Gossypium Herbaceum (Cotton) Seed Oil

_Gossypium herbaceum_ (cotton) seed oil is extracted from the seeds of various types of cotton plants. Supplied as a golden yellow liquid, this non-fragrant plant oil is a good source of fatty acids capable of smoothing and hydrating skin. These include linoleic, palmitic, and oleic acids, with lesser amounts of linolenic, stearic, and myristic acids. This plant oil’s primary use in cosmetics is for its emollient properties, but it may also be chosen to contribute occlusion to a formulation. Although cotton seed oil is a good natural source of vitamin E, much of this is lost during processing, so its antioxidant benefit when used on skin is limited. Despite this limitation, it’s among the more stable oils when exposed to air. The safety of _Gossypium herbaceum_ (cotton) seed oil has been evaluated and amounts up to 21% are considered non-sensitizing and non-irritating to skin. Suppliers must ensure their source of this plant oil is free from toxins such as gossypol, aflatoxin, and cyclopropenoid fatty acids (CPFA) or that steps are taken during processing to ensure these compounds are removed before adding the oil to cosmetics