Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Oil Unsaponifiables

What Is It?

Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil is a pale yellow oil made from sesame seeds. Other ingredients made from sesame seed oil that may be used in cosmetics and personal care products include Hydrogenated Sesame Seed Oil, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Oil UnsaponifiablesThe fraction of an oil that is not saponified in the refining recovery of the oil?s fatty acids. and Sodium Sesameseedate.

Sodium Sesameseedate is the sodium salt of the fatty acids derived from Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil. In cosmetics and personal care products, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil and the sesame oil-derived ingredients may be used in the formulation of a variety of products including moisturizers, lipstick and other makeup products, sunscreen products, skin cleansers, and hair products.

Why Is It Used?

The following functions have been reported for Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil and the sesame oil-derived ingredients.

BinderIngredients that hold together the ingredients of a compressed tablet or cake. – Hydrogenated Sesame Seed Oil
Emulsion stabilizerIngredients that help to keep an emulsion from separating into its oil and liquid components. – Hydrogenated Sesame Seed Oil
Hair conditioning agentIngredients that enhance the appearance and feel of hair, by increasing hair body, suppleness, or sheen, or by improving the texture of hair that has been damaged physically or by chemical treatment. – Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Oil Unsaponifiables, Hydrogenated Sesame Seed Oil
Skin-conditioning agent – emollient – Hydrogenated Sesame Seed Oil
Skin-conditioning agent – miscellaneous – Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Oil Unsaponifiables
Skin-conditioning agent – occlusive – Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil
Slip modifierIngredients that help other substances to flow more easily and more smoothly, without reacting chemically. – Hydrogenated Sesame Seed Oil
SurfactantAn ingredient that helps two substances that normally do not mix to become dissolved or dispersed in one another. Also called a surface active agent. – cleansing agent – Sodium Sesameseedate
Surfactant – emulsifying agent – Sodium Sesameseedate
Viscosity increasing agent – nonaqueous – Hydrogenated Sesame Seed Oil, Sodium Sesameseedate

Scientific Facts

Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil is obtained by pressing the seeds of the plant, Sesamum indicum. Sesame oil and sesame seeds have been consumed by humans for thousands of years.

Crude expressed sesame oil can be used as a food with little or no refining. Sesame oil is consumed primarily as a cooking and salad oil and is an important flavor in Asian food. Asian sesame oil is made from roasted seeds and has an amber color.

Safety Information

Sesame is included on the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) list of spices and other natural seasonings and flavors considered Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS“GRAS” is an acronym for the phrase Generally Recognized As Safe. Under sections 201(s) and 409 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act), any substance that is intentionally added to food is a food additive, that is subject to premarket review and approval by FDA, unless the substance is generally recognized, among qualified experts, as having been adequately shown to be safe under the conditions of its intended use, or unless the use of the substance is otherwise excluded from the definition of a food additive.). The FDA permits polyglyceryl esters of fatty acids derived from sesame oil to be directly added to food.

The safety of Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Sesame Seed Oil, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Oil Unsaponifiables and Sodium Sesameseedate has been assessed by the Cosmetic Ingredient ReviewThe Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) was established in 1976 as an independent safety review program for cosmetic ingredients. The CIR Expert Panel consists of independent experts in dermatology, toxicology, pharmacolgy and veterinary medicine. The CIR includes participation by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and the Consumer Federation of America. (CIR) Expert Panel.

The CIR Expert Panel evaluated the scientific data and concluded that Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Sesame Seed Oil, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Oil Unsaponifiables and Sodium Sesameseedate were safe as a cosmetic ingredient in the present practices of use.

CIR Safety Review:

The four main fatty acidA natural organic compound that consists of a carboxyl group (oxygen, carbon and hydrogen) attached to a chain of carbon atoms with their associated hydrogen atoms. The chain of carbon atoms may be connected with single bonds, making a ‘saturated’ fat; or it may contain some double bonds, making an ‘unsaturated’ fat. The number of carbon and hydrogen atoms in the chain is what determines the qualities of that particular fatty acid. Animal and vegetable fats are made up of various combinations of fatty acids (in sets of three) connected to a glycerol molecule, making them triglycerides. components of Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, oleic, linoleic, palmitic, and stearic acid, have been previously assessed for safety by the CIR Expert Panel. The CIR Expert Panel noted that Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil was not a skin or eye irritant, skin sensitizer or photosenitizer. Studies showing a lack of acute oral toxicity, mutagenicity and developmental toxicity were also used to support the conclusion that Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Sesame Seed Oil, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Oil Unsaponifiables and Sodium Sesameseedate were safe for use as cosmetic ingredients.

FDA: Link to Code of Federal Regulations for sesame

Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Sesame Seed Oil, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Oil Unsaponifiables and Sodium Sesameseedate may be used in cosmetics and personal care products marketed in Europe according to the general provisions of the Cosmetics Regulation of the European UnionUnder the general provisions of the cosmetics regulation of the EU, ingredients appearing on the following function-specific annexes must comply with the listed restrictions and/or specifications: colorants (Annex IV), preservatives (Annex V), UV filters (Annex VI) and other ingredients with specific concentration limits and/or other restrictions (Annex III). Ingredients specifically prohibited from use in cosmetic products are listed in Annex II. Other ingredients listed in the EU cosmetic ingredient database (CosIng) may be used without restrictions..

Link to the EU Cosmetic Regulation: http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/consumers/product_labelling_and_packaging/co0013_en.htm

More Scientific Information

The oil content of sesame seeds is between 45 and 54%. Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil consists of triglycrides primarily composed of oleic, linoleic, palmitic and stearic acids.

Resources

Find out more about the regulation of Food Additives by the Food and Drug Administration

Food Ingredients and Packaging: http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/default.htm

Food Contact Substances: http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/PackagingFCS/default.htm

Substances Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS): http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/GRAS/default.htm

Search the Code of Federal Regulations http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm

EU Cosmetics Inventory http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cosmetics/cosing/