Sesame is an annual, herbaceous plant of the Pedaliaceae family. The plant grows about 120 cm tall and occurs in branched and unbranched forms. The leaves are variable and can be elongated, egg-shaped, three-part pinnate, or lobed and toothed at the edge. They are arranged alternately or the opposite of each other. The white or pink to reddish flowers are usually arranged individually. The fruit is a brownish capsule about 3 cm long. The capsule is usually two-fold and contains up to 100 seeds, which are yellowish-white, reddish, brownish, or black.
Native sesame seed oil is obtained by cold pressing the sesame seeds and has a light yellow color after processing unroasted seeds and a dark brown color after processing roasted seeds. In the first step, the capsules are usually cut from the flowers by hand. After the capsules have dried, the seeds can easily be shaken out. The seeds are then cleaned of impurities and dried. The seeds are then roasted and rehydrated with steam. In the next step, the oil can be obtained by pressing or extraction. The pressed oil has a higher quality due to the gentle process, but a yield of almost 100% can be achieved with extraction.
Sesame oil is absorbed quickly, but remains on the skin for so long that massages can be performed well. Sesame oil is particularly pleasant and intensely nourishing for skin that tends to dryness and has poor circulation. With regular use, the skin becomes supple and has a fresh complexion. Virgin sesame oil is also considered warming, purifying and detoxifying.
The oil is also credited with a slight natural sun protection factor which many sources (falsely) claim to be rather high between 3 and 4. According to recent research, the sun protection factor is estimated to be around 1.2.
In folk medicine sesame oil is used for mild forms of constipation.
Due to its content of polyunsaturated linoleic acid, sesame oil also has positive effects on health. Among other things, it lowers the blood fat level, strengthens the heart and prevents osteoporosis and arteriosclerosis.
Some of the proteins in sesame seeds trigger allergic reactions for some. However, to date there are few reports of allergic reactions after using sesame oil. Sesame seeds are considered a strong allergen, whereas sesame oil is considered a weak allergen.
Which sesame oil you should buy depends on whether you want to use it in the kitchen or for external use. For cooking, you should choose a refined oil, since it is more suitable for cooking at high temperatures due to its higher smoke point. You can find it in health food shops or in some supermarkets. Oil from roasted seeds is more difficult to find in stores.
If you want to use sesame oil for cosmetic purposes, you should choose a native and cold-pressed oil. The easiest way to find these is in online shops.
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