Nut Oil Clarity

The question that needs to be asked is, 'Should hair, skin, and body care products containing nut oils be avoided by people with tree nut allergies?' The truth is little is known about the allergenic risk from food ingredients present in hair and skin care products. The risk may be small or non-existent because oils or ingredients produced from nuts have generally been highly refined to the point that most of the proteins present have been removed. 

There are still unanswered questions about the risk to people with food allergies from hair care and skin care products, so our advice is to play safe. If a customer is allergic to a food and knows it is present in a non-food product, it is always best to avoid using that product. This is a matter that should ideally be discussed with the customer's allergy specialist or doctor.  

Haircare, skincare and body care products are for external use and are not to be taken orally, so when used topically, the chances of getting serious exposure to whatever it is in the nuts to which a person reacts are low.  

Beauty product ingredients are generally from the purest grades of oils available, which are the least likely to cause allergic reactions. Unlike food products, carryover from other products that contain nut products is unlikely due to machinery equipment being cleaned down and sterilised thoroughly between batches, which eliminates cross-contamination.

One of the most widely used nut oils used to produce hair and beauty products is macadamia nut oil; however, it is actually a seed, not a nut. It belongs to the Proteaceae family, which is classified separately from most other tree nuts and from peanuts. Allergens from oral consumption are less common than in other tree nuts or peanuts. 

The major allergen in peanuts does not transfer during the process of turning them into oils for use in cosmetic products, and thus, the use of these ingredients, including macadamia oil and almond oil, in haircare and skincare products does not represent an allergy concern for children or adults with peanut allergies. 

Research allergy testing conducted by companies that use high levels of macadamia nut oil in their products concluded there were zero reports of any incidents of their products causing allergic reactions, even in those suffering from nut allergies. 

A lady who has a child who is anaphylactic asked their hospital about using shampoos and conditioners containing nut oils, and they advised they shouldn’t be a problem, particularly given any nut oil in shampoos and conditioners is highly refined. Dr Wechsler says, "I have not had any patients who have anaphylaxed from a topical cream. 

America’s director of corporate communications and education, Jennifer Barckley, from Weleda North, says, "Someone with a nut allergy won’t necessarily be allergic to a nut oil in a hair care or skin care product. It’s the protein in the nut that causes an allergic response, and manufacturers remove the protein from the oil. The method used to process the sweet almond and macadamia nut oils involves heating the oils above 400 degrees and filtering them, making them risk-free.

An article titled 'Anaphylaxis Campaign’ states, 'It is important to point out that little is known about the allergenic risk from food ingredients that are present in cosmetics. As far as many products are concerned, that risk may be small or non-existent because the ingredients used (for example, oils produced from nuts) may have been highly refined to the point that most of the proteins present have been removed.

An article from the 'US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health' proposed that sensitisation to peanut protein may occur through application of skin preparations containing cold-pressed peanut oil to inflamed skin, highlighting the cutaneous route of peanut exposure. There are also no reports of ingestion or contact-related reactions to shea butter in individuals with nut allergies. Considering the wide use of hair, skin and body products containing shea butter, we sought to determine whether there are detectable proteins in shea nut or shea butter extracts and whether such proteins are recognised by subjects with peanut or tree nut allergies.

Another article from the 'US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health': This is the first study examining the potential allergenicity of shea butter. Shea nut and shea butter contain extremely low levels of water/salt-soluble protein with undetectable IgE binding by Western blot and ELISA. Protein extraction may be limited by the high fat content of shea nuts compared with other tree nuts and peanuts and by the presence of latex within the shea nut. 

The conclusion to these findings is reassuring for individuals with nut allergies who are using shea butter–based products topically and explains why no allergic reactions have been reported, despite the popularity of hair, skin and body care products with nut oils.