Sweet almond oil for skin: stretch marks, scars and safety

Stretch marks in pregnancy: one trial

In a double-blind trial, 160 women pregnant for the first time were split into four groups: aloe vera gel, sweet almond oil, base cream, or no treatment. The three treatments were applied to the abdomen. Both the aloe vera and sweet almond oil creams reduced itching and redness and prevented the spread of stretch marks, compared with the base cream and with no treatment.¹

It is one trial of a cream containing the oil, not the oil alone, and it studied itching, redness and spread rather than whether stretch marks were prevented outright. The three creams did not differ in the number or width of stretch marks.¹

Scars: almond oil as the comparison

A 2023 randomised trial followed 30 people whose skin graft donor sites had healed. Fourteen used a blended regeneration oil and 16 used pure almond oil, twice a day for six months. Scar quality, itch and discolouration did not differ between the groups, and the authors say both oils were suitable for scar care.²

Almond oil here was the control, and there was no group using nothing, so the trial cannot say that almond oil improved the scars.

Two other small trials used almond oil in hospital. In 108 intensive-care patients, almond oil on pressure points was followed by fewer pressure injuries than standard care (5.6% against 25.1%), but not significantly fewer than liquid paraffin.³ In 90 preterm babies, almond oil and sunflower oil both improved skin hydration and skin condition scores over five days compared with no oil.⁴

What the safety review found

In 2017 the Cosmetic Ingredient Review expert panel assessed 244 plant-derived fatty acid oils together. It noted they are used for skin-conditioning, occlusive, emollient and moisturising properties, and because many are edible with low systemic toxicity, it focused on possible effects on the skin. It concluded the 244 oils are safe as used in cosmetics.⁵ The panel was set up in 1976 by the cosmetics industry’s trade association, with support from the US Food and Drug Administration and the Consumer Federation of America.⁶

That is a conclusion about the group of oils, not a trial of sweet almond oil. The trials above are the evidence we found on what it does.

Using sweet almond oil with other products

The stretch-mark trial tested almond oil in a cream, and a separate aloe vera cream, not the two together.¹ We did not find a source on combining it with other products.

Sweet almond oil in pregnancy and breastfeeding

Snifff's note is that it found no pregnancy- or lactation-specific evidence. That sits a little oddly with the 2018 trial above, which tested almond oil creams in women pregnant for the first time. The abstract reports itching, redness and stretch mark spread, and does not describe safety outcomes for mother or baby, so it does not settle the question.¹

Evidence on cosmetic products in pregnancy is limited overall, so ask your doctor or midwife about the specific product you use.⁷

What you will see on the label

On a label, look for Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil and Sweet Almond Oil. Snifff shows it as Low risk. For the rest of the formula, see what the score means and how to read the list.

As Snifff shows it

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil

Low risk

Pregnancy and nursing

We found no pregnancy- or lactation-specific evidence for this ingredient.

Wording as it appears in the extension, which can change between releases.