Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables

Olive oil unsaponifiables is a strongly emollient fraction of olive oil that is left over after the process of saponification, or recovery of olive oil fatty acids. These unsaponifiables are sterols, fatty alcohols, tocopherols (vitamin E), carotenoids (pro-vitamin A), and other fat-like substances, along with flavonoids, oleuropein, and tyrosol esters, which are responsible for the bitter and pungent aftertaste of olive oil.

Hydrogenation is the process whereby compounds with unsaturated double bonds in their molecules (like fatty alcohols) are hydrogenated to get rid of the double bonds. This makes them more stable and thicker in consistency, but also results in them losing some of their beneficial biological activities.

The hydrogenated olive oil unsaponifiables are emollients. The squalene naturally contained in olive oil turns into squalane after the hydrogenation process. Squalane replenishes the skin’s natural sebum and helps to restore the oily layer on the skin’s surface.

Read more about olive oil here: Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil.