Prunus dulcis – Rosaceae Family
Massage therapists revere almond oil as the queen of oils. This oil is easily absorbed into the skin which allows the therapist’s to glide over troubled muscles without leaving a greasy residue. This regal yet inexpensive emollient softens skin with use which makes it the best choice for dry or irritated skin.
Massage therapists owe their gratitude for almond’s reasonable price tag to the fact that almond is fairly easy to grow once established. Almond trees grow on every continent except Antarctica. Almonds are as easy to harvest now as they were in the Bronze Age. The collector must simply wait for autumn, shake the branches and stand back.
The third factor that helps almond oil retain the throne for massage therapists is the fact that it is one of the few oils that are made with cold processing techniques. Cold pressing is preferred to hot pressing. Hot pressing techniques involve chemicals or high heat refinement that strips the sovereignty from oil. The temperature of the oil during cold pressing stays around 80 degrees Fahrenheit which preserves the flavor, color and most importantly, nutritional value.
Almond, as a seed, is highly nutritive. One quarter of the almond’s weight is made up of protein. Besides having vitamins and valuable minerals, almond keeps Omega-3s in it’s treasury which are believed to lower cholesterol. As almond oil soaks into the skin, this nutrition is shared with the body’s cells. It is this benevolence that convinces massage therapists to bow before the throne of stately queen of oils.