend of four high-performance peptides works to improve fine lines and wrinkles.

Supergoop! Mini PLAY Everyday Lotion SPF 50 with Sunflower Extract — $22.00

This sunscreen harnesses sunflower oil’s protective properties to defend against environmental stressors, while chemical sun blockers fight off the harmful effects of UV rays.

Youth To The People Superfood Hydrate + Firm Peptide Eye Cream — $35.00

Firm and hydrate your eyes with this rich cream. It uses aloe vera, sunflower oil, and an army of reparative vitamins to nourish the delicate skin in the area. It also includes hyaluronic acid to plump skin and lock in moisture, while tripeptide 5 supports natural collagen production.

Etude House SoonJung 2x Barrier Intensive Cream — $20.00

Repair your skin barrier with this fragrance-free intensive cream. It’s made with hydrating panthenol, reparative madecassoside, nourishing sunflower seed oil, and moisturizing shea butter.

Henne Illumine Face Oil — $111.00

This brightening, hydrating, and revitalizing face oil uses elderberry oil, cloudberry oil, baobab oil, bearberry extract, and sunflower oil to give it its anti-aging abilities.

Spraise Almond Shower Praise — $14.00

This soap-free wash employs coconut and sunflower oils to remove build-up all over your body while maintaining the skin’s natural oil balance.

CosRX Balancium Comfort Ceramide Cream — $26.00

Centella asiatica, sunflower seed oil, and ceramides are put to work in this facial cream to smooth bumps and fine lines while hydrating, soothing, and protecting the skin.

Luzern Laboratories L'Essentials Lip Enhancing Treatment — $60.00

This rejuvenating lip treatment uses a plethora of ingredients like co-enzyme 10, jojoba oil, squalene, and sunflower oil to improve shape, suppleness, texture, and volume. It relies on polyglycerides from organic sunflower oil to maintain and improve skin barrier function while reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and plumping the lips.

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