While most humans prefer to take their dry, hot weather in small doses, that's not true of the almond tree. And your body and skin may be happier for it. They may have started growing around the Mediterranean Sea many years ago, they're grown commercially in most Middle Eastern countries, as well as in China, Greece, Italy and Spain. These days, though, it's California interior heartland that's responsible for three-fourths of the world's supply of almonds.
The almond is a member of the rose family, so it comes by its lovely fragrance naturally. Processed almond oil is in such diverse products as Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion, Nair Cream Hair Remover with Baby Oil, Burt's Bees Diaper Ointment and Aussie Mega Spray Hair Gel, according to the National Institutes of Health. Used in personal care products, almond oil is also used in cooking. A monounsaturated fat, it's kin to canola, olive and peanut oils.
What to Look for
But let's look at the almond tree's two types: the bitter and the sweet. Sweet almond's uses are all over the culinary map. It's in candy, cakes and many dishes both savory and sweet. On the other hand, unprocessed bitter almond could kill you. It should not be used in aromatherapy; it should not be eaten or have contact with the skin. You likely will recognize one of the names for the poison that unprocessed bitter almond contains: hydrocyanic acid, prussic acid or cyanide.
But when a combination of sweet almond and bitter almond are processed into oil, it's definitely a friend to your body. In fact, that combination is nearly always marketed as "sweet almond oil," since all of its bitter qualities are overcome by sweet.
Good or bad, you may find almond oil under the names of almond milk, amygdale amara, amygdalin, bitermandel, bitter almond, ku wei bian tao, laetrile, oil of almonds, sweet almond, vitamin B17 and volatile almond oil. It can be used as a massage oil, which enables the therapist to do their work while also softening the skin (and usually smelling good). A bonus: It's not greasy. Add its ability to soften and soothe chapped lips and to calm itchy skin, and almond oil does indeed seem sweet. And, as a vehicle for injectable medicines, sweet almond oil can carry other medications that are broken down by water. It's a star of the pharmaceutical industry.
Common Pitfalls
While some alternative cancer treatments have claimed success with a substance made from almond called laetrile or amygdalin, both the United States and Europe have bans in place. That's not likely to be a problem for anyone using readily available sweet almond oil, but due to serious health issues some studies have shown with laetrile, a caution is in order.
People who are prone to cold sores or have herpes may want to be cautious about almonds and almond oil, as they contain the amino acid arginine, which may activate the virus.
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