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Thursday - September 14, 2006

From: New York, NY
Region: Northeast
Topic: Medicinal Plants
Title: Skin care uses of sunflower seed oil
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

Just wondering what, if any, were the traditional uses of sunflower in skincare? I thought I read somewhere that the seeds were crushed up into an oil and used on the skin for sun protection? Is there anything out there that corroborates this? Please advise. Many thanks.

ANSWER:

I haven't been able to find any reference (in print or over the internet) to sun protection for the sunflower, but I have found several references to other uses on the skin and hair. The seeds of the Common sunflower (Helianthus annuus) were crushed and the oil used for a dressing for the hair. The University of Michigan-Dearborn Native American Ethnobotany database lists several skin-related uses for H. annuus:

"Oil from seeds used 'to lubricate or paint the face or body'"-Mandan Indian;
"Juice applied to cuts"-Jemez Indians; and
"Petals dried, ground, mixed with yellow corn meal and used as a face powder in women's basket dance"-Hopi Indians.

For the Sawtooth sunflower (Helianthus grossesserratus), a "Poultice of blossoms used for burns"-Meskwaki Indians.