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Prunus dulcis (seed oil)

Sweet almond oil

Sweet almond oil is a reasonable, gentle moisturiser, but the trials behind it are small and few. In one 160-woman trial an almond oil cream eased the itch and redness of stretch marks but did not change their number or size, and a 2026 review of four trials judged sweet almond oil not effective at preventing them. We found no human trial for hair. Do not use it if you are allergic to almonds or other tree nuts; an infant with eczema became sensitised after almond oil was rubbed on the skin.

Updated
30 September 2026
A small bottle of almond oil beside whole almonds
At a glance
Last reviewed 30 September 2026
Evidence
Limited
Best for
Dry skin, stretch-mark itch
Typical form & use
Oil or cream, applied to skin
Onset
2 weeks
Safety
Avoid with tree-nut allergy, especially on eczema. No interactions in our data.
Check with your medications →

What it's used for

Evidence is rated per use. The same ingredient can be strong for one thing and traditional for another.

UseEvidenceWhat the research shows
Dry skin and hand dermatitisLimitedA moisturiser containing 7% sweet almond oil and 2% colloidal oatmeal was reported safe and effective for moderate to severe hand dermatitis, but the oatmeal is itself a treatment, so this cannot show the oil did the work. A 2022 review by a skin-care company concluded that sweet almond oil supports the skin barrier, while admitting discrepancies and questionable designs in the clinical data. We found no head-to-head trial against a plain moisturiser.5,6
Stretch marks in pregnancy (itch and redness)LimitedIn a double-blind trial of 160 first-time mothers, sweet almond oil cream reduced itching and redness and slowed the spread of stretch marks compared with a base cream or nothing, but all groups had similar numbers and widths of marks. A 2026 systematic review of four randomised trials found coconut oil worked and sweet almond oil did not. A separate Turkish trial found a 15-minute massage with almond oil cut stretch marks (20% against 41% in controls), but that oil was bitter almond oil, and the oil without massage did nothing.1,3,2
Massage of preterm infantsLimitedIn 49 healthy preterm babies (born at 31 to 34 weeks) given 10 days of touch and movement stimulation, those massaged with sweet almond oil scored higher on a neurological maturity test than unmassaged controls. Weight gain, however, rose only with a different blended oil, so the benefit may come from the massage rather than the oil, and the trial does not show a benefit for healthy full-term babies. Skin care in infancy did not cut eczema risk in a large Cochrane analysis and probably raised skin infections, and that review did not test almond oil specifically.4,8
Hair and scalpTraditionalThe popularity of almond oil for hair rests on tradition and general claims about conditioning. We searched PubMed and found no human trial of almond oil for hair growth, shine, breakage or scalp problems.6

How much

Ranges below are what studies used and what supplements commonly contain. They are not a recommendation for you. Start at the low end.

Stretch-mark trial
Cream applied to the abdomen1
The 160-woman trial used almond oil cream on abdominal skin through pregnancy, checked at five points. The abstract does not give a usable amount, so we did not find a reliable dose.
Hand dermatitis product
7% almond oil with 2% oatmeal5
This is the concentration in the moisturiser tested in hand dermatitis. Plain oil was not tested.
Infant massage trial
10 days of oil massage4
Preterm babies in hospital were massaged for 10 days as part of a structured programme run by trained staff. This is not a home routine.
Timing · The sources do not say when to apply it. For dry skin, applying to damp skin after washing is common practice but was not tested in the trials we read.With food? · Not applicable; the evidence here is for use on the skin. We found no trials of swallowing sweet almond oil.How long to trial · Judge dry skin over about 2 weeks. For stretch marks, expect at most less itch: the trial showed no change in number or width of marks. Stop if you develop a rash, hives or swelling.

How people take it

Sweet almond oil (skin)Thin layer as neededRefined or cold-pressed oil for the body. Sweet almond oil is a different product from bitter almond oil.
Almond oil creamApplied to abdomen in the stretch-mark trialThe form tested in pregnancy. The oil is mixed with a cream base.
Massage oilNot establishedUsed in a hospital trial of preterm babies and in a Turkish trial (with bitter almond oil) during pregnancy. Both combined oil with a structured massage.

Safety

Who should avoid
  • Almond or tree-nut allergy — reactions are possible and the oil contains almond protein
  • Infants with eczema — an infant became sensitised to almond after 2 months of use
  • Bitter almond oil — bitter almonds contain amygdalin, which releases cyanide
  • Anyone with a confirmed nut allergy — ask an allergy specialist before using any nut oil
Known interactions
No interactions in our data. Absence of a flag is not clearance.

Make it yourself

DIY guides that use sweet almond oil, with quantities and safety notes.

How to Make a Sugar Scrub (2:1 Sugar and Oil)

Questions people ask

Is sweet almond oil good for your skin?

It is a gentle emollient and a company-authored review of skin studies supports it as a moisturiser. The trials are small, and one moisturiser trial in hand dermatitis also contained oatmeal, so the oil's own effect is unproven. Avoid it if you are allergic to tree nuts.

Does almond oil get rid of stretch marks?

No trial showed that it does. In 160 first-time mothers an almond oil cream reduced itch and redness and slowed the spread of stretch marks, but the number and width of marks were the same as with a plain base cream. A 2026 review of four trials found sweet almond oil ineffective at preventing them.

Is almond oil good for hair?

We found no human trial of almond oil for hair growth, shine, breakage or scalp problems. Its use on hair is traditional, not tested.

Is sweet almond oil the same as bitter almond oil, and is it safe for tree-nut allergy?

They are different. Bitter almonds contain amygdalin, which releases hydrogen cyanide when broken down, so bitter almond products are a poisoning risk if swallowed. Sweet almond oil is not a cyanide risk, but it can still trigger allergy: an infant with eczema developed a positive patch test, prick test and almond IgE after two months of almond oil on the skin. UK guidance says avoidance is the cornerstone of nut allergy management.

Sources

  1. Randomised trial Hajhashemi M, Rafieian M, Rouhi Boroujeni HA, et al. The effect of Aloe vera gel and sweet almond oil on striae gravidarum in nulliparous women. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2018.
  2. Quasi-experimental trial Timur Taşhan S, Kafkasli A. The effect of bitter almond oil and massaging on striae gravidarum in primiparaous women. J Clin Nurs. 2012.
  3. Systematic review Güner Emül T, Kaplan Serin E. Effect of Aromatherapy Oil Applications on Striae Gravidarum: A Systematic Review. Skin Res Technol. 2026.
  4. Randomised trial Vaivre-Douret L, Oriot D, Blossier P, et al. The effect of multimodal stimulation and cutaneous application of vegetable oils on neonatal development in preterm infants: a randomized controlled trial. Child Care Health Dev. 2009.
  5. Clinical study Zeichner JA, Berson D, Donald A. The Use of an Over-the-Counter Hand Cream With Sweet Almond Oil for the Treatment of Hand Dermatitis. J Drugs Dermatol. 2018.
  6. Review (industry authors) Blaak J, Staib P. An updated review on efficacy and benefits of sweet almond, evening primrose and jojoba oils in skin care applications. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2022.
  7. Case report Guillet G, Guillet MH. Percutaneous sensitization to almond oil in infancy and study of ointments in 27 children with food allergy. Allerg Immunol (Paris). 2000.
  8. Systematic review Kelleher MM, Phillips R, Brown SJ, et al. Skin care interventions in infants for preventing eczema and food allergy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022.
  9. Review Jaszczak-Wilke E, Polkowska Z, Koprowski M, et al. Amygdalin: Toxicity, Anticancer Activity and Analytical Procedures for Its Determination in Plant Seeds. Molecules. 2021.
  10. Clinical guidance Stiefel G, Anagnostou K, Boyle RJ, et al. BSACI guideline for the diagnosis and management of peanut and tree nut allergy. Clin Exp Allergy. 2017.

Reader notes

Experiences and questions from readers, read by an editor before they appear. They are personal accounts, not evidence, and are not medical advice.

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Last reviewed 30 September 2026 · Next review March 2027 · How we rate evidence